Contactless On-Demand Printing System for Academic Materials

University Project Proposal
Submitted by: Pedro Gerardo Herrera Abarca
Role: Student
Date: January 2026 – San José, Costa Rica

Executive Summary

This proposal outlines a practical, low-cost, and fully contactless system to enable university students to request physical prints of course-specific academic materials (anthologies, selected chapters, articles, compilations) through dedicated Google Forms published on faculty websites. Upon submission, an automated Google Apps Script sends the corresponding pre-authorized PDF from Google Drive directly to a faculty multifunction printer/photocopier configured for email-to-print functionality.

The solution addresses longstanding challenges in Latin American public universities: long queues at photocopy services, unnecessary physical contact (post-pandemic priority), high per-copy costs for small runs, lack of request traceability, copyright compliance issues, and paper waste from bulk pre-printing.

It leverages free institutional tools (Google Workspace for Education) and common printer features already available in many universities. Similar print-on-demand (POD) models exist in Mexico (e.g., UNAM digital repositories and publishing initiatives, BUAP institutional repositories supporting academic content distribution) and across Latin America (e.g., platforms like Ulibros for university press content and on-demand distribution experiments in public universities to reduce physical logistics).

1. Project Title

Digital and Sustainable Access to Study Materials: Automated, Contactless On-Demand Printing Platform for University Anthologies and Required Texts

2. Background and Problem Statement

In many Latin American universities — including public institutions in Costa Rica (UCR, UNA), Mexico (UNAM, BUAP, UAM), Colombia, and others — students depend heavily on affordable photocopies of anthologies and compiled readings due to the high cost or limited availability of full commercial textbooks.

Current processes typically involve:

• Manual requests and long queues at faculty or external photocopy centers, especially at the beginning of each semester.
• Bulk pre-printing of materials → significant waste when demand is lower than expected or syllabi change.
• Lack of digital tracking → no centralized record of requests, making cost allocation, copyright monitoring, and abuse prevention difficult.
• Persistent physical contact and time inefficiency for students and staff.

Post-COVID health considerations have increased the urgency for contactless alternatives. In Mexico, initiatives like UNAM's digital repositories and BUAP's institutional publishing efforts demonstrate successful transitions toward hybrid/digital + on-demand physical distribution models for academic content.

3. General Objective

To design, pilot, and scale a decentralized, automated platform that allows students to request on-demand printing of authorized academic materials per course, with zero physical contact during the request process and automatic delivery to faculty printers.

4. Specific Objectives

• Create one individual Google Form per academic document, anthology, or required reading pack.
• Publish each form (or QR code) on official faculty/school websites, course syllabi, and LMS platforms (Moodle, Google Classroom, etc.).
• Automate secure sending of the fixed PDF from a restricted Google Drive folder to a configured email-to-print address of the faculty photocopier/printer.
• Centralize all requests in Google Sheets for real-time logging, auditing, volume statistics, and cost estimation.
• Ensure full compliance with copyright by restricting PDFs to library- or instructor-approved files only.
• Achieve ≥90% reduction in physical queues and paper waste through true on-demand production.

5. Proposed System Workflow

1. Preparation (Instructor / Library / Coordinator): Digitize and upload copyright-cleared PDF to faculty Drive folder → note file ID.
2. Form Creation: Build dedicated Google Form with fields: Student ID, Name, Institutional Email, Course/Group, Number of Copies (1–5), Options (double-sided, binding), Notes.
3. Link to Sheet: Responses feed into a Google Sheet (per course or centralized per faculty).
4. Automation: Apps Script trigger on new row → sends PDF to printer email + optional confirmation to student.
5. Printing & Pickup: Printer auto-prints → staff tags with control number → student collects (or future paid campus delivery).

6. Technical Implementation – Anexo Técnico

Step-by-Step Setup (Per Document)

1. Upload PDF to Drive → Copy ID from URL (e.g., /d/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/view).
2. Create Form → Link to new/existing Sheet.
3. In Sheet: Extensions → Apps Script → Paste code below.
4. Create trigger: On change (from spreadsheet).
5. Test submission → Publish form link/QR on faculty site/syllabus.

