Cyber-Leap Series: Guide to the RELMON Self-Service Printers |
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Types of Files Supported
- How to Send Your File to the RELMON printer
- Security
- How to Print Your File
- Helpful Information about the Hardware
- Helpful Information about printing .pdf documents
- Helpful Information about Printing with WordPerfect
- Refunds
Introduction
To allow the maximum flexibility for you to produce printed documents, a system of laser printers and a print server is available for general use. From most locations (public labs, UNIX workstations, etc.), you can send your file for printing to the self-serve RELMON printers.The Print server holds your files until you are ready to print (and pay) for them. You can use any of the Self-Service printers located around campus to print. ( See map for location ) The printers are always available, the only limit being if Protection Services locks the doors to the building. At each printer there is a terminal to display and select the file(s) you want to print, and a photocopy card reader to accept payment.
You pay for printing in the same manner as when you use photocopiers on campus. There are copycard dispensers at various locations on campus from which you can purchase a copycard and load it with a monetary value. The card is then debited as you use the self-serve photocopiers or printers. Currently, the charge is $0.09 per impression for either service. We also have two solid ink printers situated at the Montpetit Lab and Morisset Library, which charge $0.25 per impression.
If you have a problem with your copycard, the copycard dispensers or the photocopier and printer card readers, visit the docUcentre located in the University Centre, Room 0024. You can also reach the docUcentre by calling 613-562-5800, ext. 3711.
Types of Files Supported
You can send three types of files to a Self Serve printer. These are plain text (e.g., source file for your C program), PCL, and PostScript. If you send any other type of file (e.g., A4 format, QMS QUIC-code), the formatting commands are printed as text and are not executed.Software in the public labs already uses these formats. If you are using your own software, please check that the print file is in the correct format. There is no refund if what the printer prints is not what you wanted. Your software should use a PostScript or PCL printer driver related to the actual printers in use. At this time, the printers are IBM Lexmark machines of the type 4039-1gl Plus of higher. Using the software driver for a 4039-16l Plus guarantees that your file will print correctly at all the Self-service locations. Note that we may use different printer models as we install additional printing sites, and replace existing printers with other models over time.
Some software may be able to use a generic PostScript or PCL driver. If this is available, you may want to investigate its usefulness. However, see the item at the end of this guide about how WordPerfect misbehaves when it does not know the exact characteristics of the printer being used.
How to Send Your File to the RELMON Self-Serve Printer
On a PC, Mac, or UNIX workstation, set the printer definition to be the Relmon queue. Since the exact commands to do this varies with each software package, please contact the Computing Help Center for assistance.If your workstation is not on a LAN managed by Computing and Communications Services, your LAN manager must define queue entries and install software so that the files go to the Relmon server.
From a UNIX workstation, use the following: lpr -Prelmon name_of_file.
The Printing server will hold files for only 4 hours. Older files will automatically be purged. Although there is no limit on the number of files that a single user may send to the self serve printing service, the queues will be monitored regularly. Evidence of using large amounts of storage, i.e. large files and / or large numbers of files, may result in files being purged and disciplinary actions taken.
Security
By default, anyone can print or purge his/her files sent to the printing queue. Computing and Communications Services is trying to ensure that account names issued on the various LANs and systems are unique for each person. Thus, the account ABCDE on UNIX and ABCDE on the Montpetit LAN will be the same person. However, it is not possible to guarantee that this will be true for all the systems on campus that could send files to the self service printing. Therefore, the system uses both the account name and the host name as the full identity for a person.How to Print Your File
All self serve printers at various locations are connected to the central server. Therefore, you can use whichever printer is most convenient for you.( See map for location )Ensure that your photocopy card has enough funds to pay for the printing. You can check the funds remaining by inserting your card in any photocopy or printer card reader. The display will show the remaining funds. Press the eject button to retrieve your card. The card reader may automatically eject the card if there is less than 9 cents left since there are not enough funds to pay for one sheet of paper. To print your files, follow these steps:
- Make sure the printer LCD display reads Ready before proceeding. If it does not, press the RESET button and wait until you see the message Ready. The message Tray 1 empty does not mean that the printer is out of paper. Most printers have more than one input tray. If you see a message, Tray 3 empty, contact the Computing Help Center.
- Insert your photocopy card in the reader. Make sure that you pushed the card in as far as possible and it is locked in position.
