Library and IT Self Help

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before printing, please consider: 

• Thinking about the font size/style - this can save on ink, the amount of paper required and cost.  For example, dropping down the font size, avoiding big/broad headers and the use of underline/bold features can all help to reduce printing costs 

• Do you need to print all of the pages, or just specific ones? - You can select to only print the exact pages you need

• Printing on both sides - this can reduce paper usage significantly

• Can you fit more information onto one page?  For example, by increasing the number of slides per page

• Do you need to print in colour?  Printing in black and white will usually save you money

• Looking out for blank pages on your document.  Delete these where possible before printing, or reuse them afterwards for note-taking

• Proofreading and checking your document thoroughly before printing.  This will reduce the need to reprint if errors are noticed later.  For more on printing and print preview, please click here 

 

There are a number of standard settings that can be used when printing (Below are some examples from Microsoft Word).  If you need help with these please ask a member of staff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also:

• If working in a group, can you share copies? (rather than printing out ones for each individual member)

• Are there any digital options?  Can you use a mobile device to view the document?  Is there an opportunity to develop upon your existing digital skills by using a digital resource/version instead? 

• Time constraints - are you in a hurry to print?  Sometimes, digital alternatives can be quicker. Please see below!

Reading on Screen

Maybe you struggle with reading on screen all of the time, so why not try out using a free screen reader? We know of several free ones that can easily and quickly be installed on your browser or device.  

Text to Speech - Tech for Learning - Library Guides at University of Plymouth 

Alternatives can be applied on browsers too (example: Edge – Narrator is inbuilt) *it does not read ALT text images though. 

Digital Notes and to-do lists

Some other paper-based objects you can ditch are notepads and sticky notes. Your digital notes or to-do lists can be conveniently recorded on digital devices, and accessed across different devices, as long as they're connected to the internet and logged into the same account.   

Most devices come with their own notes app that may be cloud based, but if you wanted something more substantial you could try:  

• OneNote  

• Notion (can keep ongoing after studies) 

• Google Keep (can keep ongoing after studies) 

To-do lists:  

• Trello 

• Todoist 

Handwriting lecture/meeting notes 

If you use some form of tablet with a specific pencil, Goodnotes will allow you to make notes and will even correct your spelling as you make them.  

OneNote will allow you to make notes and store them on the cloud so that you can access them anywhere. 

Organising files (creating a digital file cabinet) 

• OneDrive can be useful to organise files in – you can even colour code folders! And before you’ve graduated, you can simply transfer all of your files onto a hard drive, device or other cloud-based system. (5GB) 

• Google Drive (15GB) 

• DropBox (2GB) 

You can always use encryption for folders if you are storing sensitive information. 

Sharing Files

You can share files from your OneDrive rather than printing out copies. For example if you're giving a presentation, why not share your slides afterwards rather than giving printed hand-outs?

Scan things rather than photocopy 

All University printers will allow you to scan pages to your email. Things to be aware of:  

• If you did want to use a screen reader, you will need to convert the PDF into an OCR. You can do this on adobe acrobat. This means that rather than a flat PDF format, it will identify words as elements to read aloud. 

• Check for the copyright policies above each of the library’s printers or email informationspecialists@plymouth.ac.uk 

You can also scan using your mobile phone by using free apps such as CamScanner or Microsoft Office Lens for example. 

Alternatives for visual thinkers/visual note takers 

Various mindmapping softwares may help:  

• Ayoa  

• XMind  

• SimpleMind+ (for phones) 

• Goodnotes (for tablet and pencil) 

PDFs are not just for printing!

Your UoP Adobe Acrobat subscription provides extensive features, including editing text and images, annotating, highlighting, and using OCR to extract text from scans.

Log onto to a University PC to access Adobe Acrobat and sign in with your UoP email address:

For help with editing PDFS see Adobe Acrobat support here 

You can also use Adobe's free online PDF editor for basic editing tasks.

Rather than printing something just to add your signature, you can create and insert a handwritten signature digitally.

Using a scanner in the library:

• Write your signature on a piece of paper 
• Scan the page and send it to your email 
• Save the picture from your email on your computer as a bmp, jpg, or png file 
• Crop the image in your Photos app or similar software and save it somewhere you can find it easily! 
• In Word go to Insert > Pictures 
• Insert your signature image:                                                                  

If you want information like your job title, phone number, or email address to be part of your signature, save it along with the picture as AutoText. 

1. In Word, type the text you want under the inserted picture. 

2. Select the picture and the typed text 

3. Select Insert > Quick Parts. 

4. Select Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery. The Create New Building Block box opens. 

5. In the Name box, type a name for your signature block. 

6. In the Gallery box, select AutoText. 

7. Select OK. 

8. When you want to use this signature, place the insertion point where you want to insert the signature block. 

9. Select Insert > Quick Parts > AutoText, and then select the name of your signature block.