[Leaplist] Printing challenge resolved! -- Windows? HP driver?

[Bryan J. Smith]

Bruce Metcalf wrote:  
> I believe I have discovered the problem. When I tell the printer
> that the media is [envelope], it assumes it's being loaded in
> portrait orientation, and rotates any input to print correctly.
> Well, sorta correctly. I have to insert the envelopes upside down
> from the way the little picture on the feed tray shows, but that's
> close  enough I can get my work done, which is what matters.

In re-reading the thread, did I hear you correctly that this was a
Windows system?  If so, this isn't an OpenOffice.org question at all,
it's a Windows print spool question.

No Windows application can override the Windows print spool.  In
fact, the Windows print spooler in NT is notorious for _ignoring_
many application calls.  This is especially the case if you load the
_vendor_ print driver, which "dorks up" a lot of things.  Vendor
printer drivers can also "fight" in Windows.

Rule #1 in Windows printing:  Never load a vendor driver if you can
help it.  If it's Postscript, load the Adobe Postscript software, and
then load the printer's PPD.  That solves the problem nicely for
myself.  I'm all 100% Postscript printers at home myself, and
OpenOffice.org/StarOffice for Windows never has such issues.

> It appears this "auto-rotation" is an undocumented "feature" of
> the HP 5550. Who knew?

I'd say it's how the HP 5550 drivers for Windows is the problem here.

> My sincere thanks to all who responded, and that thanks is
> not lessened in the slightest by my tripping over the answer
> for myself.

Well, I think posting a Windows question on a Linux group was part of
the problem.  Try PC_Support next time, if this was Windows.  Just a
suggestion.  I think most people were confused by what printer system
you were using at all.

Context to provide next time first and foremost:  
- OS (e.g., Linux? Windows?)
- Printer Drivers/System in use (e.g., CUPS? vendor driver?)

Do that _before_ you even talk about the application.  ;)

-- 
Bryan J. Smith       Professional, Technical Annoyance
b.j.smith at ieee.org  http://www.linkedin.com/in/bjsmith
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