• Who can use the poster printer?
  
• What size can I print?
  
• How much does it cost?
  
• How do I pay?
  
• What if I want my department to pay for the printing?
  
• What kind of paper do you have?
  
• Are the posters archival quality?
  
• Do you have a high-resolution version of the Penn logo I can use on my poster?
  
• Can I mount or laminate my poster in the lab?
  
• Will you design a poster for me?
  
• Can I make edits or changes to my poster during my appointment?
  
• Can I trim my poster?
  
• Can I print 10 copies of my poster?
  
• How long will it take to print my poster?
  
• Can I reserve a time to come into the lab to print my poster?
  
• Can I email you a file and then pick up the poster later in the day?
  
• Do you provide cardboard tubes I can use to safely transport my poster?
  
• I'm not happy with the way my poster turned out. Will you reprint it for free?
  
• What other poster printing options are available on campus?
  
• Can I print 4x6 prints of my photos with the poster printer?
  
• What file format should I use?
  
• What font should I use on my poster?
  
• What resolution should my file be?
  
• Why did the image on my poster turn out fuzzy when I printed it?
  
• Are there any special considerations when printing a poster from a PowerPoint slide?
  
• Wait! I have more questions!
  

A: The poster printer is open to all current Penn students, faculty, staff, UPHS staff, and affiliates.

A: The paper is 42" wide, but requires at least a half-inch margin on both sides. Your poster can be as long as you wish.

A: We charge $0.02 per square inch. Posters for school and research purposes are non-taxable. An additional 8% tax is added to posters printed for personal use. So if your academic or research poster is 24 inches by 36 inches, the charge would be 864 square inches x $0.02 = $17.28. The same size poster for personal use will cost 8% more: $18.66

Here are some common sizes:

Dimensions Size in Square Inches Cost for Non-taxable Poster Cost for Taxable Poster 18 x 24 in 432 sq in $8.64 $9.33 24 x 36 in 864 sq in $17.28 $18.66 24 x 38 in 912 sq in $18.24 $19.70 36 x 48 in 1728 sq in $34.56 $37.33 42 x 48 in 2016 sq in $40.32 $43.55 36 x 60 in 2160 sq in $43.20 $46.66 36 x 72 in 2592 sq in $51.84 $55.99 42 x 72 in 3024 sq in $60.48 $65.32 36 x 96 in 3456 sq in $69.12 $74.65 42 x 90 in 3780 sq in $75.60 $81.65

A: Acceptable forms of payment include:

• PennCash
• Departmental Copy Card
• 26-Digit Budget Account Number
• Credit Card
• We do not accept cash or checks.

A: You can use a departmental copy card or 26-digit budget account number to have your department pay for your poster.

To get a departmental copy card, you will need to have your department's business administrator fill out a form. More information is available at http://www.library.upenn.edu/facilities/photoc opy/departmental.html.

To speed up the payment process, when paying by 26-Digit Budget Code, please follow the directions below:

1. Download the invoice: http://www.library.upenn.edu/docs/healthsci /Poster_Charge_Slip.pdf.
2. Fill out the Patron Information & Poster Information sections of the invoice. Leave Staff Name & Date blank.
   • Select if the poster is Taxable (for personal purposes) or Non-Taxable (for academic/university-related purposes).
   • Calculate the price of the poster.
     Posters are $0.02 per square inch (Height X Width X 0.02).
     An additional 8% tax is charged for taxable posters (Height X Width X 0.02 X 1.07).
   • Add $3.50 to the cost if a poster tube will be purchased.
3. Have your department's Business Administrator fill in the Payment Information section of the invoice.
   • Please print Department & Business Administrator Names
   • The Biomedical Library needs the original embossed & signed invoice.
4. Bring the original embossed invoice with you to your appointment. You cannot pick up your poster until we have received the original.

A: We only offer glossy paper. Matte posters can be printed at the Vitale Digital Media Lab: http://wic.library.upenn.edu.

A: No. Our paper is not archival, and we use dye-based inks which are not waterproof or fade-resistant. For archival- quality printing, you may wish to check out TAWS (1527 Walnut Street, 800-221-2341) or an online service.

A: We recommend not using a Penn logo that you simply downloaded from a generic Penn webpage, because when printed at poster-size, the image can appear fuzzy or pixelated. The University provides higher resolution versions of the Penn logo and shield for "members of the University community in applications supporting the University's mission." Logo images and usage guidelines are at http://www.upenn.edu/webguide/style_guide/logo.html

A: No, we do not offer this service.

A: No. If you want your poster designed for you, you may want to check out Biomedical Art & Design (http://www.med.upenn.edu/art/, 215-898-0874), located on campus in room 79D of the John Morgan Building. They provide professional poster design and custom drawing services for a fee. Samples are available on their website.

