From the course: Help Yourself: Tech Tips Weekly

Using the office printer

From the course: Help Yourself: Tech Tips Weekly

Start my 1-month free trial Buy for my team

Using the office printer

“

- [Instructor] The key to using the office printer is to know its name. For a home office or small office, the name is most likely the printer's manufacturer name and a model number, but in a larger office, the name is specific, relating to the printer's location, purpose are both. Hopefully the name gives you a clue as to the printer's location and purpose. Clever IT departments set up hints in the name creating a policy to devise logical and consistent naming conventions. Even so, keep in mind that your network settings or security policies may limit your printer selection choices. For example, the naming scheme may involve the building, the floor, the department, and other specific details. These may not be straightforward or obvious names, but they should be consistent. The name may also clue you into the printer type. For example, color printers for everyday use, high volume printers, printers with specific paper stock, such as letterhead, printers for a specific output, such as large format printers or photo printers and combination printer, scanner, copy machine, faxes and so on. Some printers may require your presence at the machine to approve the printing job. For example, you may need a USB key to authorize printing so that the printing costs are assigned to your department. Special permissions may be required for printers that output checks or print on expensive material or custom papers. Avoid using any quick print commands such as those you might find on the quick access toolbar as they choose a default or most recently used printer. Instead, press the Control+P command, as I've done here in Microsoft Excel. This is the print screen, unique to Microsoft Office. Choose the printer you want to use from this menu. Do this first, before you change other settings, such as duplex printing, correlation, orientation, and so on. If you choose a different paper size, ensure that the printer is stocked with that size paper or that the proper paper tray is chosen for the printer. A paper tray option isn't available for this printer. Here is the traditional print dialogue box, this one from the Notepad program. It works the same. You choose a printer from this list and then other settings are made here. Providing the printer is named properly, meaning that it's close to you and appropriate for your print job, click the print button and then rush over to the printer to collect the results.

Contents