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

[Bryan J. Smith]

Bruce Metcalf <bruce.metcalf at figzu.com> wrote:
> Yes it s a Windows system (Win2kPro),

All the more reason to start your original post with this very
important context, and not OpenOffice.org.  It's why many people
missed your issue.

> but the problem wasn't in the spooler, it was in the printer.
> When I told it the media was plain paper instead of an envelope,
> it didn't rotate. Something in the HP5550 automatically puts
> pages in portrait orientation when envelopes are the 
> specified media.

Because it was likely overridden by the Windows spooler sending the
PCL (or PS) commands based on your settings in Windows.  I see this
way, way too often.  People like yourself go over to the printer,
change settings there, all while your Windows spooler has settings
completely different.  Guess who wins?  ;)

> Indeed. However, it appears that in this case, it's the printer
> itself that has the last word.

No, the Windows print spooler was _overriding_ the printer settings
with its own.  You _must_ define the paper and orientation at the
vendor's PCL (or PS) driver.  Heck, I still think this would probably
be an issue for Adobe Postscript w/PPD loaded.

If your printer _and_ OS print spooler settings do _not_ match, the
latter usually "wins."

> BS> Rule #1 in Windows printing:  Never load a vendor driver if
> BS> you can help it.  If it's Postscript, load the Adobe
> BS> Postscript software, and then load the printer's PPD. That
> BS> solves the problem nicely for myself. I'm all 100% Postscript
> BS> printers at home myself, and OpenOffice.org/StarOffice for
> BS> Windows never has such issues.
> 
> This sounds like a grand plan. When I'm able to switch to Linux,
> I'll implement it.

Ummm, that applies to 100% _Windows_, 0% Linux.  I was saying don't
use the vendor's Windows driver.  Use the compatible Microsoft
Windows driver (for PCL printers) or Adobe Postscript _for_Windows_
driver with vendor PPD (for PS printers).  ;)

If your printer does both PCL and PS, use PS, and do _not_ load the
PCL driver.  Vendor drivers that do both cause major, major
headaches.  100% of vendor drivers are virtually written for and
assume a single PC with a single user -- no sharing, no multiple
users/logins under Windows.

> Normally, I'm happy to blame things on Windows, and I'll even let
> HP drivers take some of the blame, but in this particular case it
> looks like the printer firmware is to blame.

Because the Windows spooler was sending the command to _override_ the
printer settings.

> Well, the combination of printer firmware and inadequate user
> guides, anyway.

or the failure to recognize that the Windows spooler settings much
match those you enter on the LCD.  The LCD won't "override" the
Windows client, only vice-versa can happen.  ;)

> You're right, that would have been more appropriate. My bad.

Just providing the context that this was under Windows would have
prevented several other suggestions.  It was Steve's post (IIRC)
where you first remotely mentioned it was Windows.  ;)

As you eventually and correctly surmised, this was not an issue with
OpenOffice.org.  But I fear you don't understand that the Windows
spooler can and will send command codes for the settings it thinks
are in the printer that "override" the printer's actual settings. 
Despite common belief, the typical "two way communication" between
printer and Windows spooler really doesn't happen.

The Windows spooler can and will "enforce its settings" on the
printer with the print job.  I.e., what you enter at the LCD will
often be ignored.  ;)




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