PC Prints

PC Prints is a print release system put in place as part of the College’s green initiatives. It is designed to help reduce the amount of waste caused by the public printers on campus. It allows students to print to public printers via computers in labs and clusters on campus, students’ personally owned computers, and mobile devices.

Click the links below for more information on:

How PC Prints Works
Printing Costs
Print Downloads
Printer Features and Locations
Guest Printing
Common Issues

How does it work?

Using PC Prints from a Computer or Mobile Device

When you print to the PC Prints printer that is on your computer, your print job will be held in a queue on the server. You can then release your print job at any PC Prints printer. You are not restricted to printers in your current location.

More information about PC Prints Features

How soon do I need to release my print job?

Unprinted jobs are automatically deleted from the queue after 24 hours.

Printing Costs

Are students charged for printing?

Undergraduate students receive $40 per semester in their PC Prints account. This will allow between 500 and 800 free black and white print jobs per semester. Undergrads who use up their $40 will need to add PC Cash to their cards to print or have a friend transfer PC Prints funds to them (see next question below).

Graduate and SCE students print using PC Cash, which can be added to their Providence College ID cards. See below for more information on how to add PC Cash to your card.

Faculty and staff, including graduate assistants, receive unlimited print jobs on the PC Prints printers.

What is the PC Prints account?

The PC Prints account is the primary printing account for undergraduate students. Undergraduate students receive $40 each semester in their PC Prints account. This can be used only for printing to the public printers. All balances are reset to $40 just prior to the start of each semester.

Students can also transfer PC Prints funds to each other. However, you cannot add additional funds to your PC Prints account. Once you deplete your PC Prints funds, you will need to use PC cash. See below for more information on how to add PC Cash to your card.

How much do print jobs cost?

  • Black & White, Single-sided – $0.08
  • Black & White, Double-sided – $0.05
  • Color, Single-sided – $0.50
  • Color, Double-sided – $0.25

All costs are per document page (one side of a sheet of paper).

The total cost of a document can vary depending on how many pages contain color and how many are black and white only. For example, a multi-page document with only a single color page will only be charged the color cost for that one page and the black and white cost for the remainder.

What happens when a student uses up their PC Prints account?

Print jobs will be charged to PC Cash when the PC Prints account is used up. Students will need to be sure they have money in their PC Cash account in order to print. There are cash-to-card machines located in the Library, the Ryan Center, and Slavin Center.

How do I add PC Cash to my card?

You can add PC Cash to your card at a cash-to-card machine (locations below), in the student Accounts office in Harkins 400, or online at the PC Card website.

Cash-to-Card Machine Locations

  • Phillips Memorial Library, first floor near the restrooms
  • Ryan Center
  • Slavin Center, lower level outside McPhail’s

Printer Downloads

Download PC Prints

Printer Features and Locations

All printers can print in color and double-sided. All general use computers on campus (in computers labs, library computer clusters, and classrooms) default to printing double-sided. If you install the drivers on your own computer, it will NOT default to double-sided. You must change this setting manually on your computer.

Drivers default to printing in color. If you wish to print black & white only, you may need to change this setting manually.

BuildingFloorLocation
Accinno Hall1st FloorMain Lobby
2nd FloorRoom 202
Feinstein Academic Center1st FloorNear vending machines
Harkins Hall3rd FloorNear vending machines
Howley Hall3rd FloorNear rooms 321 and 322
Moore HallMain LevelNear Institutional Diversity offices
Phillips Memorial Library1st Floor24/7 space & near restrooms
2nd FloorNear Elevator
Lower LevelNear restrooms
Ryan Center1st FloorBetween rooms 105 and 106
2nd FloorBetween rooms 205 and 206
Science Building2nd FloorRoom 201A
Slavin Center1st FloorNear room 106 and Overlook Lounge

Guest Printing

Campus guests and visitors can purchase a Visitor Card that can be used for printing. They must purchase the card for $1 and then add any additional printing funds to the card they may wish to use.

Visitor cards can be purchased at the cash-to-card machine in the Library on the first floor near the restrooms.

Common Issues

My card is not working. What can I do?

If you received a new ID card recently, it can take up to two hours for it to work with PC Prints.

You can scan the QR code on a printer with your mobile device’s camera to release a print job to that printer. When you do this, your print job will automatically be charged to your account and will come out of the printer without any interaction with the printer’s screen.

Additionally, our staff is able to release your print job(s) for you. You can see someone in the Helpdesk in room LL25 of the Phillips Memorial Library or at the library circulation desk.

The printer malfunctioned while printing my job. Can it be reprinted?

While your print job cannot be reprinted, you can request a refund for the failed print job. You can then reprint your document and release it at another printer.

Refund requests require a reason for the request. They are monitored periodically throughout the day and will not be immediately refunded.

I scanned the QR code, but it said the page could not be found.

Only users with active Providence College accounts can use the QR codes. Their device must be connected to either the PC-Secure or eduroam wireless networks.

I printed a document using the QR code and then immediately tapped my card on a printer. Now I have no print jobs available.

When you scan the QR code, you can choose to release all or some of your documents waiting in the queue. If you then immediately scan your card, the printer will ask if you wish to print all jobs that are held on the server. Selecting Yes will send all your print jobs to that printer.