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Wide Format Poster Printing


Wide Format Poster Printing

UMKC’s Information Services department is partnering with the Miller Nichols Library to bring you wide format color printing. Good for creating posters or informational displays, this new service will allow you to print documents up to 42 inches wide and at the following lengths:

  • Size Name: Width x Height (mm); Width x Height (in); Aspect Ratio; Estimated Cost
  • Arch B: 305 x 457 mm; 12.0 x 18.0 in; 3:2; $10.00
  • Arch C: 457 x 610 mm; 18.0 x 24.0 in; 4:3; $15.00
  • Arch D: 610 x 914 mm; 24.0 x 36.0 in; 3:2; $20.00
  • Arch E: 914 x 1219 mm; 36.0 x 48.0 in; 4:3; $40.00
  • Arch E1: 762 x 1067 mm; 30.0 x 42.0 in; 7:5; $25.00

Please note: only PDF files are accepted.

Wide format printing is available to the general student body in the Miller Nichols Library building. These specialized print jobs require at least 72 business hours’ notice and no print jobs will be completed on the weekends, during Intercessions, or when the Miller Nichols Library is closed. During periods of high demand, it may take a little longer to get your printouts to you, so please plan accordingly.

Please note that posters are not trimmed after they are printed, so you will need to cut them to your desired size if necessary. Remember, only PDF files are accepted, and for printing images, the PDFs must be 600 DPI resolution or higher.


How much does it cost and how do I pay for it?

Printing to the wide format printer costs $10 per linear foot and first draws from your regular print quota, then draws funds from your OneCard. You’ll need to add funds to your OneCard if your printer print job will use more print quota than you have available. Keep in mind that your OneCard balance is not directly connected to your PaperCut print quota and those funds must be managed separately.

You can add funds to your print quota if you don't have enough to cover the cost of your print job by opening PaperCut and selecting "Add Credit." You will need to log in to OneCard to transfer some of your balance to your PaperCut account.

Note: this transfer is non-reversible. Once you manually transfer funds from your OneCard account to your PaperCut account, you can not move it back or receive any refunds.

If you do not have enough print quota to cover the cost of your print job, you will be contacted by a representative who will instruct you to take these steps before the print job can be put through.


How to Print a Wide Format Print Job

Accessing the Wide Format Printer

You can conveniently access the wide format printer through PaperCut by selecting the "Print Rooms/FabLabs" option in the side bar:
https://labweb.umkc.edu:9192/user

Preparing Your File

The wide format printer only accepts PDF files. There are too many different software programs available for us to document detailed steps in creating a print-ready PDF file here, but you should be able to find instructions on the Internet for whatever software you’re most comfortable with.

If you need to use UMKC’s computer lab software to create your PDF, you can create a print-ready PDF file using PowerPoint in UMKC’s computer labs. These articles may be useful to you in creating PDFs through PowerPoint:

The Adobe Creative Cloud software is also available in all IS-managed labs and can be used to convert files to PDF. You can either use the "Save As..." function and select PDF as the file type, or select "Microsoft print to PDF" to create your PDF file. If you are using a different software, to save your file as a PDF, select ‘Save As…’ and then use the drop-down menu to PDF as the file type. If you don’t see that option, you may need to select Print from your software and then choose ‘Print to PDF’ in the drop-down menu listing all available printers.

Note: no matter what software you use, a minimum resolution of 600 DPI is required for image-only print jobs and a minimum resolution of 150 DPI is required for images embedded in text-heavy print jobs. Anything less may result in blurry images. You may also wish to turn off image compression in whatever software you’re using to help make your images crisp.

To prepare your printout properly, also remember:
  • Be sure to flatten your layers if you are using a software that supports layers.
  • To make sure nothing gets cut off unexpectedly, make sure there is some white space around your print jobs. The wide format printer cannot create “full bleed” printouts (where it prints all the way to the edge of the paper).
  • Please note that staff do not trim printouts or provide equipment to trim printouts.

Selecting Paper Stock

When submitting your print job, even though there is only one option for paper color and type, you will need to select those settings in the following screens:
Select Paper Color
Select Paper Type

Previewing Your Print Job

To ensure your wide format print job prints as you expect, be sure to check the print preview. If your print job looks smaller than expected, that usually means there’s an error with your file’s resolution and size.
Incorrect Image Resolution Example

The image size should match the paper size selected:
Correct Image Resolution Example


Troubleshooting Tips

Here are some tips that will help your wide format plotter print jobs come out the way you expect:
  • Printouts are always completed in full color, even if your print job is black and white.
  • The plotter uses 42” wide satin paper only.
  • Always use Print Preview before printing anything to any printer so you can review your document and see how the print job should print.
  • Only PDF files are accepted by the wide format plotter: do not submit any other file types.
  • Be sure to flatten all layers in your PDF before saving and submitting it for printing.
  • A minimum resolution of 600 DPI is recommended for all wide format print jobs or your job might come out blurry. There are no refunds once your print job has completed.
  • To make sure nothing gets cut off unexpectedly, there are no “full bleed” printouts, so there should always be some white space around your print jobs. Please note that staff do not trim printouts or provide equipment to trim printouts.
  • Remember, the cost for printing is $10.00 per linear foot and plotter print jobs are automatically charged against any existing print quota you receive and then to your OneCard balance if more funds are required to cover the cost. You must have sufficient print quota and/or OneCard funds for your print job to be initiated. There are no refunds once your print job has completed.


Getting Help

If you encounter issues using the wide format printer, please report them to the Technology Support Center. When using the online portal to enter a ticket, it is best to select “Repair Printer” or “Troubleshoot Printer” based on the issue you’re having, and also include that you’re using the wide format printer at MNL in the description.

If you are having problems in any of the public labs please contact one of the Lab Student Assistants for help.

If student assistants are unavailable in your lab you may also contact the UMKC Technology Support Center for assistance.