Epson and Pharos pass the access test at
the University of Plymouth
University of Plymouth builds on Epson and Pharos architecture to bring
simple, pay-as-you-go, 24-hour printing to students.
When the University of Plymouth
relocated its Faculty of Arts it took the
opportunity to provide its students
with the open access print facilities
they longed for. More than a year of
research and trials resulted in the
installation of an Epson Stylus Pro
7700 large format printer. Linked with
Pharos card payment technology it
allows students to pay for, output
and collect their prints as and when
required, no matter what time of day
or night.
The system is simple: students use the credit
added to their university ID card, via an on-line
facility or money loaders situated throughout the
campus, which enables them to access their
print account. The file to be printed is sent to
the appropriate printer where the work is held
in a queue. As the student swipes their card on
the print release terminal attached to the chosen
printer, the card is debited by the relevant cost
and the job is printed.
“Having the system work on a self service,
card payment basis was very important,” says
Technical Manager Keith Spear. “The students
regularly work in the evening and even through
the night in the 24/7 Media Area, especially as
deadlines approach and there is a greater urgency
to obtain their prints. Previously, after sending the
files to the printer they had to take their cards to a
counter, have it debited and the file released by a
member of staff. This meant that the service was
only available when the facility was staffed. With
the Pharos and Epson Stylus Pro 7700 system,
they can produce their work whenever required. It
also relieves pressure points in the system as it is
no longer restricted to a 9-5 service.”
Considerable time and effort was put in to
choosing the perfect printing solution. The choice
of large format printers that would work with
Pharos and provide the required speed and quality
was limited, and those trialled threw up issues.
Working with Epson reseller Focal Point Imaging in
Exeter, tests with the Stylus Pro 7700 convinced
the university that it would provide the answer it
was looking for.
The process of installing a self service printer
threw into focus the way in which students work
has evolved. “Previous packages used basic
plotted paper drawings,” says Keith, “but this
exercise has really made us look at the changing
requirements and we have had to catch up with
providing what the students need now, particularly
with graphic and architectural prints.”
The Epson Stylus Pro 7700 is designed to provide
faster output without compromising on print
quality and that is ideal for today’s students, who
demand a much higher quality production. Fast
network connection with clear, simple control and
maintenance is built in, so the university sees no
need for a RIP. There are no profiling issues, so
the students simply choose the printer from the list
and send. There are no unnecessary options and
the printer is locked down to the optimum quality.
“There is no air of it being terribly complicated and
having to need to know a lot about printing. When
they swipe their card it activates the print and they
literally just have to wait for the time it takes to
come out of the machine,” says Keith.
The reliability of the printer is key to the open
access situation. The Stylus Pro 7700 is reliable
and affordable and the only issue is making
sure there is enough media available, which the
security staff presently take care of outside of
the technical staff’s hours. The motorised paper
load is so simple that little can go wrong, which is
excellent as there can be refund issues should the
paper run out.
Between 1st March and 24th June, the Stylus Pro
7700 produced 159 self service prints. In a full
academic year, the university expects the system
to achieve 3,500 self service prints through
the card swipe system, and a further 2,000
could be produced if opened up to other media
departments. The university is already trialling an
Epson Stylus Pro 4880 to work along the same
lines for the photographic department.
“We can see the potential is quite big, and the
Pharos system in conjunction with the Stylus Pro
7700 is robust and reliable and gets on with it,”
says Keith. “Of those 3,500 prints, we expect
at least half will be done out of normal working
hours. The students get what they want, which is
a day and night service, and the university gets a
system that virtually takes care of itself.”
For more information on Epson’s range of large format printers
visit www.epson.co.za
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