Google Apps Script (Complete Code)

/**
 * Automated Contactless Print Request System for University Academic Materials
 * Trigger: Spreadsheet - On change (when a new row is inserted by Google Form)
 * Author: Pedro Gerardo [Last Name] - January 2026
 */

function processPrintRequest(e) {
  // Only run on new row insertions
  if (e.changeType !== 'INSERT_ROW') return;

  const sheet = e.source.getActiveSheet();
  const row = e.range.getRow();
  const data = sheet.getRange(row, 1, 1, sheet.getLastColumn()).getValues()[0];

  // Adjust these indices (0-based) according to your form columns
  const studentId    = data[1]  || 'N/A';          // e.g., Column B - Carné/Matrícula
  const studentName  = data[2]  || 'Unknown';      // Column C - Nombre
  const studentEmail = (data[3] || '').toString().trim(); // Column D - Email institucional
  const copies       = data[4]  || 1;              // Column E - Cantidad de copias

  if (!studentEmail || !studentEmail.includes('@')) {
    Logger.log(`Invalid or missing email in row ${row}`);
    return;
  }

  // CHANGE THESE TWO VALUES FOR EACH DOCUMENT/FACULTY
  const printerEmail = 'print-facultad-letras@youruniversity.cr';   // Email de la fotocopiadora
  const pdfId        = '1XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX';  // ID del PDF en Drive

  try {
    const pdfFile = DriveApp.getFileById(pdfId);
    const pdfBlob = pdfFile.getBlob();

    const subject = `Print Request #${row} – \( {studentName} ( \){studentId})`;
    const body = `New on-demand print request:\n\n` +
                 `Student: ${studentName}\n` +
                 `ID: ${studentId}\n` +
                 `Copies: ${copies}\n` +
                 `Material: [Insert Anthology/Course Name Here]\n\n` +
                 `Please print (double-sided if requested) and prepare for pickup.\n` +
                 `Control number: #${row}`;

    GmailApp.sendEmail(printerEmail, subject, body, {
      attachments: [pdfBlob],
      name: 'University Automated Print System'
    });

    // Optional: Send confirmation to student
    GmailApp.sendEmail(studentEmail,
      'Your Print Request Has Been Received',
      `Control number: #${row}\n` +
      `Material: [Anthology/Course Name]\n` +
      `Copies requested: ${copies}\n\n` +
      `Estimated pickup: Tomorrow at faculty photocopy center.\nThank you for using the contactless system!`,
      { name: 'Your Faculty Name' }
    );

    // Log success in sheet (e.g., Column J = 9)
    sheet.getRange(row, 10).setValue(`Sent to printer – ${new Date().toLocaleString()}`);

  } catch (error) {
    Logger.log(`Error processing row ${row}: ${error.message}`);
    // Optional: Alert admin
    // GmailApp.sendEmail('admin@youruniversity.cr', 'Print System Error', `Row ${row}: ${error}`);
  }
}

Trigger configuration: Add trigger → Function: processPrintRequest → Event: From spreadsheet → On change.

7. Expected Benefits & Impact

Benefit	Estimated Impact
Elimination of physical queues and contact	90–100% reduction
Cost efficiency	Print only requested copies (vs. bulk waste)
Traceability & auditing	Automatic logs in Sheets
Scalability	Decentralized per course/faculty
Sustainability	Reduced paper waste and energy
Copyright & compliance	Only approved PDFs used
Inclusion	Better access for students with mobility limitations

8. Implementation Timeline (Suggested 6–9 months)

• Months 1–2: Design, pilot in 3 courses (1 faculty), script testing.
• Month 3: Training for instructors, library, IT, photocopy staff.
• Month 4: Pilot launch + student feedback collection.
• Months 5–6: Refinements + expansion to full faculty.
• Months 7+: Proposal for university-wide rollout.

9. Estimated Budget (Minimal – Low-Cost Initiative)

• Google Workspace: $0 (already institutional).
• Printer email-print configuration or minor upgrade: $0–$300.
• Training sessions & test prints: $100–$200.
• Total initial investment: < $500.

10. Risks, Legal & Ethical Considerations

• Copyright infringement: Mitigated by using only library-approved PDFs + logging.
• Request abuse/multiple submissions: Limit via form settings or script validation (e.g., per student ID/semester).
• Data privacy: Comply with local laws (e.g., Costa Rica Ley 8968 de Protección de Datos).
• Technical failure: Provide manual email/WhatsApp backup channel.

11. Request for Approval & Next Steps

We respectfully request authorization to:

• Launch a pilot in [Specific Faculty/School] during the [2026 Semester].
• Configure email-to-print on one existing multifunction printer (or assign a dedicated unit).
• Receive support from IT/Library units for Drive folder setup and 1–2 hour training sessions.

Prepared by: Pedro Gerardo [Last Name]
Contact: [Your Institutional Email]
San José, Costa Rica – January 2026