Frequently Asked Questions
Deadlines
What do you mean by “camera-ready copy”?
How soon can I get my copy request?
Why do I have to specify a due date for a finished job? Or why do you not accept ASAP as a due date?
What is the minimum amount of time in which a job can be completed?
Copies
What is a proof?
Should I request a proof?
What is the difference between a transparency and a clear cover?
Do you print envelopes?
Can you print a Master’s Thesis or dissertation?
Paper
How can I get a sample of papers available?
What color papers are available?
What are the differences among 20 lb, 28 lb, 32 lb, 60 lb, 65 lb, 67 lb, and 80 lb paper?
What is the best type of paper to use for a job? What would look best?
What is the difference in the size of papers?
Do you print on ISO sized papers?
Do you print College of Charleston business cards?
Where do I get College of Charleston Letterhead?
Mail Regulations
I want to copy something for mailing. What do I do?
What procedures do I follow in organizing my copy requests to be prepared for bulk rate mailing, especially when I am merging documents?
Where can I get the permit number for Standard Class (Bulk) mailing?
What are the postal requirements for postcards?
Design
Can a change be made on a hard copy or a file sent to the printer?
Can images be scanned and resized?
Electronic
Why do you prefer a digital file?
How do I send a document to the Copy Center printer queue?
How does the Copy Center know that I have sent a document to the printer?
Can I email a job?
Why is it better to send the job to the printer queue rather than using a hard copy?
Why is it better to send the job to the printer queue rather than sending it via email?
What are the differences among tiff files, jpeg files and pdf files?
Finishing
How many sheets can I get in a pad?
Why does the Copy Center require a trim size when cutting?
What looks better: tape, plastic comb or coil binding?
Miscellaneous
Where is the Copy Center located?
What are the Copy Center hours of operation?
What can I do if I am unhappy with my copy job?
Why do you require a local telephone number?
Why do you require all email correspondence to go through the CofC email accounts (@edisto.cofc.edu or @cofc.edu)?
Copying versus Printing
What is the difference between copying and printing?
What is the difference between a copy and a printed original?
What is the difference between a copier and a press?
Deadlines
Deadlines: What do you mean by “camera-ready copy”?
Camera-ready copy means that your document is ready to be printed or copied without needing any adjustments.
Deadlines | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Deadlines: How soon can I get my copy request?
The Copy Center guarantees a 24-hour turnaround for all normal copy requests* upon receipt of the required information (IDT and Copy Center Request Form or Cougar Card Request Form).*
Deadlines | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Deadlines: Why do I have to specify a due date for a finished job? Or why do you not accept ASAP as a due date?
The Copy Center is a production facility. We receive many requests from many different departments and individuals on campus. Each request is placed on the production schedule according to its requirements and due date. Deadlines | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Deadlines: What is the minimum amount of time in which a job can be completed?
The Copy Center requires a minimum of 24-hours to complete all proofs and normal copy requests.*
Deadlines | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Copies
Copies: What is a proof?
- A proof is a single sample of your copy request.
- If something is sent to the printer for a proof, please email the Copy Center with specifications as indicated on the Copy Center Request Form or Cougar Card Request Form, so that an accurate proof can be produced. We will notify you when your proof is ready.
- Proofs follow the same submission guidelines as regular copy request submissions.
Copies | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Copies: Should I request a proof?
The Copy Center recommends proofs on all jobs.
Copies | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Copies: What is the difference between a transparency and a clear cover?
A transparency can be printed on. A clear cover cannot be printed on.
Copies | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Copies: Do you print envelopes?
No. The Copy Center does not have the capability to print on envelopes.
Copies | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Copies: Can you print a Master’s Thesis or dissertation?
Yes, the Copy Center can print a Master's Thesis or a dissertation; however, the customer must provide the paper required by the dissertation committee. Please bring extra sheets of paper in the event that the copier jams.
Copies | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Paper
Paper: How can I get a sample of papers available?
