General Considerations

1. You can print to our large-format HP Designjet plotter only from a Windows PC that is logged on the LA_CHEMISTRY domain.
2. The generic accounts such as ‘gslab’ and ‘student’ cannot print to the Designjet. You will get a Permission error. You must logon with a staff, faculty, or research group account.
3. Printing posters from the PCs in the GSLab (D210) is strongly recommended. The software there has been tested with the Designjet.
4. If you work on a Mac, create a PDF file of your poster (using high resolution and embedded fonts) and print it from a GSLab PC. (Note: Watch the page size of the PDF file.)
5. The queue name is DJET-WIN on ASUCHM-PS2
6. There is a charge of $10.00 per linear foot of paper used. Record your name, mentor, account number, and the total number of linear feet you used on the paper log.
7. You will be charged for your mistakes. Proofread the poster carefully before you print it or print a scaled down version as a test of your graphics and color choices. Watch your poster as it prints. If you see an error, press the Cancel button on the front panel of the plotter to stop the job and save paper (and money).
8. If you have not yet requested key access to D210, applications are available in PS C6. The form must be signed by your mentor. Allow 24 hours for processing.

Layout Suggestions

1. Do not make your poster wider than 50” or longer than 72”. (50 inches is the maximum that will safely print across the 54” roll.)
2. Choose light colors for backgrounds. Colors that look bright and legible on the screen can be too dark on the page.
3. Do NOT use color shading effects for backgrounds. They print VERY slowly.
4. Make your text fonts big enough to read at a distance.
5. If you create your poster in Powerpoint, leave a 2” blank margin around the edges. Powerpoint trims slides when printing them.
6. You can lay out a poster at half-size, if necessary, and scale it up when printing

DJET-WIN Properties: Required Settings

1. Note: This HP Designjet 5000PS is new in August 2007. Some of the settings have changed.
2. Before printing your poster, check your document’s actual size as defined in Page Setup or Document Properties (depending on the application.)
3. In the Print window, select DJET-WIN from the printer list and click on Properties.
4. Click on the Advanced Tab.
5. Make sure that Maximum Performance, AutoRotate and Inked Area are checked.
6. Under Advanced Paper Options: Leave the other items unchecked.
7. Click on the Basic Setup Tab.
8. Under Paper: Size should be set to your document’s actual size as defined in Page Setup or Document properties. Click <> at the bottom of the drop-down size list to create a custom page size if necessary. Select Roll, and set Roll Size to 54 inch roll.
9. Most posters look best if you select Max. Quality and Optimize for Drawings/Text.
10. Orientation: Select Landscape or Portrait, as needed.
11. Scale to Fit: Scaling is optional. It makes the final poster larger or smaller than the document’s actual size. It works best in even increments e.g. 200% or 50%. The final size appears just below the document icon on the Basic Setup page. (Remember the maximum width that will print safely on our paper roll is 50”.)