Tips for Printing
Printing can be a challenge to navigate successfully, but there are some simple steps you can take to help ensure a successful print experience:
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Check your paper size:
- Always make sure that your print job is sending on Letter size (8.5”x11”) paper (for jobs requiring Legal or Ledger paper, see below).
- Most programs will show a document on its ideal paper size: however, this can carry over into the print settings, which can lead to a job being cancelled (e.g. the printer will not print jobs sent on A4, cardstock, or postcard-size paper). To avoid this, make sure that you have checked how the document will display on Letter size paper and that you have selected Letter paper in your program’s print settings.
- To print a document on Legal (11” x 14”) or Ledger (11”x17”) size paper, send your job to LIBR_MM, the Music & Media printer. This is the only printer in the library which can print on these paper sizes. Please note: the costs for this printer are $.40 for Letter/Legal/Ledger size.
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Download and Save:
- Printing documents direct or downloaded from the web (e.g. Google docs, Brightspace, or web-launched PDFs) can lead to issues such as missing characters, formatting errors, and blank pages. To avoid this, always ensure you download and save the document to a folder on your computer (e.g. Desktop, My Documents) before sending it to the print queue.
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Hide comments:
- The default setting for most programs is to print the document exactly as it appears on the screen. However, this can result in comments or feedback appearing in the margins of your document. To avoid this in Word, turn off markup in the Review settings of your document before sending, or from the Print settings menu, under “Print all pages,” uncheck the “Print Markup” setting.
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Print a test copy:
- When printing a large document (e.g. draft thesis or a reading) or many copies (e.g. resume, workshop assignment), it’s always a good idea to send a single page or copy first, to ensure that the formatting, layout, and appearance are correct before you commit your time and money to the job.
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Ask for help:
- If you’re not sure how to do something or would like assistance, email lctecdsk@uvic.ca to contact a Technical Support Unit staff member 9:00am-4:00pm, Monday-Friday: we’re happy to help!
Ask us