@One Poster Printing

Not finding what you need? We may have other unlisted experimental materials that could suit your needs. Please ask to speak with a supervisor to explore your options.

The @One accepts WolfBucks, credit cards, debit cards, Purchase Cards (PCard), and Worktags for payment. While we don’t accept cash, you can conveniently add cash to your WolfBucks balance at our adjacent kiosk.

Please note that payment is required at the time of order submission, and we won’t be able to start on your order until that’s completed. Thank you for your understanding!

The @One recommends submitting files in PDF format, however, our printers can accept a variety of file types:

• PDF – A lossless format designed for cross-platform consistency. The vector-based nature of this format ensures that text will remain crisp despite scaling.
• PNG – A lossless graphics format optimized for high quality line drawings, images, and text. Due to the raster-based nature of this format, scaling results may vary depending on image resolution.
• TIFF – A lossless format which does not compress graphics, but as a result produces quite large file sizes which may affect load times and potential compatibility issues with our software.
• JPEG – A lossy, but commonly used format on the web which may be suitable for printing small images. Due to quality compression, JPEGs are not recommended for posters containing text or for projects that need to be enlarged.

Please check with the @One in advance about other file formats, as some may be incompatible with our printers (such as Adobe Illustrator or Microsoft PowerPoint files).

In such cases, we recommend editing your project in the software of your choice and then exporting an additional copy as a PDF when finished. Please contact us should you need help with the exporting process.

Printed images will appear darker than they do on a computer screen and not all on-screen colors are possible to replicate via print. Our printers will automatically substitute any non-replicable colors with the closest one they are able to, though substitutions may vary.

This is usually close enough to meet the needs of most projects that come through the @One – however, if color accuracy and/or brightness is important to you, image files should be adjusted to compensate for this prior to submission.

• To compensate for the ‘darkening’ of a printed file versus what is seen on screen, we suggest increasing the brightness level of the file by about 10%.
• To compensate for color substitutions, we suggest using the ‘Gamut Warning’ function built into the design software you are using to help identify which colors the printers may struggle to recreate and then replace those, as necessary.

Note: Not all software may have this option available – and conversion to another format may be required for this. Please contact the @One if you need any help with this process.

• For those using software with the ability to switch color profiles, the @One utilizes the following:
  • For RGB files, "sRGB IEC61966-2.1"
  • For CMYK files, "U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2"

Even with the above adjustments, colors still may not appear exactly as they do on screen. For further help or questions about this, please let us know during the take-in process so that a supervisor can discuss options with you and assist as necessary.

For best print output quality, a resolution of at least 300 DPI is ideal. However, depending on the needs of their project, users may find that their design may print suitably at slightly lower resolutions – though, resolutions of less than 72 DPI are generally not recommended.

To get a visual estimation of the image quality one might see once a file is printed, we suggest viewing the file at actual size within the design software of choice. @One staff will go through this process with you for each file at the time of order submission – but should you like to preview this at home, the basic process is as follows:

1. Open the file.
2. Turn on ‘Rulers’ within the program.
3. Set the units to inches or centimeters, depending on preference.
4. Utilize an actual ruler to compare with the one on-screen.
5. Adjust the zoom until the measurements on both rulers match.
6. Scroll through your entire project at this size to inspect quality.

Note: Keep in mind the distance which users may be viewing your project from, and if necessary, scoot back to replicate that distance while inspecting your work.

If you see any graphics or text appears that too soft, pixelated, or hard to read for your liking, you may need to switch them out for those with higher resolution or increase text size, if possible. If you need any advice for finding or improving the print quality of your project, please contact us.

For large format prints that include text, especially with text-heavy projects such as research posters, it is recommended that they are readable from a distance of at least 4 ft away. To ensure this, we recommend the following:

Avoid text that is too small

When in doubt, use the ‘viewing at actual size’ method outlined in the resolution section above, keeping in mind that some users may have poorer eyesight than others, and increase text size where necessary.

Choose your fonts carefully

Cursive and ‘serif’ type fonts, while pretty, may potentially be harder to read for the viewer – when in doubt, stick with simple, non-cursive fonts. Additionally, keep in mind that using too many different font types within a single project may affect readability, as well.

Pay attention to color and contrast

Avoid text that is a similar color to the background that it is in front of – usually a dark text on light backgrounds (or vice versa) is the way to go. Additionally, keep in mind that text may be harder to read if the background it is in front of has an image or a pattern.