Filemaker bug...? Print-related

[dheraud]

I have a script that prints using a certain Page Setup configuration, so in my script I've got a Page Setup Restore step, and that part works great, but depending on the button that is pressed (there are 5 different buttons), it makes the printer process the job to a different tray. The bug is that FileMaker does not store the tray in the page setup restore so I have to do it manually anyway... Is there any way to store the tray used in a script and script it?

[BobWeaver]

Tray selection information is something that the print driver does not provide to Filemaker (so it's not Filemaker's fault; blame the OS). However, if you are using a postscript printer, you can do some fancy footwork with the pdf files to force the tray selection. I posted a method in the Development standards forum a few months ago. This is the link:

http://www.fmforums.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB8&Number=1528&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=all&fpart=1

[dheraud]

The weird thing is about all this that, in one of the scripts I use (that contains a Page Setup restore step), I am able to use the manual feed tray to print envelopes... but when I try to restore tray 2 in a different script, no go, always reverts to Auto Select (Tray 3). So why would FM be able to remember the Manual Tray (Tray 1) and not Tray 2?

[keshalyi]

It's quite likely related less to it remembering the tray and more to remembering the media. Many printers, if on Auto Select, will select the bypass automatically, if you tell them you want to print to irregular media, like envelopes. Filemaker DOES after all, store THAT little bit of info.

[dheraud]

I've got it! I did some testing, and it seems that if I run the script in Mac OS X, the tray is remembered in the Page Setup restore, but NOT in Mac OS 9, in which case it just sets to AutoSelect. So this is undoubtedly an OS-related issue. And I thought I didn't need any more reasons to switch the rest of the office to OS X. hehe

[Jhestler]

my situation is the exact opposite. all of the computers remember the page setup setting for the script step: except the ones running osx...

can anyone help?

n

[BobWeaver]

Have a look at this thread,