public printing service VPP in HCI

Mainpage for using VPP
http://www.id.ethz.ch/services/list/vpp/index


1) ChemBiolPharm Information Center (INFOZ)

http://www.infochembio.ethz.ch/en/vpp.html
They ONLY take postscript files and are extremely fast because they don't get used as much.
They are very close (in the library in the building with the Chemistry Mensa) and you can pay with our account numbers.
Problem: they don't have a cutter, so you have to go over to the architecture building anyway to cut your poster on a big cutter.

2) The print shop in the Architecture building (HILSPEZ)


http://www.id.ethz.ch/services/list/vpp/index_EN

They are more commonly used so they say it takes them a day to print -- place an order one day, pick up the next.
But they often do it faster than that.
Located at HIL C 36.1, Hönggerberg
In the same building (not too far from the printers) is a little room with cutters that you can use to trim your poster
If you go to the website above you have two links on the right hand side to submit your job. Here you can also submit PDF files.
Here you can also pay cash or with our account numbers.


Before submitting documents:

In Illustrator (etc.) print to a file. Instead of choosing a printer, print to PDF or PS. This will create either a PDF file or a PostScript file. After creating this file, open it (or in the case of the PS -- right click on it and then 'convert to Adobe PDF'. Print this so you can see what the final version looks like. Correct all problems before submitting for print.

Keep in mind -- printing a poster isn't like printing a paper. There are many things that can (and do) go wrong, and what you think of as a half-hour task can turn into hours of pulling your hair out in frustration. So leave PLENTY of time to print out your poster before you need to hop on the airplane.

Submitting online:

On the online form 'send VPP job' you are asked:
(for the boxes on the form type the stuff inside the quotes. do not type the quotes.)

Destination: Choose either 'INFOZ' or 'HILSPEZ' depending on where you choose to print.
Device: for poster printing you use 'HP1055'   (for other sizes check the devices on the web pages above)
Form: (this = the size of your poster) If your file size is set to A0 then you just put 'A0' here. If your file is set to A4 then you need to scale it up and in this box you type 'A0.SCALE(4.0)'
Note: put any notes here. not required.
Copies: '1' With posters please do one at a time.
Notify: Here I put an email address or a phone number
Username: your ethz username
I don't store any settings so I skip the stuff down to
File to Print: browse to find your file and add it here
then click 'send print job'


Quick tips:

Make sure that your resolution is set to 300 pix/inch for printed material (it can be 72 for online work)
And also -- when you send your lovely RGB created graphic to the printer it is converted to CMYK. It is easier to work in RGB in many cases but you may want to preview your colors to see how it will look in actual print so --
you can do this:
"The conversion from RGB to CMYK can bring some unexpected results. So, if you are creating a document that will eventually be converted from RGB to CMYK, you can work on your RGB document while previewing it in CMYK. Choose Window > Documents > New Window. Doing so opens a second view of your document. Next, choose View > Proof Setup > Working CMYK. Now you can work in RGB while previewing everything in CMYK. "