Missing a printed submission deadline because a printer broke, ran out of ink, or a campus printer had a queue out the door is more common — and more stressful — than it should be. Here's what to do if it's already happened, and how to make sure it doesn't again.
If you've already missed the deadline
- Contact your tutor or department immediately — most universities and colleges have a documented process for printer failures and will ask for evidence (a screenshot, timestamp, or error message).
- Check if a digital submission is accepted as a temporary fix — many institutions will accept an emailed PDF followed by a printed copy shortly after.
- Ask about extenuating circumstances — a genuine printing failure close to a deadline is a common and usually accepted reason for a short extension.
How to make sure it doesn't happen again
The most reliable fix is to stop depending on a single printer at all. An online print-and-post service removes the two most common failure points — no ink, no printer access — by printing professionally and posting the result to you.
- Save your document as a PDF as soon as it's ready — don't wait until the deadline
- Upload it a day or two early rather than the same morning
- Choose tracked next-day delivery so you have a confirmed arrival date
Build in a buffer
Orders before 2:00 PM UK time on a working day are dispatched the same day, but delivery still takes at least one working day after that. Ordering the day before a deadline — rather than the morning of — removes almost all of the risk.
Upload your document now and take printing off your list of last-minute worries.