Universal Art & Technology Lab

The primary objective of the Universal Art and Technology Lab is to provide printing and technology support for the students and faculty of the MSU Art Department. We do so by providing access to large format printers, scanners, as well as other high-end software and periphery devices, as well as providing basic instructions and demonstrations through either appointment or orientation sessions.

• Technology requirements
• Printer, scanner, and drawing tablet Drivers should install automatically but can be found at epson.com,  wacom.com, and canon.com.
• For Adobe help, please see Adobe Cloud Help and Support, as well as MSU Service Desk.

Lab Rules

• NO FOOD OR DRINK permitted at the Computer, Printer, or Scanning Stations. Food & Drink should not be thrown away in the lab.
• All Students entering the lab during open lab hours must sign-in and relinquish their student ID to the lab personnel on duty.
• All prints must be logged, including “test” and “proof” prints. Failure to log prints can result in extra-surcharges and permanent expulsion from the lab
• Do not touch the AC Units. Labs should stay at 70°F for the safety of the computers and peripheral equipment.
• Permission to use the 3D printer must be granted by approved instructors, or through the Art IT Coordinator and only under proper supervision.
• Do not download anything onto the terminals except with the expressed consent or instruction from a lab monitor.
• Do not leave any personal files on the computer. The computers are not personal storage and anything you leave behind will be gone when you return. Delete any files that you leave on the machine and close out of all running programs.
• Students are strongly encouraged to utilize their personal laptops in conjunction with hardware provided within the lab, including drawing tablets, printer stations and scanning stations. Please remember to unplug chords and return peripheral devices to their proper homes.
• The print queue ends when it is 30 minutes until closing. No one except for those already printing will be permitted to print after this time.
• Lab hours will be posted on the door.
• Any questions or concerns can be sent to Aaron McElfish, IT Coordinator, at amcelfish@caad.msstate.edu and they will be taken care of at the earliest convenience.

MoneyMate

MoneyMate is the preferred method of transactions within the Universal Lab.

When you need a to print you will make payments through means of your MoneyMate card.

MoneyMate Card = Student ID Card.

Lab Prices

Printing Payment Guidelines

If you are using your own paper prices reduce by $1.00 per print.

*(Long side of print) X (price) = Print cost (deduct $0.10 per inch if using your own paper/vinyl)

**Please use sheet paper for test prints; standard fees apply to all “test” and proofing prints.

***Prints logged here will be charged to your MoneyMate account.

****Note: Please log all prints. Failure to pay for prints can and will result in permanent expulsion from studio and/or class and constitutes a violation of the MSU Honor Code.

Hours

• Monday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Friday: Closed
• Saturday: Closed 
• Sunday: 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

*Unless otherwise noted, the UAT Lab observes all official MSU holidays

*Lab closes early if no one is present

The lighting studio room and the digital fabrication room close at the same time as the lab.

To discuss laser and vinyl cutting, consult one of the available lab monitors.

Come prepared with your finalized files, student i.d., and credit/debit card.

Policies and Procedures

1. MSU ITS department provides support for student and faculty computers. To request service please visit the ITS website and submit a Service Desk request.
2. ALL e-mail correspondence from faculty to students and from students to faculty must use the student and faculty official MSU email addresses (NetID@msstate.edu). Faculty will not open or communicate with students using a non-MSU address. This policy is in response to the recent viruses that have hit the campus. It is University policy that e-mail is now considered official correspondence, and every student is required to regularly check their e-mail. The faculty will consider their e-mails to students as official notification and information.
3. Use of University-owned equipment and software is subject to the MSU Policy for Use of Computing and Network Resources. All users of University-owned computing and network resources should read, understand, and follow the policy prior to using University-owned computing and network resources.
4. Content of University web pages is subject to the Policy On World Wide Web Pages and Other Electronic Publications at Mississippi State University.
5. Use of Student email accounts is subject to the Electronic Communications with Students.
6. Use of the University network system for uploading or downloading of copyrighted material is strictly prohibited. Helpdesk support will be denied to anyone running Napster, KaZaA, Gnutella, WinMX, or other file sharing software.
7. Installation or use of unauthorized or pirated software on University-owned computers is strictly prohibited.
8. All hardware and software purchasing, setup, and installation should be coordinated through the CAA+D Lab Manager and MSU ITS for proper planning, inventory control, and to assure that all purchases are consistent with the long-range technology plan.
9. Student computers MUST have current virus protection installed and kept up-to-date. Sophos Anti-Virus is available for free download at the MSU ITS website here. This software keeps itself up-to-date automatically. Students without current virus protection will be denied service desk support. Don’t waste money purchasing virus software. The MSU Sophos software is both free AND mandatory on all computers connected to the MSU network. Installation instructions are available here.
10. Faculty should schedule and coordinate project due-dates and print deadlines with the Lab Manager at the beginning of each semester to allow coordination of printing schedules.

Tutorials

A Laser

This video explains the process of taking your design from your computer and preparing it for laser cutting.

B Laser 1

This video explains the basics of preparing the materials you would like to cut or etch and how to load them into the Laser Cutter.

B Laser 2

This video demonstrates how to transfer your saved design from a flash drive to the Laser Cutting computer.

B Laser 3

This video covers the fundamentals of reviewing your design on the Laser Cutting computer and converting it into the program that operates the Laser Cutter.

B Laser 4

This video illustrates the Laser Cutter's etching process and provides guidance on what the user should observe.

B Laser 5

This video demonstrates how to adjust layers, print individual layers, and set up the cutting process.

B Laser 6

This video is the second part of showcasing the process of cutting individual layers for a project.

B Laser 7

This video showcases the cutting process and addresses some of the challenges associated with laser cutting.

B Laser 8

This video outlines the process of cleaning and maintaining the Laser Cutter for the next user.

B Laser 9

This video concludes with closing remarks and final thoughts to help you make the most of your time with the Laser Cutter.

Contact

Aaron McElfish

UAT Coordinator

amcelfish@caad.msstate.edu