Print Smart: Printing Tips

Tips to Conserve Resources by Printing Smart

As students, it can be hard managing so much: reading assignments, PowerPoint presentations, handouts, and more. We all play a part in reducing the amount of printed materials.

• Utilize print preview: Use print preview to print only the pages you need.
• Printing from PowerPoint: Print multiple slides per page (3, 4 or 6) rather than one slide per page.
• Think carefully about your needs: Rather than printing the PowerPoint slides for each class, read through the slides ahead of class and evaluate if you really need to print them. Can you take notes on a laptop or in a notebook and refer to the PowerPoint presentation on your computer instead? 
• Decrease font or margin size: This allows you to fit more text on each page. 
• Reduce the number of copies that you print: Print only as many copies as you need. When working in a group consider the possibility of sharing handouts.
• Printing from the web: Look for a printer-friendly option that may only display the text. Or, copy and paste the content you need into a Microsoft Word document or Google Doc. 
• Save what you need: If you don't need a hard copy, copy and paste the information to a Microsoft Word doc and save to OneDrive or another persistent save location. 
• Know where you're printing to: Know which printer your document is going to BEFORE you print. Don't see your document? Check nearby printers. 
• Be patient and ask for help: If your document doesn't show up right away, wait a minute to confirm it didn't go through before printing again. Ask for help before attempting to print again.