Media Center

The Media Center is staffed by a talented group of Swarthmore students and media professionals - people who are producing insightful films, traveling the world in search of compelling stories, and creating inspired photography.

Stop by 114 Beardsley Hall if you'd like to learn about digital storytelling, video production, motion graphics, animation, or photography. You might meet a future NPR producer, a National Geographic photographer in the making, an award-winning filmmaker, or the next art director for your favorite magazine.

We offer hands-on instruction with industry standard software including Adobe Photoshop, AfterEffects, Premiere and InDesign, and we're happy to talk through the process of media production from camera operation and shooting an interview to your final edit. We can also help with image design for laser engraving, poster layout, large format printing, photo scanning, and media dubbing.

We also host tech workshops, film screenings, and the occasional game night. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to use the space as a productive place to study, create and socialize.

For inquiries, please contact Mike Jones or Jeremy Polk. 

Media Center Resources 

Software and Equipment for Media Design, Animation, Video Editing & Digital Storytelling

• Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Dreamweaver)
• 4K Retina Display monitors
• Wacom Bamboo pen-tablets for digital illustration
• Wacom Cintiq 21" touch screen for illustration

Large Format & Color Printing

• Large format poster printing for academic purposes - standard poster dimensions are 35" height by 48" width.
  
  Our large format printer handles 36 inch or 44 inch roll paper. All posters must be at least one inch shy of the paper size along either dimension (i.e. a poster on 36" paper must be 35" or less in height or width, and may be unlimited along the other dimension; a poster on 44" paper must be 43" or less in height or width, and may be unlimited along the other dimension).
  
  For self-service instructions on printing a poster from InDesign, Acrobat, PowerPoint or Google Slides please see documents located in the media center's wall-mounted basket above the scanner, or download digital versions below. There are separate instructions for printing from Macs and Dells.
  
  Printing from InDesign on Mac
  Printing from Acrobat on Mac
  Printing from PowerPoint on Mac
  Printing from Google Slides on Mac
  
  Printing from InDesign on Dell
  Printing from Acrobat on Dell
  
  Sample Adobe InDesign Poster Templates for Sigma Xi, as well as great design tips, are available at Colin Purrington's website.
   
• Single copies of standard or duplexed Letter (8.5x11), Legal (8.5x14) or Tabloid (11" x 17") color printing
  
  We rarely allow custom paper use in the laser printer due to paper jams. Please ask us about exceptions before attempting to use custom paper. Those wishing to produce flyers or who need multiple copies should consult with Print Services or an external resource. 

Design Software for Digital Fabrication

• Rhino, Solidworks, SketchUp, Sculptris and Maya are available for 3D design. 3D printing is available in the Beardsley Maker Space.
• Adobe Illustrator can be used to create cut-out and engraving designs for the laser cutter, also located in the Beardsley Maker Space.

Scanning

• Image scanning up to 12"x18" with scanners capable of handling transparencies, slides and 35mm film negatives
• Our Canon ImageRunner can send multi-page documents directly to your email in PDF format

Professional Support

Student Consultants are available to support work in the Media Center during the following hours: Sunday 1pm-11pm, Monday-Thursday, 9am-11pm, Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 1pm-5pm.  The ITS staff is happy to support courses by providing workshops on Adobe Creative Cloud, digital storytelling, poster design, animation and other topics.

Access

After hours student access is restricted to those working on special projects or enrolled in specific Video Production, Soc/Anth or Photography, or other media intensive courses. The instructor should contact Jeremy Polk or Mike Jones to arrange for student access.

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