Students at most Penn State campuses now have a convenient new option called MobilePrint for remotely submitting documents to print in student computing labs. MobilePrint allows a user to upload documents to print via a mobile app or web page. The print job will then remain in a held queue for five days.
As detailed on the MobilePrint web page, students with a valid Penn State Access Account can download a free iOS or Android app called Pharos Print, or visit the MobilePrint MyPrintCenter website. They can then upload documents of any of nine supported formats up to 50 MB in size for printing. There is no need to install a client application on a computer.
When visiting a lab at their convenience within the five days, such as on the way to class, students need not take the time to log on to a regular lab computer to commence the printing of a document they had in the queue. They only need to make a quick visit to the lab's print release station.
The MobilePrint service is being offered by Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) as a response to students' needs and the shifting way that they are using technology. "Students don't want to carry a laptop; it's too heavy," said Blake Bergey, manager of classroom and lab technologies and computing within TLT. "This allows them to leverage a mobile device to print."
The five-day window after submitting a document to print provides added convenience for students who may not be present on campus every day, or who may attend classes on more than one campus.
Students who have been using the existing Remote Printing service option that requires users to download and install a client application on their computer can continue to use that method to upload documents for print release.