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Printing Posters & Flyers

Posters and flyers may be printed for academic or non-academic purposes. Academic posters and flyers may be printed at no cost, but non-academic posters and flyers may incur a charge. Posters may only be printed by professional staff, but flyers may be printed by anyone with a PaperCut account. Please see the sections below for more information.

  • Anything larger than 11″x17″ (tabloid) is considered a poster. Posters are printed using large format plotters that require the services of trained professionals (the College does not offer self-service poster printing).

    Both academic and non-academic poster printing are available to the campus with some conditions and limitations (please review all information in the Resources section below).

    • Academic posters are specific to original student scholarship such as poster sessions for conferences, departmental senior theses, independent research, or specific course assignments. There are no fees for academic poster printing.

      Personal images, decorative posters or posters to promote events are not academic, but can still be printed at the Print & Mail Office on campus, or using commercial print services from an online business. Please refer to the Resources section for more information.

      Academic Poster Printing Request

      Academic posters can be submitted using the Academic Poster Request form. Please review the Guides and Resources below before submitting.

      NOTE: Files submitted through the request form are not retained after printing.  

    • Academic Poster Sessions may be related to a specific course, program, or Summer Science / Summer Humanities experience. These sessions are planned and coordinated between specific faculty and their department Academic Technology Consultant, with some assistance from department administrative assistants as needed.

      For this reason, Academic Poster Sessions may have unique requirements.

      • Poster design tutorial sessions for large groups of students can be arranged with at least two weeks notice (four weeks ideally).
      • Design/layout tools and tool tutorials are available for students, and may be tailored for specific faculty objectives. Please refer students to the Resources section for more information.
      • Poster sessions should set clear expectations for the following:
        • Poster Deadlines
          • poster file submission date/time
          • poster pickup date/time
          • poster session setup date/time
          • poster session date/time
          • Please allow a minimum of two business days between a poster submission deadline and poster pick up deadline (this will provide enough turn around time for poster printing)
          • It’s recommended that the poster pick up deadline be at least one business day prior to the poster session setup deadline.
        • Poster Layout Design & Content
          • Effective communication or data visualization methods.
          • Required content such as context, sources, methods, further research, etc.
          • Do not include multiple pages/layouts in a single file!
        • Poster Size
          • Typically 36"x24" or 36”x36” or 36”x48”.­­­­
          • Ensure that students are aware that their poster layout should include a minimum 1/4" page margin (i.e. no content closer than 1/4" to the page edge on all sides).
        • Poster Material
          • Posters will be printed on double weight matte paper only.
        • Poster Review/Proof
          • Students should print an 11”x17” proof for instructor review and/or have the PDF approved by the instructor prior to student submission for printing.
          • Only one copy of each poster will be printed.
          • Typos & mistakes do not qualify for a reprint.
        • Poster Submissions
          • Posters must be submitted in PDF file format (typically, Save As or Export from a layout program).
          • Do not include multiple pages/layouts in a single file! One page per file only.
          • Students should use the Academic Poster Request form to submit their posters.
          • Posters should be submitted for printing by the announced submission date/time.
          • Posters will be rejected if unfit to print (e.g. unusual dimensions, poor quality images, etc.).
          • Posters will be printed exactly as submitted (i.e. they will not be corrected).
          • Print requests should only be submitted once - students should not expect to resubmit with content corrections.
        • Poster Pickup

      NOTE: If you would like to arrange a digital showcase of your students' posters, please contact your Academic Technology Consultant or Library Liaison as soon as possible. 

      • Your course instructor or adviser will provide specific expectations about poster design and content, as well as specific deadlines.
      • Poster Design
        • Except by prior arrangement with faculty, all posters for campus poster sessions will be limited to 36"x24" or 36”x36” or 36”x48”.
        • Faculty will often have a layout template that they want you to use.
        • Ensure that your poster layout includes a minimum 1/4" page margin (i.e. no content closer than 1/4" to the page edge on all sides).
      • Poster Design Assistance
        • Check to see if a poster design session has been scheduled.
        • Design/layout tools and tool tutorials are available. Unless faculty have stated otherwise, please refer to the Resources section for more information.
        • If you have specific questions or require assistance please make time to visit one of the following:
        • Poster Review/Proof
          • Students should print an 11”x17” proof for instructor review and/or have the PDF approved by the instructor prior to student submission for printing.
          • Keep in mind that low resolution images (<300dpi) will not print well as a poster.
          • Resolve all typos/mistakes prior to submission (students cannot resubmit for content corrections).
        • Poster Submission
          • Student will submit their PDF posters using the Academic Poster Request form.
          • Posters must be submitted for printing as PDF files by the announced submission date/time.
            • Please do not Print as PDF, as this will inherit the default print settings on your device instead of your actual poster layout dimensions!
            • Instead do one of the following:
              • From Google Slides choose Download as PDF.
              • From PowerPoint choose Save As > PDF.
          • ATS will review your poster submission.
            • If you've submitted early then you’ll be contacted to correct an issue.
            • Otherwise posters are printed 'as is'.
            • Please don't wait until the last minute to submit!
          • Only one copy will be printed per poster.
          • Typos & mistakes do not qualify for a reprint.
        • Poster Pickup

