To streamline the process at the print service, here are some guidelines:

1. Preparation: Decide in advance on the type of paper, print format, and whether crop marks are needed.
2. Folder Structure: The files should be located in a "Print" folder.
3. Queue Number: Please take one queue number per USB stick.
4. Avoid Chaos: A maximum of two people at the counter at any time.
5. Payment: Leibniz/Mensa Card with sufficient balance required.

• The print service staff only prints study-related and official documents. Creating ID copies or personal photos is not permitted.

• File Settings:
  • Save files without transparencies and layers.
  • One file per page for large format prints starting from A2.
  • Multi-page files only for laser prints up to A3+.
  • Save the file in the print format.
  • The file name should include the print format.
• Valid File Formats:
  • For plotters (starting from A2): PDF, EPS and PS files.
  • For laser printers (up to A3+): PDF and image files.

In the waiting area, there is a ticket machine with three options:

• Large format printing
• Small format printing up to A3+
• A mix of large and small format printing

Please take a ticket corresponding to each USB stick containing print data and wait until you are called.

No ticket is required for collections from the webshop. If your order is ready for pickup, you can collect it as soon as the counter is free. Please have your order number ready for this.

Start printing in good time. Things can sometimes go wrong during printing: a file may be corrupted, the PDF may be incomplete or incorrectly created, layers might not be flattened before exporting to PDF, or the colors might appear differently than on your monitor.

• Payment for the prints can only be made with the Leibniz Card or the Mensa Card. Please ensure that the card has enough credit for the planned prints.
• A computer equipped with common software is available for you to use in case post-processing of the print files is necessary.
• To ensure accurate color reproduction, periodically print narrow test strips with sections of your work during its creation.
• When submitting your documents for printing, consider whether you need crop marks. It's best to add them yourself directly in your document.
• Pay attention to the fine-tuning settings of the respective applications when exporting to PDF. Exporting to PDF directly from the application can lead to printing issues later on. In addition to the PDF file, you can also install the printer driver for the IPF4100Pro or IPF6600Pro for the large format printers and select this printer from your application, then redirect the output to a file. Files created this way can usually be printed without problems.
• A logical folder structure on the USB stick, along with clear file naming, can speed up the printing process (e.g., A4/A3/A3+, laser printer, plotter, date, etc.).
• Please arrange individual print templates into a print file sized A2, A1, or A0 DIN format. Otherwise, each submitted print template will be billed separately. For example, if you submit four A2s individually, they will each be charged separately. However, if you first arrange the four A2s on one page in a single document, only the print length will be charged.

• When printing on the laser printer (up to DIN A3+), you should create your file in the appropriate size. Scaling can take a lot of time depending on the content.
• If multiple documents need to be printed in one format, please compile them into a single file (A3+ paper, A3 paper, or A4 paper) beforehand. The subsequent merging of files, as well as sending multiple print files, can be very time-consuming.
• For double-sided printing (duplex), ensure that your layout is correctly formatted. The additional time required impacts the wait time for subsequent customers.

During peak submission times, this may mean that you will need to modify your files and rejoin the queue.

Please bring, in addition to the PDF, a print file created with the printer driver for the large format printers, and don't forget the original files from the application you used to create the print template (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, AutoCAD, etc.) in case you need to recreate the print file or make changes.

• Have you already set crop marks, or do you need them?
• Have all layers been flattened into a single layer before exporting to PDF?
• Are the print files in color or monochrome, and should they be printed as such?
• Multiple separate images can be combined into a collage on a single page.
• Does the desired output size match the DPI specification for the images?
• Multi-page PDF files will not be plotted! From DIN A2 onwards, only individual pages are accepted.

If you're unsure how to use the cutting machines, don't hesitate to ask us. We are happy to show you how to operate the devices.

The following cutting machines are available for you to use:

• Large format cutter for paper widths up to 1.5 m
• Manual roll cutter for formats up to A2
• Stack cutter (cutting length 430 mm, stack height 30 mm)

Please ensure that there are no metal parts such as paper clips, staples, or masking tape on the sheets, as these can damage the cutting machines. If you make a mistake and need to reprint, remember to take a new waiting ticket. Please leave the cutting machines in a tidy condition. A waste bin for cut-off scraps is located next to the large cutter.

When creating documents such as drawings, architectural plans, and other projects, printing with Adobe InDesign can often lead to issues. This often results in the final prints not meeting expectations. The most common problems include missing files, non-embedded fonts, images with too low resolution, overset text, and hidden layers. To ensure your documents are printed correctly, we recommend a thorough quality check, known as preflight checking, in Adobe InDesign. This feature allows you to identify and fix potential errors early on. By creating and saving preflight profiles, you can set specific inspection criteria. Enable the preflight function from the start of your document creation process. As soon as InDesign identifies a problem, a red circle icon will appear in the status bar. By opening the Preflight panel, you will receive detailed information and suggestions for solutions.