About Printing

Printing anything other than plain text can be difficult and very wasteful if done incorrectly.

General Rules:

1. If networked, know exactly which printer you are using.
2. Know the different document formats handled by the printer.
3. Know the format of the document that you want to print.
4. When formats do not match, do not attempt to print.
5. From a network browser or from MAPLE it is usually good to "print to a file", ascertain the format of that file, and proceed from there.
6. When in doubt, do not print; consider saving to a file.

Personal computers equipped with Adobe's (free) Acrobat Reader are often able to print Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF).

Many document formats can be converted to Adobe's PostScript format for printing. (Postscript is an older format than PDF; however, PostScript is less safe than PDF when shared. Some items of software for dealing with PostScript offer optional safe mode features.) Not all printers handle PostScript.

The TeX-based DVI (device independent) format is often optimal for printing on a system that is properly equipped. This usually requires a TeX installation, which, though free, may require 1 or 2 GB of disk, depending on installation options selected. For information about TeX visit the TeX Users Group (TUG) and the Comprehensive TeX Archive Network (CTAN).

You need to know precisely how to proceed in order to print a document without wasting a great deal of time and paper.

If you are not sure, ask your local system manager before trying to print.