Q. How do I make prints in the Information Commons?

All Information Commons lab computers (including laptops) are set up to print to both black-and-white and color laser printers. Cost is factored into your campus-wide student printing account.

TCU Pharos Printers:

Lab printers, color and black/white, are available for student use.  Once you print a job in a lab you will need to go to the print station next to the printer and slide your card to release the job. Keep in mind that charges that you incur in a lab are charged to your student account once your use up your semester free printing balance.

• Printing Balance – Students will receive $30 worth of free prints each semester that can be used for lab printing.  This equates to 300 free black/white prints (10 cents per side) each semester.  We will wipe all balances at the beginning of each Fall, Spring, and Summer semester and apply the new $30 free printing credit.  Your balance does NOT carry over to the next semester.
  • This free printing balance is part of the services that you receive and you cannot request to have the balance moved over to your TCU financial account.
  • If you are charged for a print job that jammed or was low on toner, you can ask that those pages be credited to your printing balance by coming by the IT Support HelpDesk with the print outs and the details of what occurred.
  • Keep in mind that the free prints only go towards the printers that you use in the labs and do NOT cover copies.

Color laser printing:

• Color laser printing is charged against the same account, and is 90 cents per page; there are no free color pages.

MobilePrint :

MobilePrint will allow you to print from your personal computer or mobile device simply by attaching and sending the document via email to our online system.  Please see TCU's MobilePrint page for more information about how this new feature will work with the Pharos printers on campus.

Before sending a print job, please check that you are using the following settings. Other settings may cause the printer to lock up when you go to the Print Station to release the job:

• Paper size: 8.5 x 11 inch (letter size)
• Paper source: default tray or auto tray select
• Stapling and collating functions are not available.

Printing instructions

To print, click on "File" then "Print". The print screen appears with the black and white printer (LibLab B&W on Pharos) set as default.

• To print black and white, double-sided, just click Print in the Print screen.
• To print in color, choose the color printer.
• To print black and white, single-sided, click Properties, and select 1-sided printing.

A "Print Job Details" window will open with a box asking for your TCU ID number. Type in your ID number and click "Print".

Your job will be saved on the network print server; it will not physically print out yet. Also, you will not be charged yet. To get a print out, go to any of the lab black and white printers (if you chose to print black and white) or one of the two color printers (if you chose to print in color).

This map of the Information Commons lab includes locations for the black & white and color printers.

• Swipe your ID card in the card swipe scanners.
• Your print job(s) will appear on the monitor. If more than one job is listed, be sure to print only the job(s) that you want to print — unprinted jobs will automtically be deleted from the queue in a few hours, and you will not be charged for those.
• Click on the job you want to print to highlight, then click "Print". Your job will print out on the adjacent printer.

Faculty/Staff

Faculty/staff printing in the Information Commons is charged back to departments, based on the ID card.