Printing FAQs for Students


I'm a 5-College student with a Smith network account, but I don't have a Smith OneCard. Can I still print in the student computer centers?
Yes. 5-College students can purchase a generic Campus Cash card that allows them to print in the student computer centers.
Where can I buy a generic Campus Cash card? Card-vending machines are located:
  • In the hallway outside the Seelye B8 Computer Center.
  • Beside the copiers in the Neilson Library first floor main room.
  • In the Campus Center. NOTE: The Campus Center card-vending machine is temporarily out of service. Please go to Seelye or Neilson to purchase a card.
How much does it cost to purchase a generic Campus Cash card? The card itself costs a dollar.  Any amount over a dollar that you feed into the vending machine goes directly into a Campus Cash debit account associated with that card.

NOTE: The card-vending machines do not take coins.

You may use the funds in your Campus Cash account to pay for any card-swipe item on campus, including printouts, copies, and vending machine drinks and snacks.

I just bought a generic Campus Cash card. It should have several dollars on it, but the release station shows I have a zero balance! What's going on?! When you purchase a generic card from a vending machine, you must SWIPE THE CARD in order for the debit funds to be placed on the card. (This is clearly stated on the machine's readout when the purchase takes place.) 

If you walk away from the machine without swiping your new card, no money will be placed on the card.  Please go to the OneCard office in Stoddard 22 to report the problem. Be sure to note the exact time and date when the problem occurred. 

I logged into the release station, but my print job doesn't show up. If you type your username incorrectly at your workstation when sending a print job, then type it correctly at the release station, the job will not show up.  Send the job again, being very sure to enter your username correctly.

If your job still doesn't show up, notify a Computer Center consultant. You will NOT be charged for any print job that does not show up at the release station.

What happens to print jobs that are sent to the release station, but not printed? These jobs stay in the release station queue for two hours, and then they disappear.  You will NOT be charged for them.
 
What does it mean if I get a "Balance temporarily unavailable" alert at a release station? This means the transaction server is currently offline. You still have money in your Campus Cash account, but it just can't be seen at the moment.  Despite this, your print request will be processed and your account will be debited.

What can I do to avoid card-reading errors? Be sure you are swiping your card correctly.  If you swipe the card at an angle, it may be rejected.  Swipe your card flat against the bottom of the swipe unit - not too slow, but not too fast either.

Some older cards may be defective and not swipe properly.  If you have not printed successfully in the past with your card, and you are unable to print now, please notify one of the lab consultants.

What if my print job fails because of a toner problem or a paper jam? Go to Seelye B8 to ask a student assistant for help. If the printer has been fixed, try again. To receive credit for a bad printout, fill out a print refund request form

In Seelye B8, print refund request forms are in wall pockets near the printers. The directions are on the forms. Fill out the form completely, attach the *entire* bad printout, and mail it to the OneCard office in Stoddard 22.

Refund request forms are also available in the following unstaffed student spaces: Seelye 212, Washburn 24-hour lab, and the Quad Computer Center.
What the paper jam is cleared and the printer automatically resends my print job? Sometimes a printer will resend damaged jobs once the paper jam is cleared.  You will NOT be charged for the automatic resend. 

I keep getting a "Pop up server cannot be found" error at my workstation.

 Please notify a Computer Center consultant.
The card-vending machine was fine at the beginning of my transaction, but then it ejected my money. The readout says "temporarily out of order". Try selecting the type of transaction first, then following the instructions on the readout. You may have fed your money into the machine before making any choices with the push buttons near the readout, so the machine did not know what to do with your money.
I keep getting a "password protected" error, even though I've resent my job one or more times, and I know I'm typing my password correctly. Be sure you are selecting the print job at the top of the list on your Pharos screen to send to the printer. Each new print job sent to the release station appears at the top of the list. The print job at the bottom of the list is the original password-protected document.