For some advice on designing a poster, check out Cornell's scientific poster design recommendations (http://www.cns.cornell.edu/documents/ScientificPos ters.pdf).

You can also download templates for creating your poster in PowerPoint. This saves you a lot of time in designing your poster, but can lead to a "cookie-cutter" poster which will look like everyone else's. You can find free templates for common poster sizes online at places like PosterPresentations.com, Genigraphics.com, or PosterSession.com. Search Google for additional templates.

A: Appointments are scheduled every half hour. In order to begin printing your poster within the scheduled time slot, any changes and edits must be made within the first 15 minutes of your appointment. We strongly recommend thoroughly proofreading your poster prior to your appointment. If edits will take more than 15 minutes, you will be asked to reschedule.

A: The lab's paper cutter handles sizes up to 60 inches. Longer posters can be cut manually in the lab with scissors.

A: We can print multiple copies of a poster, but require sufficient notice. Your presence is required only while printing the first copy of a poster. Please mention the number of copies you will need when scheduling your appointment, and try to schedule your appointment for as far in advance as possible. One week should be sufficient for most quantities. You will still need one entire appointment for each unique poster to be printed.

A: This varies depending on the size and resolution of the file, but usually about 90 minutes from when you start printing.

A: Yes, poster printing is available by appointment only. Use our online appointment request form to set up an appointment. Please attempt to schedule an appointment at least one day before your desired appointment time. We strongly recommend scheduling your appointment for at least 48 hours before your poster is needed. If you have two different posters, you will need to schedule two separate appointments.

A: Not at this time.

A: Yes, you can buy a 42" cardboard storage tube for $3.50.

A: Because we charge only a fraction of what other places charge, we cannot reprint posters for free unless the printed colors are unreasonably different than the colors on the monitor, or if we make a mistake when printing the poster for you. If you require reliable color reproduction, you should print a test strip first, or have your projects printed somewhere that offers a color-calibrated output.

We will not be responsible for errors that are consistent with the file. Please make sure you proof-read your poster before the file is sent to the printer (our staff will give you the time to do so).

A: The Vitale Digital Media Lab (http://wic.library.upenn.edu) offers a walk-in poster printing service. Both Kinkos (3535 Market Street, 215-386-5679) and Campus Copy (3907 Walnut Street, 215-386-6410) provide poster printing services. Kinkos can print on vinyl as well as paper. Both stores can also laminate your poster.

A: No. If you just want regular prints, go with a local store (on campus: CVS in the food court at 3401 Walnut Street).

A: We can handle most common file formats: TIFF, JPEG, PNG, Illustrator (.ai), PDF, Photoshop (.psd), PowerPoint (.ppt), etc. We do not support Microsoft Publisher. At this time we do NOT support Mac's Keynote (.key). If you want to use a file format not listed here, please ask us.

A: Use standard fonts such as: Arial, Courier, Garamond, Helvetica, Palatino, Times New Roman, and Verdana. If you use a non-standard font, we recommend rasterizing the text if the design program you are using supports that feature.

A: We find that 150dpi provides a good balance between file size and print quality. Posters printed at higher resolutions are often too large, cause printing problems, can tie up the print server.

A: Images with a low resolution (100dpi or less) will appear fuzzy and pixelated when enlarged. This is common with images you may have downloaded from the web. Use images that are at least 150dpi at their final size.

A: PowerPoint was not developed as a print layout software package. It is important that the proper steps are taken to ensure your file will print successfully.

• When designing in PowerPoint, never "copy and paste" image graphics into your file. Always "insert as picture."
  
  
• There are occasionally inconsistencies between the screen version of your slide and the printed output. These include text shifting or wrapping to the next line, or colors appearing somewhat differently than they do on your monitor. If these issues are of concern, we suggest using software designed for handling print layout, like Photoshop.
  
  
• Avoid using preset pattern fills for graphs and other objects as they may not show up clearly.
  
  
• "Ungroup" all graphs, charts, and formulae generated outside of PowerPoint after insertion to prevent printing errors.
  
  
• All symbols must be "inserted". After placing your cursor in a textbox, go to the Insert menu, then choose Symbol and select the symbol you want to place in your file. If the symbols are not placed in your file through the Insert menu, they may not print.
  
  
• We strongly recommend saving your PowerPoint slide as a JPG or TIFF, preferably on the same computer you used to create the slide, before bringing it to the lab for printing as a poster. Make sure your final file is at least 150dpi at the size you wish to print it. We also recommend bringing your original PowerPoint file to the lab, just in case of any problems.

A: Feel free to call us (215-898-6978), email us (biopost@pobox.upenn.edu), or stop by the Biomedical Library and we'll be glad to answer any other questions you have.