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Student Printing at Highline

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Student Printing at Highline 2024-03-28T18:29:18+00:00

Student Printing at Highline and FAQ

In order to reduce the impact of paper use and printing on our environment, and to adjust for state budget cuts, all students have a printing account, tied to their myHighline ID.

Printing in classrooms, open labs, and the Library Information Commons will be charged to that account.

  • Each quarter every active student will be given a $10 credit on their printing account.
  • Students who have paid the Academic Technology (CF) fee will be given an additional $10 credit for the quarter in which the fee is paid. This credit will be applied after the end of the add/drop period.
  • Once those allocations are used up, students can add to their accounts at kiosks in Buildings 25 (Library), 29 (Higher Education Center), and 30 (ATC, top floor). Currently, the value-add kiosks can only accept cash payments.

  • Single-sided black & white printing – 10c/page
  • Duplex (2-sided) black & white printing – 15c/sheet (10c for first side, 5c for second side)
    • Duplex printing will be the default in the library information commons and all open labs, as well as classrooms where the printer is duplex-capable.
  • Color prints – 50c/page
  • Posters/Plotter – 1c/square inch (Calculated on size of actual printing. This equals approximately $10 for an large “E” size plot.)

In addition, copiers in the library will use the new system for payment in the near future. Photocopies (Library 2nd floor) will continue to cost 5c/page.

Students will be required to log in with their myHighline account. Exactly how you log in to print will vary by location.  The various printing scenarios are listed below.

Library Information Commons

  • When you click print in an application, you will be asked to provide your myHighline username or Guest ID in order to print.
  • Once you have provided your username or Guest ID, you will be presented with the cost of your print job and the current balance of your account. Select “yes” to accept the cost and send the print job, or select “no” to decline the cost and cancel the print job.
  • To release the job from the printer, log in at a release station (near the printer) with your myHighline username and password or Guest ID and PIN, and choose the job(s) to release.
  • You will have 24 hours to release the job once it is sent.

Open Labs – Academic Technology Center (30) / Higher Education Center (29)

  • When you click print in an application, the system will use the printing account of the logged in user.
  • You will be presented with the cost of your print job and the current balance of your account. Select “yes” to accept the cost and send the print job, or select “no” to decline the cost and cancel the print job.
  • To release the job from the printer, log in at a release station (near the printer) with your myHighline username and password, and choose the job(s) to release.
  • You will have 24 hours to release the job once it is sent.

Classrooms – Academic Technology Classrooms (All buildings)

  • When you click print in an application, the system will use the printing account of the logged in user.
  • You will be presented with the cost of your print job and the current balance of your account. Select “yes” to accept the cost and send the print job, or select “no” to decline the cost and cancel the print job.
  • Once you accept the cost of the job, it will be sent to the classroom printer immediately.

Printing Frequently Asked Questions

All student printing is handled by Pharos Uniprint.  This software provides a printing account for each student, tied to their myHighline account.  Answers to frequently asked questions are listed below.  If you have additional questions, please contact the Help Desk.

Printing is a huge source of waste on the campus.  In the 2009-2010 academic year, we went through over 2.5 million sheets of paper in computer labs and the library information commons, and spent over $70,000 on student printing.  Much of that paper went directly in to recycling bins.  In order to assist with the college’s sustainability efforts, reduce our impact on the environment, and to save costs in an era of ever-increasing state budget cuts, we have decided that we need to place limits on printing.

We have expanded the implementation of Pharos Uniprint, software designed to manage printing.  This software has been used in a limited fashion for some time in the library information commons and a few other areas on campus.  As we expanded, we also switched to a cost-based printing system, with printing accounts tied to students’ myHighline accounts.  You will need to have activated your myHighline account and log in to print. These accounts will also soon be used to charge for photocopies in the library.

Every active student will be given a $10 credit on their printing account for the quarter.  In addition, students who have paid the Instructional Technology (CF) fee will be given an additional $10 credit for the quarter. Once all credits are used, students will have to add money to their accounts to continue printing.

No, there will be only one Academic Technology fee credit per student per quarter.

Add-value kiosks are available on the 2nd floor of the library (Building 25) near the Circulation desk, and in the open lab on the first floor of the Higher Education Center (Building 29).  A third kiosk is planned for the lobby of the Academic Technology Center (Building 30). You must log on with your myHighline account at the kiosk, and then pay with cash to add value to your account.

The system is currently cash only. We are exploring electronic payment options, but they are unfortunately not yet available.

College issued credits are intended to be utilized during the current quarter, and will not rollover.  Any money you pay into your account yourself will rollover.

It is a little bit high, because the primary purpose behind this effort is to encourage people to print less.  This is for several reasons: to reduce waste and help meet the colleges sustainability goals as outlined in our strategic plan and accreditation documents; to help meet state-mandated reductions in paper use; and to help reduce costs under repeated budget cuts. We are trying to maintain a fair balance by giving the initial quarterly printing credits, but in the end, we want everyone to print less.

There will be no cash refunds from the printing accounts.  For that reason, we recommend you add only as much money to your account as you anticipate using. Any money you pay into your account yourself will rollover to future quarters.

In that situation, you will have to add value to your account before printing.  Your instructor should let you know in advance, either in the syllabus or verbally, that you will be required to print something in class, and it will be your responsibility to make sure you have enough funds in your account.  We are working with faculty to promote other ways of submitting assignments that do not require them to be printed.

If a print job fails because of equipment error (i.e. printer jam, low toner), please bring the print job immediately to the Help Desk, or to the circulation or reference desks in the library, and we will evaluate the problem and assist you in reprinting the job in question at no additional charge if the error was the fault of the system or equipment.  We will not be able to issue a credit for user errors such as printing the wrong material, incorrect orientation, or printing duplex instead of single-sided.  We will also not be able to reprint a print job more than 24 hours old.

Yes, the system will apply to CWU-Des Moines students in exactly the same way.  All CWU students pay a technology fee, so all CWU students will receive a $20 credit per quarter.

Yes, the system will apply to Kaplan students in exactly the same way.  All Kaplan students pay a technology fee, so all Kaplan students will receive a $20 credit per quarter.

Yes.  Public borrowers, however, do not receive a credit, so they will have to pay into the system before they are able to print.  Public borrowers must create a guest account and add value to that account at the kiosk in the Library (Building 25) prior to printing.

Not currently. IT Services is implementing Pharos Uniprint in faculty and staff areas, but it will be operated somewhat differently.  Faculty and Staff can print in instructional areas using their normal Highline login, and their printing volume will be tracked.

We are working on a solution for wireless printing, and will share details as soon as they are available.

Questions?