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Print Smart: On-campus printing

Learn about printing at Madison College

Student Printing Allotment

Student printing allotments get recharged with $7.50 about 1 week prior to the start of the semester. In addition, any monies students personally added by credit/debit or pre-paid cards will roll over. 

Students can see their account information by logging into their print account using the "Details" link on the Print Smart popup on all campus computers. 

PrintSmart FAQs

printsmart logo

PrintSmart FAQs

 

PaperCut is a software application that monitors student printing across campus. PaperCut has been installed as a part of Madison College's Print Smart campaign to reduce wasteful paper and toner consumption, which has a negative impact on both the environment and expenses. The print management program will encourage students to "think before they print and copy." The first time you login to a computer on campus, you will be prompted to login to PaperCut in order launch your account details. It will look like this:

login boxes for PrintSmart;

Use your student username and password (the part before the @ sign in your Madison College email address)

Each student will receive 150 total free B&W prints per semester as a courtesy of the College.

  • 100 B&W or 10 color prints
  • 50 problem B&W or 5 color prints (printer jams, selection errors,or any other unintended printing)

NOTE: Your semester's starting balance will display as $7.50, or the equivalent of your free print allotment. Your free print allotment is not redeemable for cash. Students' free allotments will be added the week prior to the first day of each semester.

Black & White: All standard size paper - $.05 per side

Color (where available): All standard size paper - $.50 per side

NOTE: Pricing is under review and subject to change

When you confirm a print job by clicking Print in the pop-up window, the cost will be deducted from your printing balance.

Each time you log onto a campus computer with your Madison College student network account, a Print Smart pop-up will appear displaying how much money you have remaining. As a student you also have access to an online printing account which provides you with more detail about money on your account and your print usage. Click on the Details... link to access your print account from on-campus. You can also view your balance at https://printsmart.madisoncollege.edu/

Screen capture of the print balance window

If you close your balance window it can be re-opened by opening up the "hidden icons" in the bottom toolbar and clicking on the PaperCut icon.

PrintSmart in system tray;

After you click Print, you will need to verify and approve your print job before it is processed. This is done by reviewing the confirmation window that pops up and then clicking Print.

Screen capture of the print confirmation window

When your free prints are exhausted, you will have to add money to your print account. You are allowed to add denominations of $1, $2, $3, $4 or $5 to your account. Money on your print account is non-refundable.

There are two ways to add money to your print account:

1. Add money with a credit/debit card or by ACH (checking/ savings account) via the online print account. Go to our How to add Money to your Print Smart Account help document for more detail.

Screen capture of the print balance window

2. Add money by buying a prepaid print card, which you will be able to purchase at various campus locations, and entering its number online via the PaperCut web interface.

Purchase locations include (subject to change):

  • Truax Library
  • Truax Bookstore
  • South Madison Main Office
  • Reedsburg Main Office
  • Portage Main Office
  • Fort Atkinson Main Office
  • Watertown Main Office

If you do not wish to use a credit/debit card or ACH (checking/savings account) to add money to your printing account, you can purchase a prepaid print card with cash. These are cards with unique redeemable codes valuing in denominations of $1 or $5. Treat these cards like cash. You will then need to log into your printing account to add money with this code using the web pay gateway. Each code can only be redeemed once.

Purchase locations include (subject to change):

  • Truax Library
  • Truax Bookstore
  • South Madison Main Office
  • Reedsburg Main Office
  • Portage Main Office
  • Fort Atkinson Main Office
  • Watertown Main Office
No. Be sure to take care of your card and treat it like cash. Anyone can redeem this code to add money to their printing account.
Free prints will not roll over from semester to semester. However, your paid prints will continue to carry over. Each semester you will receive the equivalent of 150 free black and white prints which will always get used first. Then your paid prints will be used.
Yes. If you have remaining free prints from the previous semester and/or you have a balance from adding money to your account, printing will be accessible. Otherwise you have the option to add more money to your print account using the web pay gateway or by buying a prepaid card at one of the designated locations. Remember any money added to your print account is non-refundable.

Yes. As soon as you are in the student directory you will be able to print. However, you will need to validate your printing credentials the first time to be added to the printing system right away.

New user

Students may print up to 30 pages per job. This is a safeguard to prevent you from printing a larger document accidentally or overloading the printing queue, slowing down printing for others.

Printing denied 30 page max exceeded

If you do not have enough printing balance for a job you will see a Printing Denied message, and your document will not be printed. You will then need to add money to your print account using the web pay gateway.

printing denied message;

You have been given an allotment of 50 pages per semester for jams, selection errors or other unintended printing. Atypical printer equipment problems will be determined by staff. If reimbursement is needed we will add free prints to your account. We anticipate reimbursements will be rare.

Double-sided printing will work on many College printers and will save paper. Please note, however, that double-sided printing does not save you money. All standard Black and White prints cost $.05 per side and all standard Color prints (where available) cost $.50 per side.

You will only be charged for your scans if you decide to print them. Other options include saving to OneDrive or emailing the document to yourself.
Printing from a Mac computer is very similar to printing from a Windows computer with a couple of small exceptions. Please read the Print Smart Mac Guide for more details.

Check out our Print Smart: Printing Tips page for ideas on how to reduce your printing. You can also log onto your online printing account and see more statistics about your printing history and environmental impact.

Screen capture of sample student print account

Yes, we will be reviewing activity, trends, and patterns of student printing. Like many services there should be no expectation of privacy so give good thought to what you are printing. We will not share information for other purposes. However, if abuse or inappropriate printing that is clearly in violation of all College policies for students is discovered action may be taken.

Madison College no longer provides free printing for non-affiliated (guest) users. However, you may register to create your own print account (PaperCut account) in order to add money and print in areas of the college that permit computer access for non-students. Find out how to do so on our Guest Users Information page.

After registering your PaperCut account, you will be able to add money via a credit/debit card, ACH (checking/ savings account) or a prepaid print card, which will be available for purchase at many Madison College campuses. You will be able to add a minimum of $1 or a maximum of $5 to your print account, and you do not need to use your balance up all at once. Any money added to your print account is non-refundable.

Yes, see our mobility print guide for instructions on printing from your own device in all our campus Libraries and SACs.
Contact the Student Computer Help Desk - Phone: (608) 243-4444 or stop by any of our Library Locations.

 

 

On-campus printing

On-campus printing availability

Each campus has some availability for drop-in printing

Truax

  • Library printers available for drop-in printing during Truax Library on-site services hours
  • Printers available on 2nd floor, near the center of the main building by the elevators during building open hours

Goodman South

Fort Atkinson, Portage, Reedsburg, Watertown Campuses

PrintSmart logo

 

Reducing the amount of paper printed is part of the College’s ongoing efforts to have a more environmentally friendly and greener campus. Also, as a not-for-profit, taxpayer supported institution, the College is committed to recovering costs wherever possible.

Madison College students are Real World Smart and that includes being good stewards of the Earth. That is why we introduced Print Smart in 2013, a series of efforts to encourage smart and responsible printing by students throughout the District.

Learn more about the impact of our collective efforts since PrintSmart was introduced in 2013

In 2023, students printed 188,962 sheets.

That is the equivalent of:

  • 2.35 trees
  • 850.3 kg of CO2
  • 53,539 hours running a 60W bulb
  • Almost half of all student printing is done in our libraries throughout the District
 
Printer