Print from a personal (non-Bowdoin) Device

Questions

  • How do I print from my personal computer at Bowdoin?
  • How do I print to a campus printer from a computer I own?
  • Can I print from my own Mac or Windows laptop?
  • How do I install PaperCut on a non-Bowdoin computer?
  • How do I set up Mobility Print on my personal device?
  • How do I print from a BYOD computer to a Bowdoin printer?
  • I installed PaperCut on my personal laptop — how do I actually send a print job?
  • Why is PaperCut asking for my username and password when I print from my personal computer?

Environment

This article covers printing from a personally owned computer — not a Bowdoin-issued Mac or Windows 11 PC. It applies to:

  • Who: Bowdoin students, faculty, staff, and guests with a Bowdoin or guest account
  • Devices: Personally owned Mac (macOS) or Windows 11 computers
  • Requirement: Connected to the BOWDOIN or eduroam wireless network, or connected to the Bowdoin VPN
Note: If you are printing from a Bowdoin-issued MacBook Pro or Windows 11 computer, you do not need to follow these steps — PaperCut is already installed and configured on your device. See Printing to a PaperCut printer in the Related Articles section.

Resolution

Tap or click a section below to jump directly to it:

Step 1 — Install Mobility Print Step 2 — Send a print job Step 3 — Release your job at the printer

Step 1 — Install Mobility Print

You need to install a small piece of software called Mobility Print before you can print to Bowdoin campus printers from a personal computer. You only need to do this once.

Important: Make sure your computer is connected to the BOWDOIN or eduroam wireless network, or to the Bowdoin VPN, before beginning. The installer page is not accessible from off-campus without VPN.
  1. Open a web browser and go to https://p-papercut-a.bowdoin.edu:9164/setup, or scan the QR code below.

    QR code linking to the PaperCut Mobility Print installer at p-papercut-a.bowdoin.edu
  2. The page should automatically detect your operating system. If it does not, look for the row of OS icons near the bottom of the page and select the correct one.
  3. Click the green Download button to download the Mobility Print installer.
  4. Open the downloaded installer and follow all on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
  5. When the printer selection appears, choose Mobile-Print [p-papercut-a] as your printer.
Mac users — Private Relay: If the setup page does not load on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad, disable Private Relay in your iCloud settings before trying again. Private Relay will block access to this page and prevent printing.

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Step 2 — Send a print job

Once Mobility Print is installed, you print using your operating system's standard print function — just like you would from any application.

  1. Open the document you want to print and choose File > Print (or press Command + P on Mac, or Ctrl + P on Windows).
  2. Select Mobile-Print as your printer.
  3. If prompted, enter your Bowdoin username and password.
    • If you have a guest account, enter your guest credentials instead.
    • You will only be prompted for credentials once per login session — your computer remembers them for subsequent print jobs.
  4. Click Print. Your job is sent to the PaperCut queue and held until you release it.
Note: PaperCut holds all print jobs for up to 48 hours. If you do not release a job within that window, it will be deleted from the queue automatically.

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Step 3 — Release your job at the printer

Print jobs are not printed automatically — you must release them at the printer or via the PaperCut web portal.

  • At the printer: Tap the screen, sign in with your Bowdoin credentials or OneCard, and select the job to print.
  • Via the web portal: See Releasing a held document in the Related Articles section for full instructions on both methods.

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Additional Help

If you need further assistance, you have several options:

  • Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
  • Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
  • In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
  • Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.
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Related Articles (6)

Guest and Visitor Printing
How guests and visitors can print to campus printers at Bowdoin College. Guest printing is available at the Hawthorne-Longfellow Library through a separate process managed by library staff. Visitors needing to print elsewhere on campus should contact the Service Desk.
PaperCut Print Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting the PaperCut print workflow on a Bowdoin-issued Mac, iPad, or Windows 11 computer. Covers jobs that won't print, jobs stuck in the queue, releasing from the web portal, balance or quota errors, blank pages, and unresponsive release stations. For PaperCut Client software problems, see PaperCut Client Troubleshooting.
Print from an iPhone, iPad, or other mobile device
How to set up and use PaperCut to print to Bowdoin campus printers from a Bowdoin-issued iPad mini or a personal iPhone or iPad. Covers installing the Mobile Print configuration profile, sending a print job using AirPrint, and releasing the job at a campus MFD or through the PaperCut web portal. Requires a connection to the Bowdoin wireless network.
Printing from an Android device
Options for printing to Bowdoin campus printers from an Android phone or tablet. AirPrint is not available on Android, but printing is possible through the PaperCut Mobility Print setup page or by emailing documents to a computer and printing from there. Requires a connection to the Bowdoin wireless network and a Bowdoin account.
Printing to a PaperCut printer
The end-to-end workflow for printing to a campus PaperCut printer from a Bowdoin-issued Mac or Windows 11 computer. Covers signing in to PaperCut, sending a job, and releasing it at the printer. Links to other articles for installing printers, charging a department, and troubleshooting.
Releasing a held document printed to a PaperCut printer
Step-by-step instructions for releasing a held print job to a campus printer. Covers three methods: releasing at the printer using your OneCard or Bowdoin ID, releasing through the PaperCut web portal, and releasing from a mobile device. Applies to all Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff