[reportlab-users] Printing problems

[Robin Becker]

Mark Saward wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I'm having troubles with a pdf output I've created.  It's to print on sticker 
> labels, each label being 38.1mm * 21.2mm.  When I print this, I need to turn 
> off scaling, but then it prints perfectly into the boundaries of the 
> stickers.

when you say scaling is this by the printer or by the print driver?

> 
> However, I take this to other printers and suddenly it no longer prints 
> correctly...offset, like the margins are not correct.  The interesting thing 
> is, my script to generate the pdf is using exact measurements for the sticker 
> width+height, the bottom of the page and the left of the page to the start of 
> the stickers.  In other words, I use measurements to create the pdf, not 
> trial and error to fit the printer that works.

different printers use different paper movements and it's observed that 
the theoretical positioning is often not right.

> 
> Why wouldn't this work?  Do some printers not print exactly?  I think that 
> only 1/4 printers tried so far works correctly.
> 
> The other question I have is if it's possible to specify within a pdf to 
> disable scaling for a pdf by default?  It seems to use scaling as a default 
> option.

It seems some printers/print processes have mechanisms for positioning 
tray control etc etc using various annotations/comments embedded in the PDF.
-- 
Robin Becker