Printing

You can find printers on each floor of the Main Library as well as in the Research Commons on the first floor, the Study Commons on the ground floor, and the Digital Media Studio on the second floor. Make sure you have money on your OneCard, and you can print from your own laptop or a desktop computer in the Library.

At this time, Friends of the Library and other visitors cannot print in the Library. Visitors can use the campus print shop, Ctrl+P.

Add money to your OneCard

We have Add Value Stations in the Research Commons and Study Commons and across from the Book Checkout & Pickup Desk on the first floor of the Library. These machines take cash only and don’t give change. Students who forget their OneCard can buy a guest printing card for $2 at any Add Value Station.

You can also add value to your OneCard online: Add/Check Value.

Pricing

Black and white

7 cents per sheet

Available in the Research Commons, Study Commons, and Digital Media Studio. Print rooms are found on each floor of the Library, outside and behind the elevator lobbies.

Color

50 cents per sheet

Available at all desktop computers in the Research Commons, at desktop Macs in the Study Commons, and in the Digital Media Studio. Choose the color printer when printing.

Note: Our printing system does not support double-sided printing

Print from your own laptop

Note: Black and white printing only. To print in color, please use a desktop computer.

Step 1: Install printing software

You must install Pharos software to print from your own laptop. You cannot print from phones or tablets. All software is installed at your own risk. Please read the instructions before installing. 

How to install and uninstall Pharos printing software

Download Installer

Installers have been tested for OS X Mavericks (10.9) – OS X Ventura (13.5) and Windows XP – Windows 11 laptops. 

Step 2: Send your document to a Wi-Fi printer

  1. You must be connected to SFState Wi-Fi in order to print.
  2. Open your document.
  3. Print the document, and make sure you choose the appropriate Wi-Fi printer:
    • Windows: OneCard PostScript Library WiFi
    • Mac: SFSU_Library_Printer
  4. Make up a password of your choice for the print job. This is a temporary password used only to release your print job!
  5. Swipe your OneCard at a Wi-Fi Print Release Station.
    • The Study Commons and the Research Commons each have one Wi-Fi Print Release Station.
    • Wi-Fi Print Release Stations are also available on each floor of the Library.
  6. Find your file in the list.
  7. Select Print.
  8. Enter your print job password from step 4.
  9. Retrieve your print from the printer!

Print from a desktop computer in the Library

  1. Log in to a desktop computer with your SF State ID and password.
  2. Open your document.
  3. Print the document and select a black and white or color printer.
  4. Make up a password of your choice for the print job. This is a temporary password used only to release your print job!
  5. Swipe your OneCard at a black and white or color Print Release Station (not a Wi-Fi printer) in the same room you are printing in.
    • Ex: If you are printing in black and white from a desktop Mac in the Research Commons, send your print to 1-Black&White-OneCard-RC and use a black and white Print Release Station in the Research Commons.
  6. Find your file in the list.
  7. Click print.
  8. Enter your print job password from step 4.
  9. Retrieve your print from the printer!

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions or any trouble printing, please ask the staff at one of our Help Desks!

Printing PDFs

Very large PDF files sometimes print very slowly or not at all. Please follow these instructions to help prevent printer network logjams.

  1. Do not print directly from your browser. Instead:
  2. Save your document to a personal or temp drive
    • Name the file and remember where you save it.
    • Do not save it to the desktop.
  3. Open the PDF
    • If opening in Adobe Acrobat, you may be able to log in with your SF State ID and password (depending on your departmental privileges).
    • On Mac, open the PDF in Preview. On a PC, open with system viewer.
  4. Print

We also have a step-by-step guide for printing large or complex PDF documents: Resolving PDF Printing Problems.

Other places to print

Ctrl+P Digital Print Shop

Where: Cesar Chavez Student Center, Room M110, Mezzanine Level

Contact: copyctr@sfsu.edu or (415) 338-2434

3D printing

Available in the Library’s Digital Media Studio & MakerSpace