Carnegie Mellon University
Office of the CIO  ›  Computing Services  ›  Services  ›  End-Point Computing  ›  Printing  ›  How To Print To Campus Printers

How to Print To Campus Printers

All printers offer black and white, letter-size (8.5 x 11), and double-sided (duplex) printing. Scanning, copying, color and 11 x 17 printing are available at select locations.

Check your print quota balance and transaction history in the Campus Printing Web Portal. 

Print from your Computer

Step 1: Install the Printer

Install the printer on your device. Printers are already installed in computer labs and Virtual Andrew.

  • If you haven't done so, uninstall old Andrew printers. 
  • For information on printing from a Linux machine, visit Print from Linux.

Step 2: Print

Print to a campus printer from a computer lab, Virtual Andrew or your personal computer.

  1. In the print dialog box, select the printer CampusPrinting.
    • Note: To print in color, select the CampusPrinting printer, then release the job at a color printer. 
  2. Click Print.
  3. If prompted, enter your Andrew password.
    Note for Mac/iOS: Replace the default userID with your Andrew userID.

Step 3: Release Your Print Job

  1. At the printer, tap your CMU ID or Plaid Cash card. 
  2. Select Print Release.
  3. Select the job you would like to print.
  4. (Optional) Tap the arrow (>) to the right of the print job to modify your print settings, including:
    • Cost of your job
    • Number of copies
  5. Tap Print.

Print from your Phone

Android

  1. Install the printer and follow the on-screen instructions to set it up. 
  2. Print your document and select the printer CampusPrinting.
  3. (Optional) Tap the down arrow (top) on the print preview screen to modify your print settings, including:
    • Number of copies
    • Single or double-sided
  4. Tap the printer icon (right). 
  5. When prompted, enter your Andrew userID and password, then tap Print.

iOS

  1. Install the printer and follow the on-screen instructions to set it up. 
  2. Print your document and select the printer CampusPrinting.
  3. When prompted, enter your Andrew userID and password.
  4. (Optional) On the Printer Options page, tap Options to modify your print settings, including:
    • Number of copies
    • Single or double-sided
  5. Tap Print (top right) to finish printing.

Scan from a Campus Printer

Step 1: Set up your Scan

  1. Place your document(s) on the glass bed or in the document feeder tray.
  2. Tap your CMU ID card on the printer to log in.
  3. Tap Scan.

Tip: You can scan images to TIFF files from campus printers, preserving high-quality, lossless images ideal for printing and editing. After scanning your image to email, Box, or Google Drive, tap Change settings to modify the file type.

Step 2: Select Scan Destination

  1. Follow the on-screen prompts to select your destination (email, Box, or Google Drive) and file type (document or image).
  2. Tap Change settings for additional options, including alternative file formats. Available file formats include:
    • Images – JPG (default) and TIFF for images
    • PDF (default) and DOCX for documents

Note: If you're scanning to Box or Google Drive for the first time, you will receive an email requesting a one-time authorization to allow the print queue to send scans to your account. Follow the prompts in the email to complete the authorization.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I release a print job sent to a printer that does not have a release station?

  1. Print the document and select the printer CampusPrinting.
  2. Visit the Campus Printing Web Portal.
  3. Go to Jobs Pending Release (left).
  4. Find the job you want to print and click [print] (right).
  5. Select the printer you want to print to.

Note: Once you print the document from the Campus Printing Web Portal, the print job will be released immediately. Make sure you're able to get to the printer soon after completing these steps.

Can I print from my phone/mobile device?
Yes! Add the printer to your iOS or Android phone and follow these steps to print.

Is printing available for campus guests?
Yes, visit Plaid Cash Printing.

Where should I print high-volume or special (glossy paper, color, or photo paper) print jobs?
The color laser printer in CFA can use high-brightness coated paper. Large print jobs should be made at one of the multi-printer sites: Baker Hall 140 corridor, Hunt Reference area, Sorrells Library, or Wean 5200.

You can also use Tartan Ink for color print jobs. 

How can I tell if a specific campus printer is busy?
Visit the Printer Status page for real-time printer status.

Can I cancel jobs that I no longer wish to print? 
Yes. At any print station, tap your CMU ID or Plaid Cash card. Select the job you would like to delete and tap the Delete button. Deleted jobs cannot be recovered. 

Note: Your print quota is not affected by the print jobs you delete before releasing. Jobs not printed before the expiration time are deleted from the print queue.

How long will a print job wait in the queue before it is deleted? 
Print jobs will be deleted from the queue after 360 minutes (6 hours) if they are not released.

What is the cost per sheet?
Visit the Print Quota page for price details.

Can I get a refund for a jammed or canceled job?
Refunds are NOT issued for jammed, defective or canceled print jobs. You may be eligible for a free one-time print job release, however. Contact Computing Services for more information.

How can I avoid printing blank pages?
Before submitting your print job, check the print dialog box for a preview of what will be printed.

What is the print quota and how often is it refreshed?
Active students, faculty and staff are granted a quota of $40 per semester. The intent is to eliminate waste and encourage conservative printing habits.

Can I carry over my unused print quota?
Unused print quota dollars do not carry over to the next semester.

How many pages can I print with my print quota?
The $40 print quota will cover roughly 800 black and white pages. Visit Print Quota for additional price details.

I sent a job to the printer, but it doesn't appear in the print queue.
It can take up to two minutes for your job to appear. Check your computer to be sure that the print job was sent to one of the print stations.

I released my job from the print station, but the document didn't print.

  1. Check the printer display to be sure that it is not jammed.

  2. If the printer display indicates a paper-size error, follow the prompts to select the appropriate paper size for your job.

  3. Visit the Printer Status page to verify if the printer is online. 

  4. If your issue is still not resolved, print your file a second time. If the job still fails to print, contact the Computing Services Help Center.

How do I print my document double-sided?
By default, documents will print double-sided. De-select Print as 2-sided on the touch panel when printing to print single-sided.

When installing the printer on a Windows computer, I received an error message that Windows Defender detected a virus when installing. 
Please run Windows Update to ensure your computer is up-to-date.

When installing the printer on a Mac, I received an error that the disk image couldn't be opened due to "no mountable file systems."
Visit How to Upgrade to update your MacOS. To upgrade to the latest OS, 

I tried to print from a Mac, but my print job is stuck at "Hold for Authentication."
To resolve: 

  1. Print your document again. 

  2. In the Enter your name and password for the printer "CampusPrinting" pop-up, verify the Name field contains your Andrew userID.

  3. Enter your Andrew password.

  4. Click OK.

  5. Log in with your Andrew userID and password, then authenticate with DUO when prompted.

  6. If you are not prompted for your Andrew userID, click the Spotlight icon in the menu bar and search for keychain.

  7. Click the CampusPrinting entry under Passwords.

  8. Click Delete Password.

  9. Print a second time.

  10. Log in with your Andrew userID and password, then authenticate with DUO when prompted.

  11. The job will appear in the Pending Release Queue.

Do you have recommendations for securing a network printer?
Visit Secure a Network Printer for guidance.