If one wants to print at the computer lab on RISD campus, one should send a queue from a computer that has a proper drive that connects to the printer. Sending the queue on the computer, one should punch in their id number and their name. After the queue was made, one should find the printer of which the queue was sent. Usually between two printers — Black-and-White printer and Color printer, there is a rectangular screen in the middle. The printer starts to print as you swipe the card above the rectangular screen and press the “print” button. As a monitor at a computer lab nearest to the Freshmen dormitory, I was endlessly questioned “why is the printer not printing my thing after I sent the queue?” by so many freshman students. We are so accustomed to the system where as the computer sends a queue the printer starts printing right away as the queue is received. Plus, the rectangular screen turns off itself, when it is inactive for longer than a couple minutes for energy preservation purpose. Therefore, the rectangular screen is not as visible when you come to the printing area and wait for your print to come out. There is no additional process between sending the queue and printing the queue like swiping a card and confirming the queue. However, there is no designed elements on the computer interface or physical instruction on printers or on the rectangular screens that informs about this additional process, maybe because it was an additional system that was manually put together by RISD OIT team. One sentence in the bottom of the last interface screen before sending the queue on computer saying “swipe your card near the printing area” would solve the problem easily.
