Wide Format Printing
*Due to the library being a nonprofit organization, supported by tax payer dollars, items are for personal use ONLY and not for RESALE.
*Library card is required
Before you begin
Please keep in mind, that Makerspace Printing must follow these guidelines to help make sure all requests are handled promptly. We ask that you pay attention to these details as they can directly impact the cost and result of your print request.
A few important details:
A library card within the CLEVNET system is required and you must have your library card with you to pick up your print(s).
The name on the submission must match the person who will be picking the submission up.
Due to the library being a nonprofit organization, supported by tax payer dollars, items are for personal use ONLY and not for RESALE.
We do not design or resize submissions. We print files as they are submitted. If a submission is 2 feet x 2 feet, it will be printed as such. The library will not be held accountable for files being incorrectly submitted.
If you do not pick up your submission within 30 days of the job being completed, your library card will be charged the cost of the invoice.
The intention of the offered services
Makerspace Printing typically performs large format printing for posters and images that are larger than what a standard printer (or 8.5" by 11" paper) can support. This includes research posters for classes, prints for digital photography students, event signs, and so forth. Due to the library being a nonprofit organization, supported by tax payer dollars, items are for personal use ONLY and not for RESALE.
Smaller prints, such as a 4" by 6" photo, can be printed on everyday printers or at photo processing businesses. While Makerspace Printing provides a cost-effective and quick way to print larger items, it is more expensive for us (and ultimately, you, the end consumer) to print these smaller items.
There are color printers in the Reference and Circulation areas to print these smaller items.
Request processing time
To ensure Makerspace Printing can handle all print requests efficiently and effectively, we require at least three business days to process all requests.
To meet your request, we must:
· Collect all information necessary for printing and enter it into our request tracking system
· Notify and arrange for qualified staff members to process the request
· Queue up files in our printer software and perform necessary preflight operations such changing the paper roll and replacing ink
· Print your request
· Perform post-printing tasks, such as grommets
· Process all billing information and create necessary invoices
o All patrons must pay before their prints will be released to them. *A library card with a library in the CLEVNET system is required.
· Notify you of the completion of your print, so that you may come and pick it up
Please note: any request submitted after 4 PM on a weekday is considered as submitted at 8 AM on the following business day.
Suggested file types and methods
Submitting PDF or TIFF files at size is the easiest and recommended method.
· PSD, Adobe Illustrator, Standard Image Files (such as PNG, GIF, JPG), PDF, TIFF, EMF, EPS, are all acceptable files
· PDF files are recommended for event signs or posters displaying information.
· TIFF files (or other standard image formats) are recommended for photographs being enlarged.
How should I design my files?
We would recommend using a product like Adobe Creative Cloud or Canva. However, we can print any file in PDF or standard image format. As long as you design the file on your computer and then export it as one of these formats, it will look very similar when we print it. If we need to convert the file, it will look different because we may not have the same fonts or software that you do.
The general idea is:
1. Design your print in any program that you would like. Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Publisher are not preferred, but they can be used.
2. Export what you would like printed as an above-mentioned file type or use the Print function and select "Export file as a PDF."
3. Verify the file was exported or saved correctly by previewing the image. Check for font sizes, spacing changes, correct font styles, overlapping content, and images or text that goes off the side of the printable portion of the page. If the file was exported on the same machine as it was created, it should look quite the same.
4. Submit the converted file to Makerspace Wide Format Printing for printing.
Brief instructions are provided below for exporting files to PDF format.
PDF files versus JPEG images
When you convert one of your files to a PDF file, the text is saved in a way such that it will look similar on all machines and will not be blurred when the file is enlarged for printing. Using a standard image format, like JPEG, will not maintain this quality, which will result in blurred text.
Please note that there is no way for us to prevent photos from blurring if the resolution of the submitted file is too low.
How do I create a PDF file?
If you are using Adobe Creative Cloud Products please make sure you use the export as PDF option instead of printing the file as a PDF.
Mac OS
This technique should work on all Mac-based computers. You can use other techniques also, as long as they create a PDF file. Programs may provide their own "export as PDF" utilities.
1. Open the file you wish to convert to a PDF.
2. From the File menu, choose Print.
3. In the bottom left corner of the print dialog, click on the PDF drop-down menu and choose "Save as PDF...". Give the file a proper name.
4. Your PDF has been saved as specified and can now be uploaded to Media Services for printing. Please open the file and make sure it appears how you would like it printed.
Windows
If you are using your personal computer with special fonts, you may save the file as a PDF using Adobe software. You may also download and install PDFCreator, a free program that installs a PDF printer option. When you try to print the document, choose the PDF printer in your print dialog.
Some programs may provide their own "export as PDF" utilities. You may also use those if they are provided.
Printable Types and Costs
Please note that, due to the size of your project, not all listed below may be available. We do our best to keep all types available for all sizes but no guarantees can be made that we will have all on hand for your print. However, if we are out of a specific size, we can look into ordering it for your print, which will take extra time. We recommend leaving yourself a window of one to two weeks of when your print is needed to account for this.
As these only come in certain widths, please insure whatever material you would like your file printed on matches with one of the dimensions listed below that specific material.
Heavy Duty Paper - $0.50/sqft
24 inch
36 inch
42 inch
Banner Vinyl - $1.00/sqft
24 inch
36 inch
42 inch
Glossy Photo Paper - $0.75/sqft
24 inch width
Square footage rounding
The cost of a print job is determined by the rounded square footage for the print multiplied by the number of copies requested. To cover the cost of waste paper and ink, we must round the final size of each printed piece to the nearest half foot.
For example, if you request two copies of an 11" by 17" print on Banner Vinyl, the size will be rounded to be 1 foot by 1.5 feet. The actual square footage of a single print is $1.00, however, this will be rounded up to 2 square feet. Your final cost will be 1.5 sq ft x 2 copies x $1 per square foot = $3.00
Submitting the print request
Please contact Makerspace Printing with any questions at reference@beyond-books.org