A swatch book is available in the Copy Center.
Paper | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Paper: What color papers are available?
We offer a variety of paper colors. Please pick up a swatch book for your office.
Paper | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Paper: What are the differences among 20 lb, 28 lb, 32 lb, 60 lb, 65 lb, 67 lb, and 80 lb paper?
These are different paper weights. 20lb, 28lb, 32lb, and 60lb papers are considered text weight papers, while 65lb, 67lb, and 80lb papers are considered coverstock. The Copy Center categorizes 20lb and 28lb paper as standard paper weights; 32lb and 60lb paper as premium paper weights; and 65lb, 67lb, and 80lb papers as cover stock.
Paper | Section Name | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Paper: What is the best type of paper to use for a job? What would look best?
This varies based on the type of job and on customer preference.
Paper | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Paper: What is the difference in the size of papers?
See Paper Sizes.
Paper | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Paper: Do you print on ISO sized papers?
The paper standards in the United States are different from the ISO sized papers. ISO-sized papers are not available from most paper suppliers in the United States. However, the Copy Center also cuts/trims jobs as per the customer's specifications.
Paper | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Paper: Do you print College of Charleston business cards?
No, the Copy Center does not print College of Charleston business cards. Please contact the current state contract vendor: BCE Business Cards Express.
Paper | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Paper: Where do I get College of Charleston Letterhead?
Send an IDT to the Citadel Printshop for College of Charleston Letterhead.
Paper | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Mail Regulations
Mail Regulations: I want to copy something for mailing. What do I do?
Please contact Mail Services at 81-A St. Philip Street or 953-2089 for mailing requirements.
Mail Regulations | Return to Copy Center Home
Mail Regulations: What procedures do I follow in organizing my copy requests to be prepared for bulk rate mailing, especially when I am merging documents?
Please contact Mail Services at 81-A St. Philip Street or 953-2089 for mailing requirements regarding bulk rates and how the documents will need to be sorted.
Mail Regulations | Return to Copy Center Home
Mail Regulations: Where can I get the permit number for Standard Class (Bulk) mailing?
Please contact Mail Services at 81-A St. Philip Street or 953-2089 for the permit number for Standard Class (Bulk) mailing.
Mail Regulations | Return to Copy Center Home
Mail Regulations: What are the postal requirements for postcards?
Please contact Mail Services at 81-A St. Philip Street or 953-2089 for acceptable size requirements for postcard mailing rates.
Mail Regulations | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Design
Design: Can a change be made on a hard copy or a file sent to the printer?
No. The Copy Center only prints camera-ready copy.
Design | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Design: Can images be scanned and resized?
Images can be scanned. Please see Scanning. Resizing falls under the category of design work. As a production facility, the Copy Center does not offer design services.
Design | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Electronic
Electronic: Why do you prefer a digital file?
There are two reasons why the Copy Center prefers the digital file:
- The Copy Center may not have the program or version of the program that your document was created in.
- The Copy Center does not guarantee any fonts and/or layout used in the document.
When digital files are sent to the Copy Center printers, the printer queues translate all electronic files, regardless of the program used to create it, into a format understandable by the printer.
Electronic | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Electronic: How do I send a document to the Copy Center printer queue?
See Printer Installation Instructions.
Electronic | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Electronic: How does the Copy Center know that I have sent a document to the printer?
When submitting an Copy Center Request Form, you should include the name of the electronic file and the sender's log-in name. (ex. smithj) This is the Copy Center's notification as to which document in the printer queue is associated with which Copy Request.
Electronic | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Electronic: Can I email a job?
No, the Copy Center may not have the program in which the document was originally created in, and cannot guarantee fonts or layout with the transmission of a document via email. Please send the files directly to the Copy Center printers. See Printer Installation Instructions.
Electronic | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Electronic: Why is it better to send the job to the printer queue rather than using a hard copy?
