[reportlab-users] RE: adobe printing problem

[Henning von Bargen]

Japhet Stevens wrote:

> I'm having trouble getting a reciept to print correctly from Adobe Reader.

> The printer i'm using is a futurePRNT recept printer with paper that is 72mm 
> wide.  I set up the printer so that Adobe prints in this 72mm wide by 
> default, however there is always an approximately 5 cm margin at the top.

> This margin does not appear in the document itself.  The document was 
> created with all margins set to zero.  When viewing the document, the text 
> begins right at the very top of the page as it should.  It is only when the 
> document is printed that the margin appears.This is ...

This is slightly off-topic, since it has nothing to do with RL, but nevertheless:

We have had similar problems with label printers.
It is most important that you keep in mind the oddities of the MS Windows
printing concept - I actually don't understand it myself.

- Label printers are quite special in some aspects.
  We are using Stripe Zebra printers and a few others from within
  our application and prefer to create labels by using a low-level
  printer language like ZPL II for it instead of using the windows
  printer drivers.

- You have to set up the "print settings" for the printer correctly
  (I don't know the exact English word, it is not the "properties" menu,
   however. In the German version it is called "Druckeinstellungen")
   in the printer context menu.

- You have to set up the correct label size in the page setup.
  The best is to define your own label (don't use a predefined label
  and don't use the USER label - create your own).

- These settings are stored on a per-user basis in Windows.

- It seems (I'm not sure about this) that some applications like Adobe
  Reader even manage their own print settings.
  That is, if you want to print with Adobe Reader, try to set up the page
  from the Adobe Reader print dialog.

- Depending on how the printer is connected, these settings are stored 
  in different locations of the Windows registry:
  HKCU\Printers\Connections\xxxxx\DevMode
  HKCU\Printers\DevModesPerUser
  HKCU\Printers\DevModes2
  HKCU\Settings
  Who knows?

- Perhaps you should contact the customer support of the printer manufacturer.

Henning