OER Print Options for Academic Libraries: Hosting, Bundling, and Simple Print

[Updated 10/3/26. Original publication date: 8/5/26.]

Open educational resources solve the cost problem, but they leave one question open: what do you tell the students who want it in print? Every OER program eventually hears it. A student wants to highlight, annotate, and study away from a screen, and a 300 page PDF isn't something they can print at the library.

printMe1.com is a US based print on demand service built to answer that question. We make it easy for instructors, librarians, and OER program managers to offer a low cost print option alongside the free digital version, without managing inventory, handling orders, or taking on any cost. The site is designed to be easy to use, whether you're setting up a link or a student is ordering a copy. Below is an overview of the three tools most OER programs use: Hosting, Bundling, and Simple Print.

Why offer a print option at all?

The research behind student print preference is strong and still growing. In a survey of more than 10,000 college students worldwide, 78.8% named print as their preferred format for academic reading, and the preference was strongest for readings longer than about 5 pages. A 2026 analysis of 56 studies found that students understood informational text best on paper, with the biggest gap when they had to scroll through text on a screen, which is how most students read a long PDF.

Offering print isn't a step back from open access. It gives students the free version and an affordable print version, and lets each one choose what works best for how they learn.

For the full research summary, see Reading from Print vs Screens: The 4 Most Surprising Facts from Recent Research.

Hosting

For many students, having a print version makes it easier to focus, take notes, and study without screen distractions.

Create a free account, upload an OER PDF once, and get a permanent link you can share anywhere: your LMS, your library guide, a course syllabus, a repository listing, or your campus bookstore. Students order a printed copy directly from that link, with no uploading or file handling on their end. Hosting is free, and print orders are charged at our standard low rates.

Hosting also gives you two options that matter to OER programs:

• Optional approval. You can hold each print order until you approve it, useful for materials meant only for enrolled students.
• Bookstore friendly. Your campus bookstore can order from the same link, so a print copy can be stocked without anyone managing files.

Some examples of hosted OER PDFs:

• Scientific Inquiry in Social Work
• Interpersonal Communication: A Mindful Approach to Relationships
• 2024 Rulebook for Civil Procedure

Full details are in our Hosting Guide.

Bundling

Some students prefer print course materials for easier reading, annotation, and studying.

For any courses that use more than one OER title, or a book plus separate lab manuals and readings.

Bundling combines multiple hosted PDFs into a single printMe1.com link, so students review and order everything for the course in one transaction instead of hunting down each file.

Example: Smarthistory guides hosted on printMe1.com

Simple Print

Print remains a preferred format for many students working through course materials.

Every order runs through our Simple Print Service, whether a student orders from a hosted link or you need a one-off copy to review, pricing is straightforward:

Ordering takes just a few clicks. Students ordering from a hosted link simply choose a binding and check out, with no file to upload. For a one-off copy, upload your PDF, choose a binding, and check out. No account is needed to order, and there are no quotes, minimums, or print shop jargon to figure out. printMe1.com is designed for people who don't usually buy printing.

US orders are ready to ship in 2 business days or less, a turnaround we've kept consistently for years, so students never have to choose between fast and affordable. That speed and price come from our own print production process, which is covered by 4 US patents. Standard US shipping is $5.99, and we also ship to Canada and the UK for an additional charge.

Getting started

printMe1.com is listed in the OER Starter Kit for Program Managers as an option for affordable print access to openly licensed resources.

Most programs start by hosting one or two of their most used titles and adding the link to the course page or library guide. From there, it takes care of itself: students who want print order it, and students who prefer digital keep using the free version.

Questions about hosting, bundling, or pricing? Contact us anytime.

About printMe1.com

printMe1.com is a US based print on demand service focused entirely on PDF printing. We hold 4 US patents on our print on demand features and processes, including PDF hosting and batch ordering, which let us keep printing fast and affordable. Our site is designed to be easy to use for instructors, librarians, and students alike, and US orders are ready to ship in under 2 business days.