Large Format Printing

OTS Student Computing Services (SCS) maintains two HP DesignJet Z5400 large format inkjet printers that students may use at no charge to print poster-sized documents for academic purposes.

Student Organization and other non-academic prints can be printed at Design + Graphic Services (UU 108) or FedEx/Kinkos for a competitive fee. Faculty should contact the Faculty Academic Center of Excellence at Towson (FACET) for large format printing information.

What you need to know before printing 

Students can create large-format documents using any compatible application, but SCS strongly recommends using one of the templates provided on this page; formats include Microsoft PowerPoint (pptx), Microsoft Publisher (pub) and Adobe InDesign (ind). Be sure to read the Poster Production Guide for Students (PDF). Please note:

• Poster printing is limited to two posters per person per week. This helps prevent a single user from disproportionally stressing the printer or exhausting printing supplies.
• Students can make a large format printing appointment via the SCS Online Resource Booking System (ORBS). Students who visit without an appointment will be required to make an appointment on site before printing.
• SCS offers a large format rotary cutter for trimming, but no mounting or lamination services are available.
• The paper we stock is well suited for academic posters, but poorly suited for high-resolution "art-quality" prints.
• All posters printed by SCS are required to bear an OTS Attribution Graphic, which is included in the SCS poster templates. If you are not using an SCS template, you must add this graphic to your poster before printing. Posters that do not include the attribution graphic cannot be printed by SCS. Select and download one of the options provided at the bottom of the page.

free academic poster printing for students

Book a Printing Appointment

SCS offers student poster printing by appointment on our 42-inch HP Designjet Z5400 inkjet printers. There is no cost, but prints must be in fulfillment of class assignments or for another academic event, such as a research fair or conference poster session. To make a 15-minute printing appointment, sign into SCS ORBS and select “Rooms” (not “Stock”). Consider carefully the advice in your confirmation email and contact SCS with any questions.

Get started using an SCS template

1. Download a template. Click on the desired type of template in the chart below, and save it to your computer. These templates contain the OTS Attribution Graphic so no need to download and add one.
2. Replace the template text and images with your own content. Unless otherwise noted, these items do not reflect adherence to any particular presentation standards. To clear these objects from your poster: open the template file, use Ctrl-A to select all, press Delete. When saving your file, please begin the filename with your NetID (e.g., dwashi6-ECON321poster).
3. Visit SCS in CK-35 to print your poster. Prior to coming to SCS, export your finished PowerPoint or Publisher file to PDF format and use View> Rulers to verify that the dimensions are correct to be sure you didn't inadvertently scale your poster down to letter size. If you are not sure how to do this, SCS will be happy to help when you come in to print.

SCS TEMPLATE POSTER SIZES	AVAILABLE FORMATS	NOTES
Single 24"x36"sheet	PowerPoint (PPTX) Publisher (PUB)	A single poster or a set of separate posters based on this template represent the simplest process, because no trimming and joining is necessary. To remove or modify the border line, open the master slide or page, select the border, and go to it.
24"x36" center panel plus two 12"x36" side panels	PowerPoint (PPTX)	We prepared this template specifically for use with the three-paneled cardboard and foam core presentation boards available at the University Store and most office supply shops. The template consists of two 24" x 36" pages. The first page represents the center panel; the second page is bisected by a dashed line and, cut in half, produces two 12" side panels.
Single 40”x24” sheet	PowerPoint (PPTX)	In consultation with faculty, SCS developed this 40"x 24" template for Health Science students.
Single 42”x42” sheet	PowerPoint (PPTX)	This template is designed to take advantage of the maximum printing width (42”) of our DesignJet printer. The page height can easily be adjusted to preference using PowerPoint’s Design ribbon (toolbar).
48"x36" poster as two overlapping 24"x 36" sheets	PowerPoint (PPTX) Publisher (PUB)	This template is designed for a double-width poster. It produces two overlapping sheets. To combine them after printing, trim away the border from one sheet and then attach the sheets with some sort of tape or adhesive.
72"x48" poster	Publisher (PUB)	This template is designed for a 4' wide by 8' long poster. It produces two overlapping sheets. To combine them after printing, trim away the border from one sheet and then attach the sheets with some sort of tape or adhesive.
72"x48" poster	Publisher (PUB)	In consultation with faculty, SCS developed this 6' x 4' template for Occupational Therapy students.
96"x48" poster as two 96"x 24" sheets	Publisher (PUB)	In consultation with faculty, SCS developed this 8' x 4' template for Kinesiology students. This template is well-suited for creating a poster version of a PowerPoint presentation. We offer a video tutorial to step users through the process of creating a printed grid of PowerPoint slides.

If you are not using an SCS template

Download and add one of the OTS attribution graphics to your poster, then set its height to 0.5 inches and place it at the bottom. This is required for all posters being printed by SCS, regardless of template. As with template-based files, when saving your file, please begin the filename with your NetID (e.g., dwashi6-ECON321poster). 

Content of the graphic: Poster printing provided by the Office of Technology Services | towson.edu/scs.

Required Graphic Options for Non-TEmplate Posters	PNG FORMAT
OTS Attribution Graphic, White Background	Open (and Save)
OTS Attribution Graphic, Black Background	Open (and Save)
OTS Attribution Graphic, Gold Background	Open (and Save)