Navigating Boston College Printing Services: A Comprehensive Guide

Boston College provides a robust printing infrastructure designed to meet the diverse needs of its student body. Understanding the available services, cost structures, and technical requirements is crucial for efficient and cost-effective document production. This guide aims to demystify the process, from initial setup to managing your print allocation, ensuring you can access and utilize campus printing resources effectively.

Understanding Your Printing Allotment and Costs

At the core of Boston College's printing system is the PrintBucks allotment. Each student is provided with a $15 PrintBucks balance at the beginning of every semester. This allocation serves as your primary source for printing needs. The cost per page is differentiated based on color and black and white printing. Black and white pages are charged at a modest rate of 3 cents each. Color pages, however, come with a significantly higher cost of 50 cents per page.

It is important to recognize the disparity in cost. Your $15 PrintBucks allotment can cover approximately 500 black and white pages (calculated as $15.00 / $0.03 per page). In stark contrast, the same $15 can only accommodate 30 color pages ($15.00 / $0.50 per page). This highlights the need for careful consideration when choosing to print in color, as it can rapidly deplete your semester's printing budget.

The printing policy also addresses double-sided printing. Two pages printed double-sided in black and white are charged as a single page. However, for color prints, two pages printed double-sided are charged as two separate pages. This distinction is important for managing costs, especially for lengthy documents.

Managing Your PrintBucks and Eagle Bucks

Should you exhaust your $15 PrintBucks allotment before the semester concludes, there is a mechanism to continue printing. Additional printing charges will be debited from your Eagle Bucks account. To ensure uninterrupted printing capabilities, it is essential to maintain a sufficient balance in your Eagle Bucks account.

Adding funds to your Eagle Bucks account is a straightforward process. You can do this by logging into the Agora Portal. Within the portal, navigate to the "Account and Personal Info" section and then select "Eagle One Card - Add Funds." This allows you to replenish your account as needed, preventing any interruptions to your printing workflow.

Monitoring your print usage is also facilitated through the Agora portal. By accessing the "Eagle One Card Activity Summary," you can view your print usage and track your spending against your PrintBucks and Eagle Bucks balances.

If you have questions regarding the printing policy, Student Services in Lyons Hall can be contacted at the provided extension. For immediate technical difficulties, particularly within O'Neill Library, the technology help desk on the 3rd floor, near the printers, is available to assist. In other library locations, any service desk can provide support.

Printing from Campus Computers

Printing from campus computers, particularly those located in libraries, is designed for ease of access. On library computers, the print dialog box typically presents options such as "BC-Print-BW" (for black and white printing) and "BC-Print-Color" (for color printing). You will need to select the appropriate option based on your printing needs.

To release your print job, you will proceed to a designated print area. Here, you can either swipe your BC ID card at a print station or log in using your BC username and password, which are the same credentials used for the Agora Portal.

It is important to note that the default setting on library computers is often configured for double-sided printing. If you wish to print single-sided, you will need to adjust this setting within the print dialog box before sending your job to the printer. The printer name, indicating its specific model or location, should be clearly visible on the front of the printer.

Printing from Personal Devices: Mac and Windows

Boston College supports printing from personal laptops, including Macs and Windows PCs, through the PaperCut software.

For Mac Users:

Connect to BC WiFi: Ensure your Mac is connected to the BC campus WiFi network.
Download PaperCut: Download the PaperCut Mobility Print software for macOS.
Installation: Double-click the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Add Printer Queues: Once PaperCut is installed, you can add the necessary BC print queues. To add the primary black and white queue, select "bc-print-bw." For color printing, select "bc-print-color." For complex or large graphics-intensive black and white documents, the "bc-print-graphicsbw" queue is recommended. Repeat the installation process to add additional queues if needed.
Printing: When you are ready to print, select one of the installed BC print queues ("bc-print-bw," "bc-print-color," or "bc-print-graphicsbw") from your list of available printers.
Authentication: You will be prompted to enter your BC username and password. Ensure you enter these correctly, as they are the same credentials used for the Agora Portal. Note that your Mac's local account username may be pre-populated in the "Name" box; this should be replaced with your BC username.

Troubleshooting Mac Printing:

Printer Icon Issues: If you notice the printer icon on your device is flashing, or if it appears in your Dock with a yellow warning and a red number notification, click on it to open the print queue window. This often indicates a pending job or an error.
"Hold for Authentication" Message: If you encounter a "Hold for Authentication" message, it typically means your BC username or password was entered incorrectly. Double-check your credentials and re-enter them.

For Windows Users:

Connect to BC WiFi: Ensure your Windows laptop is connected to the BC campus WiFi network.
Download PaperCut: Download the PaperCut Mobility Print software for Windows directly from PaperCut.
Installation: Save the downloaded file to your Desktop. Double-click the file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.
Select Print Queue: During the installation process or when prompted, you will be asked to select a BC print queue. Choose from "bc-print-bw," "bc-print-color," or "bc-print-graphicsbw."
Printing: After installation, you can print by selecting the appropriate BC print queue from your list of printers.
Authentication: You will be prompted to enter your BC username and password. Use the same credentials as your Agora Portal login.

Troubleshooting Windows Printing:

Similar to Mac users, if you experience issues like a flashing printer icon or authentication errors, ensure your BC username and password are correct.

Printing from Mobile Devices: Android

Boston College also facilitates printing from Android mobile devices through the PaperCut Mobility Print app.

Download App: Go to the Google Play Store and install the PaperCut Mobility Print Android app.
Launch and Enable: Launch the app. Navigate to "Android settings" within the app, then tap "Mobility Print," and finally, enable the toggle.
Exit Settings: Exit the settings menu.
Printing: The way you print may vary slightly depending on the specific Android app you are using. Generally, you will select the print option within your app and then choose the desired BC print queue from the available printers.
Authentication: You will likely be prompted for your BC username and password to authenticate your print job.

Important Notes for Mobile Printing:

App Variability: The printing process can differ based on the application you are printing from.
Device Support: Android apps are only available on supported devices.

Printing Complex or Large Files

For complex or large files, such as Google Slides presentations, PowerPoint files, or intricate PDFs, Boston College offers specific recommendations. Sending these jobs to the "bc-print-graphicsbw" queue is advised. This queue is optimized for handling more demanding print tasks, ensuring a smoother printing experience. Regardless of the file type, always ensure you are connected to BC WiFi when attempting to print.

Printer Locations and Facilities

Boston College provides various printing facilities across campus. O'Neill Library, a central hub for academic resources, houses multiple printers:

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O'Neill Library, 3rd Floor: Features five black and white printers and one color printer.
O'Neill Library, 1st Floor: Equipped with four black and white printers.
The Digital Studio (2nd Floor): Offers one color printer and one black and white printer.

The Law Library also provides printing services for students, with several printers available. Additionally, the Law Library offers scanners at no cost. Two KIC Scanners are located near the Information Desk, and a third is available on Level 3.

It is important to note that O'Neill Library does not offer printing services for guests. Special libraries may have their own distinct printing policies.

Considerations for Specific Software and Devices

Chromebooks and Certain Laptops: Some devices, including certain Chromebooks and laptops like Microsoft Surface laptops, may not be fully compatible with the PaperCut printing system. If you encounter issues, it's advisable to check for specific compatibility information or explore alternative printing methods.
Chrome Browser Default Paper Size: The Chrome browser may default to A3 paper size, which is not supported by all campus printers. To avoid issues, it's recommended to ensure your print settings in Chrome are adjusted to use "Letter" as the default paper size for the current print queue.
Wireless Printers: Personal wireless printers are designed for home network environments and will not function wirelessly on the campus network.

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