Tips for Responsible Printing

In conjunction with AU's upcoming Managed Student Printing Program and Green Initiative, the AU community is encouraged to take steps to reduce excessive printing. There are many steps you can take to help save paper while cutting down on printing mishaps.

A large stack of paper

To reduce the number of pages needed:

  • Try a smaller font
  • Choose single or 1.5 line spacing instead of double spacing
  • Adjust margins to reduce empty space; Word documents can be printed with .25 inch margins
  • Do not attach title pages to writing assignments unless the instructor requires them
  • To print a PowerPoint presentation, use Print Preview, and select multiple slides per page; the default is one slide per page. Most presentations can be read comfortably at 6 slides per page.

To check a document before printing:

  • Use Spell Check
  • Use Print Preview to see what the printed document will look like
  • Make sure the computer is connected to a nearby printer

Duplex (Double-Sided) printing:

  • Occurs automatically when lab computers are running Windows
  • Manual instructions are available for Mac users until the process has been made automatic

To avoid or reduce printing from the web:

  • Copy and paste desired information into a Word document and save it to your U: drive
  • Bookmark the site
  • If printing is absolutely necessary, copy and paste into MS Word, remove spaces, reduce the font size, and then print