GRID Computer Lab

Making Posters

The G.R.I.D. Lab facilities are for the exclusive use of people in Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability (SDSS) and sponsored guests.

Two wide-format printers are available to print posters and maps. Print jobs will only be accepted from the computers in the lab. Prints are charged one dollar per square foot. You must supply the code for an SDSS financial account to release your job to print. Releasing can only be done from the computers in the lab.

Which printer should I use?

Escher2 is the newest printer and was added to the lab in September 2023.  This new printer is has a built-in automatic paper trimmer.  Ptolemy is an older model printer and was added to the lab in 2017.

We keep 42-inch wide heavyweight coated paper rolls in both printers. The printers can accept paper rolls and cut sheets up to a maximum of 44 inches in width. You are welcome to follow the instructions for changing the paper roll to load your own paper. But be sure to put back the normal roll when done!

Workflow for printing posters

  • Check the Poster Design Tips page first for some design and setup ideas to use while creating your poster on the computer.
  • Follow the instructions on the Sending Prints page to correctly set the printer driver and program attributes and send your print job to the server queue. Even if you have printed posters in the lab before, please read and follow these new instructions!
  • See the Common Problems page in case your job does not print; or the printer runs out of paper or ink; or you need to cancel a job due to incorrect printing.

Why can't I send or release a print from my own computer?

The G.R.I.D. lab printers are configured to accept printing jobs only from the computers in the lab. The printers are complicated and subject to problems. You need to use the correct printer drivers, which are installed and configured correctly on the lab computers. There can be problems during the printing, ranging from mis-sized or garbled prints to printer "freeze-up" to a malformed print causing the printer to spew out the entire roll of paper! This is a self-service lab - there is no attendant. Therefore, you must be present while printing to handle any problems. The red "Cancel" button on the printer is your primary first-aid.

Other printing facilities

If the printers are busy or you don't want to deal with printing something yourself, there are poster printing services available from the Lathrop Library Tech Desk and FedEx at Tressider Union and in Palo Alto. Of course, these will be more expensive.