PRINT QUESTIONS

The following responses address our most frequest printing questions. If you cannot find what you're looking for, please contact OU IT at (405) 325-HELP or support.ou.edu.

How do I check my print charges?
Log in at https://printcharges.ou.edu to view your print charges since February 1, 2008. A link to the print charges page is also available on the desktop wallpaper of each computer lab workstation.

What does my current balance mean?
A positive current balance tells you how much of your initial printing credit remains.  A negative balance, which is shown in parenthesis, such as ($2.58), is the amount of printing charges that have not yet been charged to your bursar account.

How do I tell how much has been charged to my bursar account?
From the the print charges website, go to the "transaction history" link and look for a line that looks similar to the following.  In this example, the user was billed $1.92 for printing in February. This amount will show up on the user's next bursar statement.

Can I print to a computer lab printer with my personal computer or work computer?
To print to an OU IT computer lab printer you must install the PaperCut desktop client. Click here to download the zip file here. Un-zip the file and double-click "client-local-install.exe." You only have to install this file once.

How much does it cost to print?
Our print prices decrease February 1 with the implementation of our new print billing system. Click here to view print prices or use the print prices link in the left column of this page.

Does OU IT offer printing credits?
OU will automatically credit your account with a $10.00 credit at the beginning of each semester. Students can receive an additional $10.00 credit courtesy of the College of Engineering (COE) for each semester enrolled in one or more COE courses.

When do print charges appear on my bursar bill?
OU IT posts print charges to your bursar account around the 11th of each month for the previous month's print charges. For instance, your March 15 bursar bill will reflect your print charges from the month of February. These transactions are detailed on your print charges transaction history .

The paper jammed and I got charged for the print anyway. Can I request a refund?
Click refund request in the left column of this page or call the OU IT Help Desk at (405) 325-HELP to request a refund. Refund requests MUST be submitted within 24 hours of the print job.

Can I get a refund if I accidentally printed to the color printer?
Unfortunately, we can only refund prints effected by paper jams, printer malfunctions, or other OU IT-maintained hardware and software issues. We cannot approve refunds for unintentional color prints, incorrect document formatting, or other human errors.

What should I do if a printer breaks or the paper jams in the middle of my print job?
Contact the OU IT lab assistant or call (405) 325-HELP to report a printer hardware error. Most labs are now equipped with (white) courtesy phones to contact the OU IT Help Desk. Simply dial 5-HELP from these phones for support.

If your print is cancelled due to a hardware error, check your print charges to make sure that you were not charged in error. If you need to request a refund, submit our online refund request form.

Can I print single sided?
SINGLE-SIDED PRINTING IS STILL AVAILABLE. To print a document single-sided:

  1. Click Print or type Ctrl + P to open the Print Window.
  2. Click the Preferences button.
  3. On the Finishing tab, select 1-sided from the Print Style menu.
  4. Click OK to exit Preferences and click Print to send your single-sided document to the printer.

Can I print double sided on an Apple computer?
Absolutely. Click here to view double-sided printing instructions for Apple computers.

Why do printers default to double-sided printing?
Written by Student Congress and approved by President Boren last Spring, the Climate Commitment bill requests that University Departments undertake specified solutions to make OU more climate friendly.

Lab printers now print double-sided by default to comply with this bill.

The following story provides additional information: HUB - Bill to Make Campus Environmentally Friendly Passes.

Why did OU replace the print billing system?
This is just one step in OU IT's "greener IT " initiative. As part of this initiative, OU IT labs feature:

The replacement of the current print billing system will provide better cost tracking, reduce printing waste by 30%, and decrease print billing discrepancies.