    • Non-academic posters may include personal images, decorative posters or posters to promote events. Non-academic posters may be printed at the Print & Mail Office on campus, or using commercial print services from online businesses.

      NOTE: Fees apply for non-academic poster printing.

      Non-academic posters can be submitted to [email protected].

      Copyright / Fair Use

      Be aware that both the Print & Mail Office and commercial printers may refuse to print copyrighted materials. In those cases you must provide proof of a copyright holder’s permission to print their creative works. Please refer to the College’s Research Guides for more information.

  • Flyers are any print 11″ x 17″ or smaller and typically follow a self-service model. Flyers can be printed at most accessible printers on campus using your PaperCut account (check that the printer you want to use prints black/white or color before sending). If you’re printing from a personal computer, please refer to OIT’s instructions for connecting to a printer.

    Printing Flyers

    All print jobs are routed through PaperCut so you will need sufficient funds on your account.

    Black and white printers using 8.5” x 11” paper may be found in several locations throughout campus.

    Color printers may be found in the following locations:

    Printing vs. Copying

    For large batches, consider having copies made by the Print & Mail Office – it’s far less expensive than printing directly.

    Tips for Flyer Printing

    • Go to the location to print! The CET and Jesup color printers are managed by a release station so you must be physically present to print from them.
    • Check your print settings! Be sure to set the correct paper size in the Page Set Up of the document as well as in the printer dialog box.
    • Print a proof! You should print a single copy first to check that the formatting and the colors are as expected before printing a large batch.

    Assistance is available from the CET and Jesup Student Help Desks.

    • Requirements

      • Ready to Print – Files submitted for poster printing must be ready to print. This means:
        • Layout dimensions match the desired output size (do not expect submissions to be scaled)
        • PDF file format (please do not submit other file formats)
        • Do not include multiple pages/layouts in a single file! One page per file only.
        • Image resolution is high enough for large format printing (minimum 300dpi)
        • Free of typos/omissions (quality control your poster before submission by printing on a standard printer first)
      • Pick Up – Posters may be picked up at the Print & Mail Office during normal business hours only.

      Restrictions

      • Submissions - Submissions received outside of business hours will be queued for printing the next business day (refer to the Print & Mail Office).
      • Turn-around Time – Plan for a minimum of 2 business days to process requests from the time that a submission is queued for printing, and processing will only occur during normal business hours (refer to the Print & Mail Office). This means that a request submitted on a Friday at 2pm will not be ready until 2pm the next business day.
      • Pick Up – Posters may be picked up at the Print & Mail Office during normal business hours.
      • Business Hours – There is no printing outside of normal business hours (refer to the Print & Mail Office).
      • Materials - Printing is done using matte paper and standard CMYK colors only. Other more durable or professional print materials are not available (e.g. glossy/photo, polypropylene, PVC, canvas, etc.). Fluorescent or other specialized inks are also not available.
      • Services – Materials or services related to mounting, framing, packing, or shipping are not available. Please use Commercial Design & Printing Services.

    • Williams offers several software products that are available in computer classrooms and spaces across campus. In addition, Williams is a Google school and so offers the full G Suite of Google’s creative products.

      Layouts for academic posters are often created using Microsoft Powerpoint or Google Slides. Layouts for non-academic posters may be created using professional design software such as Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape. Images may be edited using software such as Adobe Photoshop or GIMP.

      Help

      If you have specific questions or require assistance please visit:

    • There are many businesses that offer design and printing services. A simple online search for “print services” or “graphic design services” will typically yield a wide range of results. You will need to choose a commercial service that best fits your needs.

      For in-person experiences (or rush jobs) there are several local and regional businesses available. Most other businesses will be located throughout the country and world, so please be sure to check their submission and delivery options carefully.

      TIP: If you’ll be travelling to a conference and won’t be able to pick up your poster, you may be able to request that the commercial printer deliver it directly to the conference location. This gives the business more time to complete your request yet your poster will arrive when you do.

      Be sure that you obtain a specific delivery address and contact person ahead of time – otherwise the poster may be delivered to the conference location but not be easy for you to find!