Print Job Expiration - The 48-Hour Hold

Issues

  • My print job disappeared before I could release it.
  • I sent a document to print but it's gone — where did it go?
  • How long does PaperCut hold a print job before it deletes it?
  • Was I charged for a print job that expired?
  • My print job expired — do I need to print it again?
  • How do I make sure my print job doesn't expire before I get to the printer?
  • PaperCut says I have no jobs pending release, but I just printed something.
  • How do I check whether my print job is still in the queue?

Environment

This article applies to all Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff who have sent a document to a campus PaperCut printer.

  • Who: All Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff
  • Applies to: All PaperCut print queues including Find-Me-Print, Find-Me-Print-Color, and department printers

Resolution

How the 48-hour hold works

When you send a document to a campus PaperCut printer, it is held securely in the print queue — it does not print automatically. You must release it at a campus MFD or through the PaperCut web portal.

PaperCut holds jobs for a maximum of 48 hours from the time they were sent. After 48 hours, the job is automatically and permanently deleted from the queue. There is no way to recover an expired job — you will need to send it again.

Note: You are not charged for a print job that expires without being released. PaperCut only deducts from your balance (or OneCard) when a job is actually released and sent to the printer.

Checking whether your job is still in the queue

To see your current queued jobs before heading to the printer:

  1. Go to papercut.bowdoin.edu and sign in with your Bowdoin username and password.
  2. Click Jobs Pending Release in the left sidebar.
  3. Your queued jobs are listed with the time they were sent. If a job is not listed here, it has either already been released or has expired.

My job expired — what now?

If your job has expired, you need to print the document again. Simply open the file and send it to the printer as you did before — the new job will be held in the queue for another 48 hours.

Job not in the queue but you just printed it? If a job sent within the last few minutes doesn't appear in Jobs Pending Release, the PaperCut Client may not have been running when you printed. The job may have been sent without being linked to your account. See PaperCut Print Troubleshooting in the Related Articles section for steps to fix this.

Tips for avoiding expiry

  • Release your job the same day you send it — don't rely on the 48-hour window as a buffer.
  • If you know you won't be on campus within 48 hours, wait to send the job until you are closer to your release time.
  • Use the PaperCut web portal or mobile release site to release jobs remotely if you can't get to a printer in time — see Releasing a print job from the PaperCut portal in the Related Articles section.

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.
Print Article

Related Articles (5)

Check Your PaperCut Account Balance
How to check your PaperCut printing balance at Bowdoin College. Students, faculty, and staff can view their current balance and recent printing activity by signing in to the PaperCut web portal from any device, on or off campus.
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.
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
Releasing a print job from the PaperCut portal
How to release a held print job using the PaperCut web portal at papercut.bowdoin.edu. Covers signing in, viewing queued jobs, selecting a physical printer, and using the mobile release site on a phone or tablet. Useful when releasing at the printer is not possible or when you want to choose which printer your job prints to. Requires a Bowdoin account and connection to the Bowdoin network or VPN.