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DECS

DECS offers printing services to all members of the College of Engineering. From reports to posters, color to 3D, DECS facilities provide you with the capability to print a myriad of materials on various media. All lab and Support Office printers operate under a "print quota" system, with the exception of 3D printers. See the Print Quota page for more information regarding this system.

Printing in the Engineering Computer Labs

The engineering computer labs (1307, 1312, 1318, 1328, 2314, 2200) are equipped with one or more HP black and white laser printers. Anyone with an engineering account may access any of the printers in these labs. There is also a color printer in 1320,  which is available to engineering users.

Support Office Printing

In addition to the black and white printers in the engineering computing labs, there is a color laser printer and two large format (poster) plotters available in the DECS Support Office. Laminators are available for both 8.5x11in paper and posters up to 42x52in. There is a fee for laminating

The Support Office also keeps a select number of additional media which can be used with these printers, including transparencies and 11x17in paper, on hand.

There are also various 3D printers available for use by engineering faculty, staff and students. For more information on these printers, see the Printers section of the Lab & Equipment tab. 3D print jobs are submitted using this form.

Office and Other Lab Printing

DECS can configure network print queues for offices, research labs and department computer labs. Access to these printers can be restricted to specific users. Printing access to private printers is granted/restricted once the faculty/staff sponsor (owner) of the printer provides DECS with a list of users who should be granted access. These print queues can be configured with or without implementing print quotas.

While DECS does not support Microsoft Windows Print Sharing, we do offer solutions for making network capable printers available through a network print queue. If a printer does not have an internal network card, DECS can make suggestions for an internal or external network device.

Setting-up a Printer

DECS can set-up your printer and we support different methods of access to a printer. These methods are local connection, network card without a queue and network card with a queue. If you would prefer to set-up your own network printer, please see the How To Add a Network Printer regarding this process.

Local Connection

  • Connected directly to a single computer
  • Uses either USB or Parallel Port Connection
  • Shortest set-up time
  • Can only be used by the machine to which it is attached

Network Card without a Queue

  • Connected to the EGR Network
  • Requires an internal network card or external print server
  • Multiple computers can use it
  • Driver must be installed on each computer manually
  • No access control

Network Card with a Queue

  • Connected to the EGR Network
  • Requires an internal network card or external print server
  • Multiple computers can use it
  • Driver is stored on the network and is installed automatically
  • Access is controlled by EGRNetID or computer name
  • Will not work with all printers

Looking to Buy a Printer?

We can help you find and purchase a new printer for your desk, office or lab. If you plan to have your printer set-up with a network queue, be sure to check with us for compatibility. There are some other features that you will want to consider before purchasing a printer:

  • Pages per Minute (PPM)
  • Dots per Inch (DPI)
  • Laser or Inkjet technology
  • Color or black and white
  • Network capabilities 
  • Duplex capabilities
  • All-in-One functionality

For assistance with ordering or installing a new printer, contact the DECS Hardware Office: hardware@egr.msu.edu

What Should I do If My Printer is Not Working Properly?

There are some things you can try yourself before contacting the Support Office. First check all the connections including power and data cable. If that does not work, try switching the printer off then back on. If the problem persists, contact the Support Office.

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