About Printing Services

  • 13,420

    Printing jobs produced in FY23

  • 98%

    Jobs completed before or on schedule

Start with Printing Services

All external printing work must be initiated through an ISU Printing purchasing agent (Print-Buyer).

Printing is unique among services and commodities at Iowa State, in that both the existence of the internal printing facility, including the quick-print center, and the subcontracting of printing are specifically authorized or regulated by university policy.

The goal is to provide services that contribute to the success of Iowa State, by producing projects in-house that can be most efficiently done on campus and by subcontracting work to external suppliers as necessary. 

University Printing Policy

“The use of Printing Service’s facilities and quick print center, including acquiring services from external providers, is governed by policy to ensure use of reasonable and cost-effective services/equipment and provide a custodian for central printing records.”

On-Site Services

  • Two convenient locations – Printing and Publications Building and the Student Innovation Center
  • Complimentary pick-up and delivery services, with any order, anywhere on campus
  • Confidentiality for proprietary documents (exams, contracts, checks, etc.), and high priority for items with short turnaround times, such as grant proposals
  • Accommodating special needs, adopting technology, and tailoring and customizing value-added services
  • Academic partnerships
  • Participation in and promotion of campus groups and services
  • Money-saving efforts include postal savings of more than $500,000 annually
  • 100% self-supporting, charge-back operation working within the Division of Operations and Finance
  • Knowledgeable administration and procurement of competitively bid out-sourced printing
  • Tailored service at no extra charge that provides efficient solutions in a helpful, friendly way
  • On-site experts and investment in emerging products and technology
  • Quality 
  • Ambassador for the university's brand identity

Directory, Locations and Hours

Our Mission and History

The mission of Printing Services is to identify and efficiently provide Iowa State University’s core printing needs, offering services that contribute to the success of Iowa State. Our strategic vision is to provide appropriate printing services to the Iowa State community at a competitive price, a prompt turnaround time, and at top quality. We strive to provide services completely integrated into the emerging digital communications flow so that printing and related services are the means to communicate the knowledge asset of Iowa State University communities to Iowa and its people.

We support the University’s commitment to nondiscrimination and affirmative action and strive to be mindful and respectful of differences in race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability or status as a U.S. veteran in everyday operations.

Printing Services has been and continues to be proactive in the sustainability movement within our operations as we attempt to be as environmentally friendly as economically feasible. As the “greening movement” continues to evolve, we will continue to adapt and utilize environmentally sound practices.

Key success factors

  • To be financially self-supporting
  • To offer competitive, efficient, secure, value driven and environmentally sustainable operations/services
  • To respect individualism and uniqueness of our staff and customers
  • To be customer focused, working as a team to help people succeed at Iowa State University.”

Established over 100 years ago, in 1922, Iowa State University Printing Services operates and maintains facilities to fulfill the printing needs of the university.

Originally housed in the basement of Morrill Hall with one ditto machine, the department outgrew its space and moved to the Service Building, now known as Snedecor Hall. Expanding services and technology created the need for a larger facility, and Printing Services moved to its present location in 1967.

The first copy center opened in 1967 in Marston hall. Many centers continued to open in the coming years. At one point, nine copy centers were open. Due to changing technology and the affordability of office copiers, many of those were closed. Today, advances in technology has made it realistic for two locations to provide convenient and personalized service to the entire university.

Throughout the near-century of continuous support to the university community, Printing Services has evolved to provide the knowledge, the experience and the equipment necessary for Iowa State University to communicate to the world.