Policies and Copyright Law

• Mono (Black and White) and Colour
• Simplex (Single Side Printing) and Duplex (Double Sided Printing)
• Printer Allocation Policy
• Copyright law and photocopying
• Data Monitoring
• Print Volume Limits
  

Mono (Black and White) and Colour

It is recognised that sometimes a message does require the use of colour print and that it is necessary to produce that colour locally, rather than through Printing and Stationery Services (PSS). However, it is also recognised that colour printing is more expensive, not always necessary and frequently unknowingly used. The decision was made that to avoid undesirable cost that all users should have access to colour printing, but that it should be on an optional basis rather than a default basis. What has been agreed is that anytime a new print queue is created or edited it would have its defaults set to mono printing and the user can on a per job basis change to colour. This allows users the freedom to print economically but to choose to print in colour as and when they need to without seeking permissions.

Simplex (Single Side Printing) and Duplex (Double Sided Printing)

Similarly to the above users often have the ability to print duplex but unnecessarily print in simplex as they don't know how set the device to print duplex. This obviously wastes paper. To overcome this it has been decided that where machines have the ability to print in duplex this will be a default with the option to select simplex if the user requires.

Printer Allocation Policy

In the past printers have been purchased without regard to the lifetime cost of the device. Savings can be delivered to the University if the proliferation of printers is halted, more people share devices and personal printers become the exception rather than the rule (at least for more senior members of staff).

The aim of the “Allocation Policy” is to provide guidelines for future printer deployment. The policy below provides some flexibility to fit, where possible, the varied needs of users whilst focusing on reducing the number of devices. It will ensure users are within reasonable distance of a print device and that colour, duplex, copying and scanning are also available.

Basic Principles

• The strategy must fit the location
  The primary goal is to achieve a low printer to staff ratio but where all staff have adequate access to mono and colour printing scanning and copying documents. We should aim for 1 device for every 15 people but must accept that the layout of buildings and other factors will result in a lower ratio in many areas.
  
• No InkJet devices
  InkJet devices on average cost 10 times more than a laser printer. If a device is required a laser device should be the preference. The exception to this would be an isolated user with extremely infrequent use.
  
• A personal printer must be an exception or the business justification be clear
  Personal printers must be the subject of a business case but the general principles below should apply:

  Convenience, desire, status, job title, grade or seniority will not warrant a personal device.

  There are adequate systems available to permit controlled release of confidential documents therefore confidentially per se cannot be used to justify a personal printer. For further information on confidential printing click here.

  If a personal printer is needed for a limited time PSS will endevour to obtain a loan device from the supplier.The following circumstances have been identified as examples of where a personal or dedicated printer is warranted (this list is not exhaustive):
  • Counselling– it would be inappropriate for the counsellor to leave the presence of a student to retrieve a printout.
  • A secure location where it would contravene data protection legislation to send a print outside the controlled area.
  • Specialist scientific monitoring equipment which requires a dedicated, directly connected printer.

• Distance to facilities
  Users requiring such facilities as part of their function should normally be within a 10 metre radius of a mono printer, 20 metres to the closest colour printer and 25 metres to the nearest device with scanning and copying facilities. These are guideline distances only.

1. 3 doors maximum between user and their closest printer
   It is unreasonable to expect people to go through more than 3 doors (excluding a personal office door) to collect their print.
   
2. The closest mono printer should be on the same floor as the user
   It is unreasonable to expect people to leave their offices and go to a different floor to collect mono print.
   

• Security needs should not be a reason for personal device
  Security is an understandable concern that people use to justify the requirement for a device; however the University has ensured that this need can be met in three different methods.For further information on confidential printing click here. All methods mean that only the user requiring the secure print can view it and other users will be unaware and can continue to use the printer unhindered.

• Re-use devices where possible
  Where the University has previously purchased or has a lease obligation to the devices, and they remain cost effective these devices should be used rather than new devices being provided. This fits with the sustainability mantra “reduce, re-use, recycle”.
  
• All devices to be networked
  Networked devices can be shared between many people and the University’s various control programmes (Blueprint, Site Monitor, WebJet Admin and IWMC) to identify, report, support and control the devices. This also creates flexibility; if staff numbers decrease or increase there is a reduction in the requirement to buy additional devices.
  
• All devices to be supported by a nominated local individual
  Evidence shows that machines that are looked after by a nominated individual have the least problems whilst those that were left to anyone to manage suffered a higher level of problems.
  This person is required to ensure faults are appropriately logged, jams are cleared and that consumables are properly stored and loaded into the machines.
  
• All devices are the property of the University not the individual or department
  All printers have been acquired in previous financial years therefore a department cannot retain the device or receive payment for a device that is removed by virtue of “ownership”.
  
• Shared equipment in non-shared offices
  It is undesirable to locate a shared device in an office occupied by one person as other people coming to collect prints or use the machine will be disturbing the occupier. Other locations should be sought.
  

Senior Managers to be exemplars
It is vital for the success of this allocation strategy that senior managers support the policy and be the first to remove any desktop devices and use shared devices.

Copyright law and photocopying

Please refer to Library Services' page on Copyright to understand what you may and may not copy.

These are the official University regulations regarding copyright:-

FIN 018 - Copyright
Guidelines on copyright issues

FIN 018A - Copyright Licensing Agency - Photocopying & Scanning
A Note on the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) trial licence for photocopying and scanning - including the Library's scanning service.

Data Monitoring

Please click here for information about data monitoring policies.

Print Volume Limits

In April 2011, the Assistant Vice-Chancellor, Finance and Commercial Projects published some guidance about money saving on print. This included notification that jobs over 100 pages are cheaper to print at PSS and jobs over 250 pages should always be sent to PSS.

Blueprint shows how well this policy has been followed. The table and Graph below shows that since October 2010 1,592 jobs (as at Oct 2011) have been printed on local devices that were over the agreed 250 page limit.

The Table below shows the cost breakdown of the 1592 jobs. The costs are calculated from the University’s total life costs for the device (capital cost, consumables, energy and maintenance). If the industry standard costs from the Lyra Database were to be used then this value would be far higher.

PSS charges 2.63p per page. If the identified print jobs had been passed to PSS then it would have cost £22,742.56 saving the departments over £36,660.

A key function of Blueprint is the ability to “Inform”, “Warn” and “Deny” a user about their printing actions. The team recommends that this feature be activated to encourage users to send print jobs over 125 pages to PSS and any attempted printing of jobs over 250 pages be denied.

The proposals are:
• For jobs over 125 pages Blueprint will issue a pop-up box that informs users that it is better to send the work to PSS. This needs no action from the user as the message box closes after 30 seconds.
• For jobs over 150 pages Blueprint will issue a pop-up box warning users that the job should go to PSS but will allow the user to choose to print anyway.
• For jobs over 250 pages Blueprint will not allow the user to print the job issuing a pop-up box telling the user that the job will have to go to PSS if they still wish to print.

There are instances where users will require the ability to print over the limit and Blueprint allows administrators to select individuals to which this policy should not be applied.