The IAML currently provides colour and monochrome inkjet printing for academic uses related to Art classes, usually photographic reproduction. (See our Laser Printing page for more information on laser printing.) Charges for printing are frequently 25–40% below the current market rate (this is also why we cannot allow you to print for anything other than class use).
Use the list below to jump to your question, or simply scroll up and down this page:
- When can I print?
- Do I need to make and appointment?
- What photographic printers are available in the Lab?
- What types and sizes of paper do you supply?
- Am I allowed to use these colour printers?
- Are these printers “full-serve” or “self-serve”?
- How much does printing cost?
When can I print?
We provide printing services during business hours (normally 09:00–12:00, 13:00–16:00 weekdays). You are not usually allowed to print when there is a class booked in the Main Lab (the schedule is posted on our home page as well as outside the North door to the Main Lab). Generally, we will not start a new job within 30 minutes of closing (e.g., after 15:30).
Do I need to make an appointment?
In the Fall and Winter Terms, we do not accept appointments — you just drop in when the Main Lab is not booked for classes and staff are available (see above).
If you are printing large format prints (e.g., 24-inch roll or larger), are printing a larger quantity of prints, or you have a particular deadline by which your prints must be done, you should contact the Technical Lead in advance to discuss the best times for printing. This allows the technical staff to have the printer(s) ready for your specific needs and manage the needs of multiple users at peak times.
During the Spring/Summer Terms, you may optionally make a non-exclusive appointment by contacting IAML Staff. You must make such appointments at least 1 month in advance or 10 Service days in advance, whichever is greater (e.g., if the IAML is closed for three weeks sometime in the next month, you would need to make the appointment five weeks in advance). Due to the highly variable availability of staff in the Spring/Summer, users with a particular deadline should communicate with IAML Lab Staff as early as possible to assist with planning. Users not making such appointments may still print on a drop-in basis as usual, but may only print on the service dates posted in/adjacent to the Main Lab and on this website.
What photographic printers are available in the Lab?
We have both roll and sheet printers in the Main Lab:
| Printer | Nickname | Inks | Maximum Output Size | Roll Paper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epson SureColor P9000 | Clyde | 10-colour (Green and Orange added) | 44″ x 8′ / 110 cm x 250 cm (longer may be possible) | Available |
| Epson SureColor P900 | Natasha | 9-colour (Violet added) | 17″ x 22″ / 432 mm x 559 mm | Not currently available |
| Epson Stylus Pro 3880 | Jim | 8-colour | 17″ x 22″ / 432 mm x 559 mm | Not Available |
Other printing services may be available through the Department of Art and Art History photography area.
What types and sizes of paper (media) do you supply?
We will stock paper of types and sizes that are most commonly used. You are also welcome to supply your own ink-jet specific papers (Epson papers tend to work best with these printers). At this time, we try to keep the following media in stock (* limited stock, while supplies last):
| Media | Letter (8.5×11″) Sheet | 13×19″ (Super A3/B) Sheet | 17×22″ Sheet | 24″ (60 cm) Roll | 44″ (110 cm) Roll |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epson Ultra Premium Photo Lustre | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ✔︎ |
| Epson Premium Photo Glossy | * | * | * | * | |
| Moab Lasal Matte | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | |
| Moab Somerset Museum Rag | * | * | |||
| Moab Entrada Rag Bright | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | Entrada Rag Natural* | ||
| Epson Exhibition Canvas Satin | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | |||
| Inkpress Transparency Film | ✔︎ | ✔︎ |
If you are familiar with international paper sizes, Letter is similar to A4, 13×19 is similar to A3, and 17×22 is similar to A2. Unlike A-series papers, the aspect ratio is not uniform as you increase sizes, so you are best to author your work to these specific sizes rather than A-series sizes.
Other sizes, weights and finishes may be available — please ask.
Am I allowed to use these colour printers?
The printers were purchased so that students could print their own original work for Art classes (other colour printing requests are almost always refused)—you need to tell us the class (or graduate programme) for which you are doing the printing before we start. Since you will have to ask to print (and have payment ready in advance), talk to the technician on duty if you have any questions. We can provide a cost estimate prior to printing. Note: We do not have sufficient staff to allow persons outside the Fine Arts disciplines to print here — visit Bound and Copied (Students’ Union) or Campus Print Shop to fill your needs.
Are these printers “full-serve” or “self-serve”?
Our process is a little bit of both. In short, you set up all the images on a Lab computer and the Lab staff operate the printers. You must be here when we preflight your images; you cannot “dump and run” as if we were a service bureau.
The procedure for printing your images is:
- Open the file(s) you want printed on one of our Main Lab computers. If it is a raster image, open the file in Photoshop.
- Adjust the resolution and output size for the desired output size without resampling (optimum resolution is 300 ppi at the output size, but many users find the results acceptable at as low as 150 ppi). If you just want to make the image as big as the paper without regard to exact size or resolution, you can just tell the technician this and skip this step.
