Does this sound buggy?

[database]

I am having a problem printing with the right page size set up and on the right printer when I use my script (which worked before the computer crashed multiple times and the systems preferences files were pulled out and put back in days later...)

I'm using a Mac OS 9.2 G3 which also acts as the network server. Program: Filemaker Pro 6 v 4.

I use page set up to pick my paper size and then I chose the printer I want to use. Then I write a script to find various files/pages and print them. After writing the script I say OK. It asks me if I want to KEEP or REPLACE the existing printer setups and I say REPLACE. If I activate my script just then, it works fine, because the printer and page are already set. But later, after I've set my computer to use a different printer, or use a different page size, and I run my script, it does not remember my previous pagesize/printer set ups. It prints to the printer and uses the page size that I am currently set to use.

Any ideas how to fix it? Am I doing something wrong? Have the crashes and/or preference files move made things bad? Thanks to anyone who can help.

[-Queue-]

Do you have both a Page/Print Setup and Print step in this script? Do you have No dialog selected for either step? It won't remember the printer; you have to select the printer before running the script. If the margins for the selected printer are different than the saved one, then it will print differently as well.

[database]

Thanks for your help. Here are the details:

We have three page designs, one designed for a page without photos, one for a page with one photo and the last design for a page with two photos.

Once we find the records we are looking for, the script is supposed to go through each record, see if it has photos, see how many, and print the page layout that is appropriate for the number of photos. It should print on the fancy color printer. (Usually the computers are set up to print on the black and white one.) Here is the script. I had to retype it. Sorry but I couldn't tab.

Go to Record/Request/Page

[First]

Loop

If [isEmpty(Project Photo 1)]

Go to Layout [Profile-X]

Page Setup

[Restore setup options, No dialog]

Print

[No dialog]

Else

If[isEmpty(Project Photo 2)]

Go to Layout [Profile-1]

Print

[No Dialog]

Else

Go to Layout [Profile-2]

Print

[No Dialog]

End if

End If

Go to Record/Request/Page

[Next, Exit after last]

End Loop

Go to Layout [original layout]

[-Queue-]

Be aware that only one Page Setup and Print is saved per script. If Profile-1 is supposed to print, for example, portrait and Profile-2 landscape, then it won't work. You'll need to have a Page Setup and Print step in a subscript, that you call from the main script, for each type of setup/print. You'll also need to select the printer before printing. I usually use a 'Change Printer' button available from a preferences layout that contains only a Page Setup [ ] step. All other Page Setups have No dialog set.

[database]

Thank you so much for helping me Queue. I only need one setup. All of the pages print on the same size paper and through the same color printer. So that isn't a problem. The problem is that the script doesn't seem to remember the printer and page set up that I set up when I made the script. Do you know what I am doing wrong? It just doesn't seem to save the setups that I make for it. But it used to remember that, or at least it seemed to. but anyway, now I've got to fix it. So how should I do that?

Can I tell it in the script itself which printer and page size to use?

Do you think putting a button that says change printer is the best thing to do? Then they have to press the button first, and then the next button to print their picture profiles?

Thanks again!

[-Queue-]

Try deleting the Page Setup/Print steps and close the script. Then manually perform them as desired and add the steps back to the script.

Like I said, you can't save the printer, so, yes, I would suggest having them use a Change Printer button first. I might include a message at the end of the script informing them to change the printer back to the default, as well.

[database]

THANK YOU!!! I will try that Monday and hopefully it will work!!!

Thanks again!!!

[database]

Oh boy. I'm a little confused.

So what I need to do is make a button where the script says PageSetUp [ ] . But wouldn't I also need another button whose script says Print[ ]?

[Fitch]

The best way to deal with Page Setup is to save each Page Setup you may need in its own single-line script.

1. Go to Page Setup and choose vertical/portrait, 100%.

2. Print, choosing current record

3. Create a script called Page Setup One - 100%.

The script will have just one line: Page Setup (restore, no dialog)

Create one of these scripts for each variation you need. Then, in your other scripts that actually print, simply use a Perform Script (Page Setup One - 100%) for example. Much, much easier to maintain your database and your sanity.

[-Queue-]

Fitch, from my experience, you would want to have both a Print Setup and a Print step in the same script, or else the Print settings are not saved and use the most recently used print settings instead. So I usually set each script with a global parameter of 0 or 1; 0 to perform a Print Setup, 1 to Print. Having a Print step by itself or in a different script from the Print Setup only causes chaos. Perhaps that's only on Windows?

db, No, to change the printer you only need activate a Page Setup [ ]. There would be no need to print immediately after switching printers anyway, unless you were calling it via a subscript before a Page Setup and Print in a master script.

[Fitch]

On a Mac, the Page Setup script step restores the current record/records browsed and the number of pages selections, even though those options are actually specified in the Print dialog. Funky.

I guess I prefer to keep Print separate because sometimes you want to display the Print dialog, sometimes you don't, or maybe you just want to Preview, so that would double or triple the number of scripts you need - or I guess you could pass a parameter for that as well. Chaos!

[Damocles]

This is a current issue for me, too, and it's driving me buggy.

I recently added a DYMO LabelWriter to my system in order to print out folder labels and cover sheets at the same time. I thought I understood the whole idea of restoring print setup, but it's not working like I would like.

I'm using two scripts. The first script, which was created after selecting the appropriate printer and printing a standard 8.5x11 page for a single record, is:

[color:"blue"]

Goto Layout

Print Setup [Restore, No Dialog]

Print[No Dialog]

Perform External Script [Print Label]

Goto Layout [Original Layout]

The "Print Label" script was created after setting my computer to print out one label on the labelwriter for the current record.

[color:"blue"]

Goto Layout [Folder Label]

Print Setup [Restore, No Dialog]

Print[No Dialog]

but it doesn't work. I thought the whole point of restoring print setup settings was so that a user wouldn't have to go back and manually verify the print settings, as I will likely have to do. If you have any suggestions, I'd appreciate them.

Just to test, I created a global field, gPrinterSetting, and tested two new scripts. I selected the label printer manually and printed out one label, just to be sure. Then I created "SetLabelPrinter" to be:

[color:"blue"]

Print Setup [Restore, No Dialog]

Print []

Set Field [gPrinterSetting, Status(CurrentPrinterName)]

I did the same thing and created "SetSheetPrinter", too. Neither script "restores" the print setup or selects the appropriate printer. I'm about to introduce my printers and computer to my hammer!

Paul

[-Queue-]

Print Setup won't store the printer, only the page orientation, number of records to print, etc. As I stated above, you have to select the desired printer using Print Setup [ ] without No dialog selected. There are plug-ins to do this for you, as well. I haven't used them, so someone else will have to chime in here.

I don't see any reason why your Print Setup/Print scripts would be misbehaving, unless you have more than one setup specified in a script. Try deselecting the Restore and No dialog options, then run one of the scripts again. Set the desired options when it runs. Open the script and select Restore and No dialog, click OK, then activate the Replace option for Print Setup.