The University is currently entering a new era of printing

By March this year, the University will have waved goodbye to its old printers, as their gradual replacement with new Canon devices will have been completed. At the same time, a new model of printing with multifunction and classroom printers will be introduced: all print jobs will be sent to a single print queue, and the printed material can be collected with an ID card from any device.

To obtain the printed or copied material, users must swipe their ID card through the reader. Staff will receive their cards when the new devices are installed, whereas students can use their HSL travel cards, Lyyra cards or Unigrafia printing cards.

Unigrafia is responsible for delivering the service in cooperation with the Centre for Information Technology and Canon.

Add credit in the online shop

Previously, students could print 400 pages, or 800 pages using double-sided (duplex) printing, for no charge.  In future, the University will credit all student print and copy accounts with an initial amount. After spending that amount, students can add further credit in the Unigrafia online shop.

“In our new printing model, students will use the same system for photocopying as well as black-and-white and colour printing. Everyone will be charged for printing,” explains Chief Information Officer Ilkka Siissalo of the University’s Centre for Information Technology.

The process of replacing printers will begin in the Aleksandria Learning Centre at the end of January. The replacement process will take about two weeks.

New prices for printing

At the beginning of this year, Unigrafia introduced new prices for printing by staff. The price of black-and-white printing rose from 3.6 cents to 4 cents per page, whereas the price of colour printing was reduced from 14.4 cents to 13.5 cents per page.

Jouni Komulainen, Branch Director of Unigrafia, does not believe that the price rise of black-and-white printing will increase the University’s printing costs. Instead, he thinks it will reduce unnecessary printing:

“Erroneous and forgotten printing used to increase printing costs. In the new model, costs will be charged only if the material is actually printed. Users will also benefit from improved information security and the opportunity to print material from their own computers.”

In addition to printing with multifunction devices, users can copy and scan material. Scanning to email will be free of charge.

Text: Tiina Palomäki