How to Prepare Essays for Printing

HOW TO PREPARE ESSAYS FOR PRINTING

Using Blackboard Assignments

This document outlines the steps needed to prepare essays for printing. The steps involved are outlined below and full instructions are given for each of the steps.

If you have any questions please contact CONTENTS

DOWNLOADING THE ESSAYS

1. Access the AberLearn Blackboard site for the relevant module

2. Click on Grade Centre

3. Find the appropriate column for the assignment

4. Click next to the title of the column, and a chevron will appear

5. Click on the chevron and select Assignment File Download

6. Click Select All or tick the boxes next to selected students whose assignments you wish to download, and then click Submit

7. You will be taken to a new screen. Click the link next to the words 'Download assignments now' and navigate to the location where you wish to save the file.

8. The files should then download as a zip file onto your computer

The files will then need to be extracted to a folder on your computer for processing. You will need to create a folder on your desktop called Convert PDF. If you don’t know how to that, have a look at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-new-folder 1. Find the zip file you have downloaded, and right-mouse click on it

2. Click on Extract All …

3. Extract the files to a location on your computer – make sure you know where they are as you’ll need to choose the location later on.

4. Click on Extract and the files will go into your chosen folder.

Before starting the next step you will need to create a folder on your desktop called Convert PDF. If you don’t know how to that, have a look at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create- new-folder

CREATING PDF FILES

The assignments will download in the format submitted by the students – you will now need to convert them to PDF so that the E-submission script can run to create coversheets etc.

1. Open up Adobe Acrobat Pro and click on File > Create > Batch Create Multiple Files

2. Click on the Add Files button

3. You will now need to browse to the folder you extracted the assignments into

4. You will need to add all the Word files in the folder – the easiest way to find them is to sort the folder by Type (click on the Type column)

5. Highlight the first Word file, hold down the Shift key and then highlight the last Word file. This will select all the files

6. Press Open

7. In the Output Options screen, set the files to save in A Folder on My Computer and choose Convert PDF (on the desktop)

8. Select the option to Keep original file names 9. Press OK and the files will process.

PREPARING SINGLE FILE FOR PRINTING

You now need to process the files using Adobe Acrobat Pro, using the E-submission script. If you don’t have either of these, please contact <>

1. Open up Adobe Acrobat Pro and click on Tools and Action Wizard

2. When you open the Action Wizard you should see an action called E-submission - assignments 3. Double click on E-submission - assignments and click on the Start button

4. The script will now run through all the essays, and save a version with a coversheet.

You can continue working whilst Adobe Acrobat processes the files – the time that it takes to process will depend on how many essays you have and how long they are. To give you an idea, 100 essays of about 3,000 words will take 2 minutes. Sometimes it may look like Adobe Acrobat Pro has stalled on an essay – if this happens, it is best to leave it, and it will generally process given time.

5. When the script has run you’ll see green ticks next to the file names in the Files to be processed: window.

You will now need to combine the files into a single PDF file for quick and easy printing.

6. Click on the Close button at the top of the Action window

7. You’ll then see a screen that has common tasks on it – click on Combine Files into PDF (you can also access this option from File > Create > Combine Files into a Single PDF). 8. From the Add Files button, choose Add Folder and choose Convert PDF and then click OK

9. The files will appear in the window and click on Combine

10. When the files have been combined you will be prompted to save it. Save with a relevant filename, for example the module code).

You can now choose whether to print it yourself on your departmental printer, or send to the Print Room

SUBMIT FILE TO PRINT ROOM

There is a SharePoint site which helps process the essays for printing.

1. to https://share.aber.ac.uk/ > Project Sites > Gwasanaeth Argaffau Aseiniadau

2. Click on your department 1. From the top bar, click on Documents

2. Choose Upload Document and click Browse to locate your single PDF file

3. Highlight the file and click Open and then click OK to upload the file

4. You will then be prompted to fill in some fields – this ensures that the Print Room know what the files are

5. Once you have completed all the fields, press Save.

This will trigger an email to the Print Room to let them know that files need printing. Once the Print Room have printed your files and put them in the post, they will send back an email to let you know that they are on the way. 6. When you have received your essays, click on the link in your email and you will see a SharePoint task list

7. Click on your essay to open it and then click on Edit Item

8. In the Task Status drop down menu, select Completed and click on Save This will generate an email to say that the essays have been completed.