Poster Printing FAQ

Have a question about Poster Printing? Check out our Poster Printing FAQ below. 

What size photo or resolution do I need? 

Scans or artwork that have been professionally created will work well in large format output. Digital camera pictures are generally dense enough to scale up to large sizes. Digital camera pictures of at least 8 megapixels will generally print well. Lower resolution pictures, particularly from the web, do not print clearly at large sizes. Please ask the lab staff for assistance if needed.

What size poster can I print? 

We have a list of standard sizes we support, from 8.5″ x 11″ all the way up to 36″ x 48″. However, our printer will print up to 36 inches wide by 150 feet long. If your project is larger than our biggest standard size, call us at 304-293-3742 and make an appointment to have one of our staff members help you with your output. Your pricing will be based on a per square foot rate. Please be aware that we only support large custom sizes during the standard WVU workday, which is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Can I print a really big file? 

Files over 1GB can be problematic. Please ask the lab staff for help or call 304-293-3742 during business hours, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

What letter fonts do you have? 

We can only print in the fonts that are installed on the lab computers.

What's your turnaround time? 

Queue times vary and can be several hours long. Allow plenty of time to print your job. As a guideline, a 36" x 48" print takes about 15-30 minutes to print and several jobs may be queued ahead of yours.

Do I need to see a proof?

It is a good idea to save a smaller (11" × 17") version of your project, which you can output first to verify the quality of your work before printing the full-size job.

What kinds of paper do you print on? 

We print on matte plain paper made especially for inkjet printing. Our standard paper is 26 lb, 36″ wide, which is somewhat thicker than normal copier paper. This paper is ideal for architectural, engineering, mapping and graphic applications where “photo realistic” isn’t required. We also stock a 7 mil. glossy photo paper which will give you the best quality with vivid colors. You can see a sample output of both papers at the Evansdale computer lab.

Do you laminate, mount, trim or print other media? 

Please contact the Evansdale Library using the Poster Printing service page for other wide format printing needs. This is not a subsidized service so prices will be higher. You can print your job at Poster Prints and take the copy to PCS for other services.

What software can I use? 

Please see our Software List for Evansdale Library Computer Lab article.

Can I use a PDF file? 

Yes, you can print a PDF file. You cannot edit a PDF file, so we recommend bringing your file in “native” format as well, in case changes are required.

I've got my file set up as 8.5" x 11". Can I scale it up? 

Yes, as long as your original files are a high enough resolution to scale to your required size and still look good. Our print drivers are unlimited for scaling.