- Move the mouse pointer to the desired job and press the left mouse button. Once the job is highlighted, move the mouse pointer to the right bottom of the screen and select the function you desire by pressing the left mouse button. To select multiple print files press the right button on the mouse on the first file and then on any other files you wish to print. Each time you select a file to be printed the total pages, amount and balance of your card will be displayed. The system will inform you if you have insufficient funds on the card to print the selected files. Once you have decided on which files to be printed, use the mouse to instruct system to print.
- As your file is printing, the printer will display the message Busy in the top left corner of the printer's LCD display.
Check that the screen displays the Insert card logo. If not, press the Escape or Esc key on the keyboard.
The system will then respond with a user screen. Enter your user name. (You need to press the ENTER key twice )
The screen will display the files you sent. With the mouse you can move the screen up or down if you have more files to display.
The information that will appear on the screen, will be the following:
User ID , Job name, Date, Time, How many pages, How much will it cost
The cost is deducted from your photocopy card before the files are sent to the printer. If you have sufficient funds the credits are deducted and the card will eject from the reader and then printing will start. If you have selected the wrong file, press the unselect all key.
When the printer display returns to Ready, all printing has been completed. If you want to print other sent files, insert the card and start the above process. There is no copy of files kept in the print queue. Once it is printed you need to send the file in order to print again.
Helpful Information about the Hardware*
*Please note that duplex printing (double-sided) is now available on all Relmon printers (colour and black and white).
When the printer runs out of paper, it will display the message Load Paper at the top of the display area. Please report this to the Computing Help Center.
If your file was printing at the time the printer ran out of paper, and you are not in a rush, you could wait for an operator to refill the printer. When the paper has been loaded, the printer will continue printing your file. All files that are printed afterwards will be given to the lab consultant.
Helpful Information about Printing .pdf Documents
To print .pdf documents from Adobe Acrobat Reader on the Relmon printers, you must select “File”, “Print”, then “Print as Image” before printing the document. Otherwise, they will not show up in your list of documents to be printed.Files with the extension .pdf do not print from Netscape. Because Netscape sends the documents to the printer with a file size of zero, the files are not shown in your list of documents to be printed. The same file, however, will print without a problem when using Internet Explorer.
topHelpful Information about Printing with WordPerfect
When you request WordPerfect to print your document, WordPerfect checks to see if the printer has the hardware capability to print the font(s) specified for the document. If yes, WordPerfect sends some PostScript commands and your text to the printer, and the printer formats the page. If WordPerfect believes the printer does not have the required hardware capability, it will convert the text into a graphic bit map, and send that to the printer. This method takes a lot longer to print (as much as 10 times). Therefore, you may wish to use printer fonts for most of your work. The printers have the following fonts resident:- AvantGarde Regular
- AvantGarde Bold
- AvantGarde Italic
- AvantGarde Bold Italic
- Bookman Light
- Bookman Light Italic
- Bookman Bold
- Bookman Bold Italic
- Courier Regular
- Courier Bold
- Courier Italic
- Courier Bold Italic
- Helvetica Regular
- Helvetica Bold
- Helvetica Italic
- Helvetica Bold Italic
- Helvetica-Black Bold
- Helvetica-Black Bold Italic
- Helvetica-Light Light
- Helvetica-Light Light Italic
- Helvetica-Narrow Regular
- Helvetica-Narrow Bold
- Helvetica-Narrow Italic
- Helvetica-Narrow Bold Italic
- NewCenturySchlbk Regular
- NewCenturySchlbk Bold
- NewCenturySchlbk Italic
- NewCenturySchlbk Bold Italic
- Palatino Regular
- Palatino Bold
- Palatino Italic
- Palatino Bold Italic
- Symbol Regular
- Times Regular
- Times Bold
- Times Italic
- Times Bold Italic
- ZapfDingbats Regular
- ZapfChancery Italic
In addition, when you import into v6.1 a document created on a computer connected to a dot matrix printer, you will need to change the paper size in the Document Initial Codes (Format, Document, Initial Codes Style), before sending your file to the Relmon printers.
Refunds
If you are requesting a refund because the printed page is physically bad (e.g. toner is smeared, the paper is twisted), please provide the bad page along with the refund request. This will allow the us to better understand and fix the problem.Refund request forms are available in the University Centre, room 0024.