Keep Security In Mind When Printing

The PrinterPool printing system is a secure one. If you send a print job to the PrinterPool, only you can release it. And if you forget to release it, the system will permanently delete it for you after 10 hours. If you arrive at a printer and it has an error, such as a paper jam, you will not be able to release your documents, reducing the risk of them ending up in the wrong hands when the error is fixed. Even with all of these safeguards, as soon as you tap “Print” and the machine starts, the safety of your printed material is your responsibility. Follow these simple tips to help keep your printed work safe and secure.

Do you really need to print?

It might seem obvious, but the best way to stay in control of your printed data is to not print it in the first place. You should ask yourself this question every time you go to hit “Print” and especially if the document contains potentially sensitive information. With readily available portable devices, such as Chromebooks, and other secure ways of sharing documents, such as your college Google Drive account, printing should be your last resort.

Location, location, location

If you’re a staff member and need to print information which is highly sensitive or private, we recommended doing so at a PrinterPool machine which cannot be easily accessed by students, such as the machines in the Progress Zone or MIS.

Keep your eye on the ball

The remote print release feature, which can be accessed by clicking on the Details… link in your print credit window, can be useful at certain times. However, you should use this with caution and only if you have line of sight of the printer you are releasing to.

Remember to logout

Although the machine will automatically log you out after one minute of inactivity, this is more than enough time for someone to access your held print jobs and print them without your knowledge. Did you know that you can swipe your card to quickly logout from any screen on the printer?

Attendance matters

If you are printing more than a few pages, you shouldn’t leave the machine printing while you pop off to do something else, even if you think no one else is about. You must stay with the machine until your print job has finished. If your printing or copying will take more than 10 minutes to finish, consider using the central reprographics service instead.

Stuck in a jam

If the machine jams in the middle of your print job and you cannot clear the jam yourself, don’t be tempted to give up and leave it for someone else to deal with. If another person manages to successfully clear the jam, then your job will continue printing and could be seen. If you cannot unjam the printer yourself, contact the IT helpdesk and we will come and help you. We can also cancel your print job remotely so that the remaining pages don’t print when the misfeed is cleared.

Toner and out

The PrinterPool machines will try to show the “add toner” message at a convenient point, such as at the end of the print job or between consecutive jobs. However, on occasion, you might see this message before your print run has finished. If you do, please contact the IT helpdesk so that we can replenish the toner and collect the rest of your prints. We will then either return them to you or securely destroy them, depending on the circumstance.