CompuServe Thread

Workarounds?

9 messages in this thread
#56297From: Jim SakladMay 3, 1993 8:13 PM
I have seen mention here of two problems which I also have been experiencing, and I wondered if explanations or solutions or workarounds have been found. I am using FCIIr2 with a DeskJet 550C and the Creative Focus DJC2 driver. 1. Printing a 2 (or more) page project I almost always get a blank ejected after the first page. 2. The pages always print too near the beginning (i.e., the top when in portrait mode, the left in landscape). Even if I tell it 0.75" left and 0.0" right (in landscape), I get a narrow left margin (about 3/16") and wide right (about 9/16"). Also a couple of questions and/or requests: 1. Are there settings in "Graphic Final Print Preferences" that will speed printing (still with good quality) when the document is PURELY black and white text? 2. Is there a simple way fo telling FC NOT to make .info files (icons) with each document saved? 3. Could you consider, for FCIIr3, a "Pamphlet Mode" setting, intended primarily for printing 2 pages side by side in landscape mode on 11" X 8.5" paper, that would recognize the right-hand 1/2 of the page as a second logical page. Among other things, that would allow me to "Insert page break" at the end of left-hand-page material and end up on the right-hand page, instead of on the next physical page, without having to type in al lot of <CR>'s. Probably the best place to put this would be in the "Columns" selector under "Page Setup": snaking, parallel, or pamphlet type (when you also add parallel columns <g>). In pamphlet mode, it would ask for "gutter" width between left and right pages, and also inter-column "gutter" if you selected 2 or more columns, but "2 columns" would mean 2 on EACH half of the pamphlet. . . . . JimDoc, on AutoPilot
#56372From: Gary Vander MeiMay 4, 1993 8:02 PM
Jim, I will try to help you on the easy ones… Click once on your FCII icon, then selct Information from the Icon menu. You will find a list of tools with brackets on them (or no brackets). There is one that says (NOICONS). Select it, then delete the brackets and click to accept and save the selections. FCII will no longer make Icons for its files. As far as the Pamphlet mode, I'm sure they will tell you to select "2 columns" from the "Page Setup" menu. You can Tab it where you want the info to appear. If you want two columns on each page, select "4 columns", and so on. Remember, this will severely screw up things if you try to work with the Left/Right page selector. As printing on both sides of the page will not make sense, point being, not effeciently using both sides… As for your printer problem 2, I don't use a DJ550. Sounds strange though. I would have to see it myself. To keep it from printing two pages, you must keep the print two lines from your print border…No matter how you set them.. Gary Vander Mei
#56629From: Jim SakladMay 8, 1993 10:35 PM
Gary – Thanks for your offerings. I discovered the NOICONS tooltype myself (of course, AFTER asking the question!). . . . . JimDoc, on AutoPilot
#56390From: gary ludwickMay 4, 1993 10:23 PM
Jim, First, I'd strongly recommend you upgrade to the SuperDJC2 which has all the 550C controls. I'm working from memory here (my manual's at the office, and your problem is covered extensively in it.) In preferences, set the number of lines per page to 63 NOT 66. The 550C must have 1/2" at beginning of document for grippers. Also set left margin to 25 and right to 250 (don't ask why). 2. The only thing I know that will influence print speed (since every printing from FCII is a graphic dump, in effect, is to change your DPI to a lower resolution within the FCII graphic final print prefs. 3. As I understand it, with a 550C you can either have the correct top margin OR you can omit the blank sheet ejection, but you can't have both. I'll check my superDJC2 manual tommorrow and get you the setting that work for me…but again, I suggest you upgrade your driver. Gary
#56442From: gary ludwickMay 5, 1993 8:42 PM
Jim, Reply, part 2. (I should know better than to trust my memory!) Set preferences lines per page to 61 (not 63). The reason for the eject of a blank sheet has to do with with a conflict between automatic perf skip on the printer, and a formfeed from FCII. Long story, but the answer is to set paper type to Fanfold (Continuous). This permanently disables the auto perf skip at the printer. But there's a price to pay. You will probably find that pages do not automatically eject, and you have to manually eject them with the button on the printer!! So take your choice: the blank page (which you turn over and put right back into the paper tray) or having to manually eject each page. Finally, the margin setting I gave you, you can ignore. Margins are set from FCII, not prefs. Set prefs at 0 and 250 and forget it. FCII will override whatever you have there. Hope all this helps. The only other suggestion that might help is to get PrintManager, a spooler program. (in the library here or amigauser) Gary
#56631From: Jim SakladMay 8, 1993 10:35 PM
gary – >Long story, but the answer is to set paper type to Fanfold (Continuous) It is. > take your choice: the blank page (which you turn over and put right > back into the paper tray) or having to manually eject each page. Without changing any settings, I get the blank page mode from FC, and the manual eject mode from other things (like DJPRINT.rexx) >…only other suggestion … is to get PrintManager, a spooler program. Actually, I have that, sitting in my downloads collection. Maybe I should look at it <g>…. . . . . JimDoc, on AutoPilot
#56893From: gary ludwickMay 12, 1993 5:54 PM
Jim, Well, I must be doing something right…I don't get blank sheets, don't have top margin problems and don't have to manually eject…all works fine under FCII. And when I went back and looked, I am using single sheet in FC prefs…go figure! Gary
#56630From: Jim SakladMay 8, 1993 10:35 PM
gary – > I'd strongly recommend you upgrade to the SuperDJC2 From my note: "DeskJet 550C and the Creative Focus DJC2 driver". Not only am I using the Super_DJC2, I was using the beta from Jerry Hull before the official release. > In preferences, set the number of lines per page to 63 NOT 66. The > 550C must have 1/2" at beginning of document for grippers. Also set > left margin to 25 and right to 250 I have paper length = 61 (per DJC2 instructions) and left=1, right=80 (since I'm set for default 10-pica, Letter). The 20/250 is for Fine/Letter (CG Times) or for Fine/Draft (Univers). Thanks for trying…. . . . . JimDoc, on AutoPilot
#56922From: SoftWoodMay 12, 1993 10:33 PM
Jim, I don't know what to tell you about that blank page problem. Have you tried changing the Paper Feed option? As for your placement problem, you got me on that one. I have a DeskJet 550C at work with SuperDJC2 and all works fine for us. Speed is not related to colors. Instead, it has to read the information on the font(s) used and re-render that font at 300 x 300 dots- per-inch. 90,000 dots per sqare inch is a LOT of information to calculate. Multiply that times 7 inches (or 7.5) and you can see why it takes so long for it to print. Remember Final Copy II's printing has actually been not only improved but sped up since Final Copy 1.3.2! I'll pass along your pamphlet columns suggestion. Ric Fischer – SoftWood Tech Support Phoenix, Arizona, USA – (602) 431-9151