FastTips: Printing Questions & Answers for Windows 3.1

SUMMARY

This article contains the complete text of the "Printing Questions & Answers" fax script.

This fax script is available to customers who call the Microsoft FastTips Service for Operating Systems at (800) 936-4200.

MORE INFORMATION

  Microsoft(R) Product Support Services Application Note (Text File)
                 WW0576: PRINTING QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

                                                  Revision Date: 12/92
                                                      No Disk Included

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|                                                                    |
| Copyright 1992 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.         |
| Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows         |
| is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.                           |
| PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc.        |
| TrueType is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.         |
| DeskJet, Hewlett-Packard, HP, and LaserJet are registered          |
| trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Company. IBM is a registered         |
| trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.          |
| Linotronic is a trademark of Linotype AG and its subsidiaries.     |
| NetWare and Novell are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc.       |
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1. Q. Since I upgraded to Microsoft Windows operating system
      version 3.1, I have been experiencing printing problems that did
      not occur in Windows 3.0. What could be causing such problems?

   A. Printing problems that did not occur with previous versions of
      Windows may indicate that your printer driver was not updated
      correctly when you installed Windows 3.1. To ensure your printer
      driver is updated correctly, reinstall it using the following
      three steps:

      1. In the Control Panel window, choose the Printers icon,
         select the printer driver, and choose the Remove button.

      2. In File Manager, move to the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.
         Select the printer driver filename and press the DEL key.

      3. Choose the Printers icon in the Control Panel window,
         choose the Add button, select your printer, and choose the
         Install button.

       Note: Reinstalling the printer driver corrects approximately 90
       percent of printing problems with TrueType(R) and third-party
       fonts.

2. Q. When I have newsletters printed at a shop that uses
      Linotronic(TM)  printers, the shop tells me I must not be using
      the correct driver because the driver I'm using doesn't support
      "extra sizes" (oversized pages with space in the margins for
      crop marks and other notations). How can I correct this problem?

   A. This problem usually occurs if you are using an older version of
      the Windows PostScript(R) driver that has limited functionality
      for printing to Linotronic printers and other imagesetters.
      Updated support files for Linotronic printers and the PostScript
      driver version 3.53 are now available from Microsoft. If you
      have a modem, you can download the updated driver from the
      Microsoft Download Service (MSDL) at (425) 936-6735. Download
      PSCRIP.EXE
      from the Windows Driver Library section of the MSDL.

3. Q. When I print in landscape mode on a Linotronic printer, the
      encapsulated PostScript (EPS) graphic portions of my document
      are rotated. How can I correct this problem?

   A. If you are using the Linotronic printer driver (or another
      PostScript driver), try adding the following line to the
      [<ModelName,Port>] section of the WIN.INI file (the section that
      reads [Linotronic 200/230,LPT1], not the section that reads
      [PostScript,LPT1]):

        LandscapeOrient=270

4. Q. My Hewlett-Packard(R) (HP[R]) LaserJet(R) II prints
      correctly in portrait mode; however, in landscape mode, it
      generates corrupted output. I experience this problem with all
      my Windows-based applications, including Microsoft Windows Write
      (which I use to determine whether the printing problem is caused
      by Windows or the application I am using). How can I correct
      this problem?

   A. This problem is corrected in an updated Windows printer driver
      for HP LaserJet printers. If you have a modem, you can download
      this driver from the MSDL at (425) 936-6735. Download the file
      HPPCL.EXE from the Printer Driver section of the MSDL. You can
      obtain this driver on disk by calling Microsoft Consumer Sales
      at (800) 426-9400.

      If you are using an earlier driver, this problem may be caused
      by setting the Form Length option on the LaserJet to a value
      greater than 60. On the front panel of the printer, change this
      setting to 60 using the following six steps:

      1. Press the ON LINE key to take the printer off line.

      2. Press the MENU key five times until "FORM=..." appears on
         the display.

      3. Press the plus sign (+) or minus sign (-) key to adjust
         the setting to 60 lines.

      4. Press the ENTER key to select the change. An asterisk (*)
         should appear on the right side of the display.

      5. Press the MENU key once. "00 READY" should appear on the
         display; however, do not proceed until you complete step six.

      6. Press and hold down the CONTINUE/RESET key until "07
         RESET" is displayed. You must select "07 RESET" to make the
         form length change take effect.

5. Q. Can I use TrueType fonts with my Hewlett-Packard DeskJet(R)
      500C and 550C printers?

   A. Yes. You can use TrueType fonts with these printers as long as
      you use the version 3.0 Hewlett-Packard printer driver for the
      DeskJet 500C and 550C. To obtain the 3.0 DeskJet driver, call
      Hewlett-Packard at (303) 353-7650.

6. Q. Can I print in color using my Hewlett-Packard DeskJet 500C
      and 550C printers?

   A. If you use the version 3.0 DeskJet printer driver supplied by
      Hewlett-Packard, you can print in color on both the HP DeskJet
      500C and 550C printers. To obtain the 3.0 DeskJet driver, call
      Hewlett-Packard at (303) 353-7650.

7. Q. I'm having difficulty getting any output from my PostScript
      printer. How should I troubleshoot this problem?

   A. Windows 3.1 ships with a special PostScript testing file called
      TESTPS.TXT, which is copied into the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory
      when you install your PostScript printer in Windows. Use the MS-
      DOS COPY command to copy TESTPS.TXT to the PostScript printer's
      port by typing either

        COPY C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\TESTPS.TXT COM<x>

          -or-

        COPY C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\TESTPS.TXT LPT<x>

       Note: In these commands, <x> is equal to the port number.

      If your printer is functioning correctly, a page with the
      settings for baud rate, data bits, parity, flow control, and so
      forth, is ejected. Use this information to correct the Windows
      Port settings in the Control Panel and the memory settings for
      the PostScript driver. If this page is not ejected, the problem
      may be with the printer itself. In this case, please refer to
      your printer documentation for troubleshooting steps or call
      your printer manufacturer.

8. Q. I updated to version 3.52 of the PostScript printer driver
      and now I receive the message "Offending Command" when I try to
      print to my IBM(R) Personal Pageprinter. When I use the same
      driver with other PostScript printers, I do not have this
      problem. What is causing this problem?

   A. Version 3.52 generates the "Offending Command" error message on
      the following printers:

       IBM Laser Printer 4019 PS17
       IBM Laser Printer 4019 PS39
       IBM Personal Pageprinter
       IBM Personal Pageprinter II-30
       IBM Personal Pageprinter II-31

      To correct this problem, you must upgrade to the 3.53 version of
      the PostScript driver. If you have a modem, you can download the
      updated driver from the MSDL at (425) 936-6735. Download
      PSCRIP.EXE from the Windows Driver Library section of the MSDL.

9. Q. Why is the Network button unavailable in the Printers dialog
      box of the Control Panel?

   A. The Network button is unavailable when any of the following
      conditions exists:

      1. Network support has not been installed. (For example, the
         Network button is unavailable if you are on a Novell(R)
         NetWare(R) network but the Novell option was not selected
         when Windows Setup was run.) To correct such problems, choose
         the Windows Setup icon, select the appropriate network
         option, then restart Windows.

      2. The network you are using does not support this option.
         (There is no workaround in such cases.)

      3. A valid LPT port has not been selected. If you select a
         communications (COM) port or an invented port (such as
         LPTx.DOS or LPTx.OS2), the Network button is unavailable.