It is the Copy Center's professional opinion that the documents generally look better when being produced as a printed original rather than a copy. When the document is sent directly to the printer, each reproduction is a printed original, and will be less likely to lose quality than when using a hard copy. (This is most pertinent when reproducing images.)
Electronic | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Electronic: Why is it better to send the job to the printer queue rather than sending it via email?
The Copy Center may not have the program in which the document was originally created, and cannot guarantee fonts or layout. The printer queues translate all electronic files, regardless of the program used to create it, into a format understandable by the printer.
Electronic | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Electronic: What are the differences among tiff files, jpeg files and pdf files?
TIFF is an acronym for Tagged-Image-File-Format. It is one of the most widely supported file formats for storing bit-mapped images on personal computers. TIFF graphics can be any resolution, and they can be black and white, gray-scaled, or color. Files in TIFF format often end with a .tif extension.
JPEG is an acronym for Joint-Photographic-Experts-Group. JPEG is a compression technique for color images. Although it can reduce files sizes to about 5% of their normal size, some detail is lost in the compression. Files in JPEG format often end with a .jpg extension.
PDF is an acronym for Portable-Document-Format. It was developed by Adobe Systems. PDF captures formatting information from a variety of desktop publishing applications, making it possible to send formatted documents and have them appear on the recipient's monitor or printer as they were intended. To view a file in PDF format, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free application distributed by Adobe Systems. Files in PDF format often end with a .pdf extension.
See Scanning for more details.
Electronic | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Finishing
Finishing: How many sheets can I get in a pad?
The Copy Center will pad as many sheets as you request in a single pad. Typical requests are 25, 50, or 100 sheets per pad.
Finishing | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Finishing: Why does the Copy Center require a trim size when cutting?
The Copy Center does not presume to know what size the finished product is supposed to be. To accurately complete the customer's job, the Copy Center requires the customer to indicate the size of the finished piece.
Finishing | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Finishing: What looks better: tape, plastic comb or coil binding?
This is a customer preference.
Finishing | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous: Where is the Copy Center located?
Contact Us.
Miscellaneous | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Miscellaneous: What are the Copy Center hours of operation?
Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Miscellaneous | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Miscellaneous: What can I do if I am unhappy with my copy job?
If you have any concerns regarding your copy request, please discuss them with the Director or Assistant Director at the time of receipt. The Copy Center makes every effort to produce each copy request according to the customer's preferences. To ensure customer satisfaction with each request, the Copy Center highly recommends a proof prior to completing the entire job.
Miscellaneous | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Miscellaneous: Why do you require a local telephone number?
The Copy Center will not make a long distance call to notify you of a completed request. If the only telephone number available is long distance, then the Copy Center will contact you via your college email account.
Miscellaneous | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Miscellaneous: Why do you require all email correspondence to go through the CofC email accounts (@edisto.cofc.edu or @cofc.edu)?
Your College of Charleston email account verifies your status as a faculty member, staff, or student.
Miscellaneous | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Copying versus Printing
Copying versus Printing: What is the difference between copying and printing?
A copy is a document which is placed on the glass and scanned to produce multiple copies.
A print is an electronic document, sent through a server to produce multiple prints.
Copying versus Printing | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Copying versus Printing: What is the difference between a copy and a printed original?
A copy is when an original is placed on the copier and scanned for reproduction.
A printed original is when the copier, functioning as a printer, prints the document from a digital file.
Copying versus Printing | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
Copying versus Printing: What is the difference among a copier, a printer, and a press?*
A copier is a device for producing copies of text or graphic material by the use of light, heat, chemicals, or electrostatic charge.
A printer is an electronic device that accepts text files or images from a computer and transfers them to a medium such as paper or film. Major types of computer printers are dot-matrix printers, ink jet printers, and laser printers.
A press, or printing press, is a machine that transfers lettering or images by contact with various forms of inked surface onto paper or similar material fed into it in various ways. The device is used for printing multiple copies of a text on paper.
Copying versus Printing | FAQ's | Copy Center Home
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