- Tell the technician on duty you are ready to print, specifying (or supplying) the type of paper/media you will be needing.
The technician will preflight the image with you present to make certain that you will obtain the best possible results for your image. They will point out any potential problems you might have (e.g., low resolution image, colours out of gamut) and will suggest a small test print when appropriate. (We recommend making a test print when printing a large job or a series of related images.) They will then send the job to the printer. (They also manage the print queue when multiple users wish to print.)
Once the print is complete, please inspect the print thoroughly, particularly for printer error/technical problems (e.g., banding, stray ink, large colour shift).
How much does printing cost?
For cut sheets in our standard sizes, we charge a flat rate per print. For prints on roll media or unusual paper sizes, we base the charge on printing area (ink coverage) + media size + a setup charge. All jobs are printed using Epson’s 1440 dpi variable dot method, as this offers excellent quality at a good speed.
Cut Sheet Printing Charges
The following are our prices for the standard print sizes we offer:
| Media | Letter (8.5″×11″) | 13″×19″ (Super B/A3) | 17″×22″ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lustre | 3.00 | 8.00 | 12.00 |
| Matte or Glossy | 3.00 | 8.00 | |
| Transparency Film | 4.00 | ||
| Entrada Rag Bright | 4.50 | 11.50 | |
| Somerset Museum Rag | 13.00 | ||
| User-supplied | 2.50 | 7.00 | 10.00 |
Should you require sheet printing at other sizes (generally with inkjet-specific media that you have provided), we will use a formula similar to roll media prints to determine pricing. Ask for an estimate in advance.
Roll Media Printing Charges
We calculate the cost of any job that uses roll media (e.g., 24″, 44″) using a formula of Printing area + Media length + Roll Printing setup charge. We use this formula to allow for unusual size requirements and so that we are just charging you for what you use, not an arbitrary flat rate. If you supply your own media, you only pay for Printing area + Setup charge.
Printing area is the rectangle ink is printed in. So, for example, if you want a finished paper size of 24″ × 36″ with a non-printed margin of 2″ on all 4 sides, the Printing area would be 20″ × 32″ = 640 sq. in. = 4129 cm2. Since that paper size nicely fits a 24″ roll, you would be charged for 36 linear inches = 92 cm. You would also be charged for roll setup — you can minimize your setup charges by doing multiple prints on the same roll consecutively if you are doing a series. Thus, at current pricing (shown below), this example job printed on glossy, lustre, or matte paper would be charged as follows:
Ink: 4129/100 cm2 = 42 × $0.40 $16.80
Media: 92 cm × $0.08 $7.36
Roll Printing Setup Charge $5.00
--------
Total Charge $29.16
Whatever size you wish, ask us for exact pricing in advance.
Here is the pricing we use when calculating the cost of your printing job:
Printing Area (Ink)
$0.40 per dm2 (or portion thereof)
(1 dm2 = 100 cm2 = 15.5 sq. in)
Media Length (Paper)
| 24″ (60 cm) Roll | 44″ (1.1 m) Roll | |
| Epson Premium Photo Lustre | $0.08/cm | $0.15/cm |
| Moab Lasal Matte | $0.08/cm | $0.15/cm |
| Moab Somerset Museum Rag | $0.30/cm | — |
| Epson Exhibition Canvas Satin | $0.25/cm | $0.45/cm |
| Inkpress Transparency Film | $0.15/cm | — |
Labour/Setup Charges
$5.00 per print for setup and labour. We offer a discount if you print consecutive prints on the same roll on a particular day.
Other Printing Policies and Procedures
A few more points about our photographic printing service:
- Payment must be made in full prior to any print being released to the user. We may also ask to see proof that you have the money to pay for the job before starting printing. (We accept cash and Unicard.) Again, inspect your prints before you leave in case we need to reprint due to a technical/printing error.
- We reserve the right to refuse to print on any media supplied by the user that we deem unsuitable. In general, we will only print on media specifically coated for inkjet printing. If you are bringing your own media, please bring it in its original box so that we can confirm this and select a suitable colour profile.
- During peak printing times, lab staff may choose to alternate access between users. Often, jobs will be organized by media type to speed up overall processing. Jobs printed at 1440 dpi will have priority over those printed at 2880 dpi.
- The Lab reserves the right to book time on the printer for classes, etc., such that immediate printing may not be available.
- We do not offer the option of printing on plain paper, as it produces results that are unsuitable for the approved uses of the printer.
- Prints are for UCalgary academic use only within Art and as such may not be sold or be printed in quantity. (The only exception we have made in the past is for UCalgary-based fundraisers like the Post Miniature Exhibition and Auction.)
Colour laser printing is available during business hours. If you need to print outside those times, you may be able to access the laser printers around campus which accept Unicard for payment (currently, one such printer is located in the hallway outside the Main Lab North entrance).
