I have a major printing issue I'm desparate for some help with......

I'm running windows XP and Filemaker 7v3

I have a Compaq A3000 All in one printer ( Old but it still works ok)

I've done an field overlay of a form and made it into a database, now when I go to print, the pasted form prints fine but every Filemaker Field prints in like space alien language..... Any suggestions ::?:?

Do other apps (like Word) print OK on the printer?

Does the FMP layout rpit OK to other printers?

Everything except filemaker prints good...... I've printed one of the filemaker templates as an experiment and it prints in jibberish as well..... The copied form that I pasted into the layout prints fine, just every field prints in jibberish..... All other applications print good as well. I've re-installed the printer drivers and updated them, I've updated to 7v3 filemaker, and have one of the new E-Machines, It has got to be something in Filemaker itself that's causing the problem..... Any suggestions are helpful.... I've tried everything I can think of and some stuff that just isn't supposed to be thought of.....

Vince

I can think of no reason why changes should have been made here but have you checked the interface language and font set-up in the preferences for Filemaker. The problem hints at a language problem but I would have expected that to show up on screen as well as on the printer.

Vince:

I assume everything looks fine in Browse Mode. Do you see the gibberish when in Preview Mode?

-Stanley

I've checked that in the preferences, and it's showing western Arial font and English........

The browser mode shows everything fine and in english, so does the preview mode.... But when it prints, everything from the FileMaker program prints in Klingon......

Any more suggestions are VERY MUCH appreciated.......

Vince

Vince:

Is there any way you can post up what these printouts look like? I'd like to see exactly what you're getting; perhaps it would provide a clue.

-Stanley

I just tried to paste the scanned image of what it looks like and it won't let me paste a .jpg into post box......

ALL persons that want to see what it actually looks like post me your E-Mail address and I'll send it to you....

Looks like Klingon to me, but you decide....

Vince

aka, Terminally Confused

Tried to install another printer and see if it just didn't like my printer, still came out in gibberish. Preview mode shows it perfect, Browse mode shows it perfect, but when it prints, it comes out similiar to this; 7DVXP or 9LQFHQW but all jumbled up and real close together and overlapping, numbers come out as little boxes, it looks like an encription of some kind, but I don't know enough about it to fix it..........

HELP !!

Vince

I'm so glad someone else is having this problem. Here is a script file that I tried to print. It doesn't matter which printer I send it to.

I closed FileMaker and opened it again. This time it printed ok. However, this problem happens intermittently with no rhime or reason.

I'm also running FM Develepor 7 on WinXP. Have HP LaserJet 3300 and HP 2400PSC.

Thanks.

script1.pdf

Edited July 21, 200520 yr by Guest

We are having this same problem. It appears that it is substituting wingdings or webdings in place of the font. We have a timesheet program in filemaker, and if a manager prints out 15 timesheets for their entire department, some are fine, some are not. I did notice however, that it only does the font substitution on fonts that are not Helvetica. We used Verdana, and it did a font substitution to webdings or wingdings.

I am so glad I ran into this forum! This problem has been driving me crazy! I am trying to convert our relatively simple databases from version 5 to version 7, and when I convert everything looks ok, browse and preview mode, but when I print, all gibberish. Interestingly though, if I make a PDF of it, it is ok. Hopefully someone can help with a suggestion.

Thanks

Sounds like a font cache problem. We encounter this occasionally in our prepress department where we use hundreds of different fonts a day. Careful font management can eliminate this but is beyond the scope of a quick reply. Basically you probably have conflicting fonts or different versions of the same font running simultaneously.

The quick fix is to download a font cache cleaner and run it. I like Font Finagler - it's a one trick pony that you can get at Versiontracker.com. Other more full featured cleaners (like Cocktail) would probably work also.

Run Font Finagler and it will force a restart of your machine. After the restart all should be fine. Be advised though that the problem will likely return unless you take tighter control of your fonts. There are articles on the internet addressing this. I think Extensis has a couple of fairly generic articles (not just ads for Suitcase) addressing this.

This is happening to me when I'm printing to PDF. I tried checking out Font Finagler, but it's only for Mac, and my work site is all Windows. Is there a solution for Windows users? Or, alternatively, is there another way to get a page similar to a layout into a Word document without printing to PDF?

I am having the same problem in 2 locations both using FM8v2 and HP Laser printer.

Got client to create a new file and print one line - no problem. Asked them to copy and paste a text block into new database - prints rubbish. Changed font to Times from Arial and prints OK.

I have hundreds of layouts in my solution and any help on this one would be appreciated as I don't fancy changing them all by hand.

Greetings Lawlerdev,

I too have have problems printing to certain HP printers with multipage forms and some reports. From what I've read, this is a problem in FM7 and FM8v1 with certain fonts on OS X printing to HP printers without much memory.

This was supposedly fixed with FM8v2, as described in FileMaker Answer #5545, but I've still had problems even with different fonts, more printer memory, and FM8v2. There have been no problems with the HPs we've purchased in the last 3 years, just the older ones.

I've read somewhere that there may be a GIMP driver that may help, but I haven't looked into it.

Could you tell us what the printer models are that are giving you problems?

Edited February 27, 200619 yr by Guest

Times (as well as some others) font can create very large print jobs with some HP printers, causing the job not to print. No good fix seen yet except to change font, as you have.

My problem is happening on Windows and not on Mac, sorry if I didn't make that clear. The HP printers I am using are new printers, both are 1320 printers, one a network version and one using parrallel.

Stephen.

I have posted here as well because of problems with certain TrueType fonts (on Windows).

I am not keen in having to change fonts either. The worst of it is our graphic department suggested a more up-to-date font, but it is OpenType... which won't work with FileMaker-Windows. Now we have to hunt for a similar font in TrueType (purchase it), all this without knowing if it will work at all...

I did contact FileMaker and got nowhere beyond "try again". It seems like there is an assumption that people will want to simply use Windows standard fonts...

This is becoming the most frustrating time I have ever had with this product. I certainly hope for a resolution very soon.

"The worst of it is our graphic department suggested a more up-to-date font, but it is OpenType... which won't work with FileMaker-Windows. "

Is this true? Are there other postings about Open Type and Filemaker that you know of?