Student Printing in Temple University Computer Labs

Effective Date: August 1, 2006

Date Last Reviewed: June 6, 2024

Issuing Authority: Information Technology Services

All currently enrolled Temple University students paying the University Services Fee receive printing credits for a free printing quota. Students can use this quota for standard laser printing (8.5" x 11", 8.5” x14”, and 11” x 17” black and white), color laser printing, inkjet printing, and copier use (Temple libraries only). The quota does not apply for plotter printing, poster printing, and some specialty printing, which must be paid for with a credit card. The amount of your quota depends on the amount of the University Services Fee paid (based on credit hours) for the semester in which you are enrolled.

• You have one quota shared by all labs. If you print in multiple labs, all printing is drawn off the same quota total.
• Your printing quota is intended for your personal, academic use only.
• You may not use your quota to print another person’s work or sell your unused quota.
• You may not use your printing quota for commercial purposes.
• You may not use your printing quota to purchase other items.
• There is no cash value to your printing quota, other than for printing.
• Your printing quota is intended to be used throughout the six-month Quota Period. It is a generally good practice to conserve your quota to use towards the end of the semester, especially for courses requiring significant printing for final reports or projects.
• If you exhaust your quota, you may request a one-time increase for the currently enrolled semester. To submit your request, please use the Additional Print Quota Request Form .
• Double-sided (duplex) printing is the default for black and white printers in the Information Technology Services labs. This enables you to conserve your quota by printing two document pages on one sheet of paper. You may select single-sided printing as an option.
• The free printing quota is limited to black and white laser printing, color laser printing, and inkjet printing.  You must use a credit card for specialized printing, including poster printing and 3D printing.
• At the end of the printing period, any remaining free quota is deleted.
• At the beginning of the next semester, a fresh quota of free sheets will be reinstated. Quotas are deleted the next business day after the Quota Period ends (December 31 or after the Summer 2 session ends).
• Your printing quota is managed through the OWLcard system. You can view your available print quota by logging into the OWLcard eAccounts site , the printcenter.temple.edu website, or check your balance at a PC printing release station next to a printer.
• Please preview your job before printing to avoid unwanted blank sheets or other errors. You will be charged for these sheets and there are no refunds. If you use the plotter or color printer, review your document and settings carefully. You will be charged for the printing regardless of any such errors. You may only use your own inkjet-approved paper in the Inkjet printers. No refunds will be given for your own paper. You will be asked for documentation showing that your paper is inkjet approved.
• A refund may be issued only for problems due to defective equipment, such as paper jams or missing ink/toner. Refunds cover only what was deducted by the system for the problem print job.
• Only paper supplied by the computer lab may be used in the printers, except for inkjet printers. For inkjet printing, you may use your own inkjet-compatible paper, provided you bring the original box to show the type of paper (e.g., inkjet compatible glossy, matte, plain, etc.).

The free quota applies only to standard-sized (letter-size, 8.5”x11”) black-and-white printing, standard-sized color laser printing and inkjet printing. There is a charge for all specialty printing, such as plotter printing. See the Rates page for prices. These prices are subject to change (not responsible for typographical errors); check for posted prices at your printing location.

Note: The free quota does not apply to specialized printing. Color laser, inkjet, and plotter printing are not available in all locations. Prices may vary at some locations, depending on printer type and paper used. Check the specialty printing prices posted at individual locations.

To print, you will need your Temple University OWLcard, OWLcard Mobile setup on your phone, or the Pharos Print App. Printing instructions may vary slightly at some locations, but the following are general guidelines for printing:

1. When ready to print your work from a lab computer, issue a print command from your program menu. (In labs with multiple printers, you may select the printer type in the dialog box).
2. If you were not prompted to type in your AccessNet username and password when you logged in, you may be prompted to enter your username. If so, type in your AccessNet username. (You will not need to enter a password).
3. Go to the lab’s laser printer and tap your OWLcard Mobile or physical OWLcard at the reader setup for the PC Printing release station. If a swipe card reader is available, you could alternatively swipe your OWLcard. You will see a list of all your current print jobs waiting to be printed.
4. Select the job that you want to print, then select the print button. The job will then print out at the printer.
5. Your Print Quota balance will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen.
6. Press the Exit button to exit the terminal.

Printing from laptop or mobile device?
Use Print on the Go. Upload your PDF or Microsoft Office documents to printcenter.temple.edu, or email as an attachment to owlprint@temple.edu. See the Print on the Go page for instructions.