Print Scaling Problems

[RonMc]

We have been running FM Pro for years, mainly on Macs without many issues. We are slowly migrating to PCs and are having a lot of printing problems that I suspect are probably driver related. Many of our layouts must be scaled in order to print on a single page (80%, 90%, etc.). This scaling amount was defined in the page setup when the FM Pro print script was defined. As long as printing is done via the script, the scaling and other print parameters are supposed to be retained.

All printers are postscript capable and therefore have scaling capabilities. We have several Apple printers (LW 16/600, LW12/640, LW Select 360), a HP 6MP, and a color HP 4500.

The Macs all have postscript drivers that seem to work fine. The only way we were able to get Win 95 machines to properly print on the Apple printers in the past was to use a postscript print driver for Windows, which was provided by Apple many moons ago. Now that we have a combination of Windows 98, Me, and Win 2000 machines, these drivers are too old to work with the new OS's.

I have tried downloading new drivers from Adobe and from HP, but when installed, they all just ignore the scaling information and print the layouts at 100%

Any ideas?

[danjacoby]

One problem is that Windows-based computers are not WYSIWYG, and this turkey is exacerbated in FMP. Windows fonts are slightly larger than comparable Mac fonts. Also, in Windows, print fonts are larger than screen fonts, which means you can't tell what the printout will look like until you actually print it.

Another problem is that you're using a combination of new machines (and OS's) and old printers. Not great. Peripherals are designed for the OS in current use, and often don't work with newer (or older) computers (talk with my friend who just bought a new, USB scanner for his old, non-USB laptop).

As far as scaling goes, there are three alternatives:

1. Get new printers for your Wintel machines.

2. Redo the layouts so you don't need to scale the printouts.

3. Go back to Macs -- they're better machines, anyway.

[RonMc]

Thanks for your input. I also believe Macs are better machines, but... I have had all this working before. I understand the WYSIWYG issues, but I have had a set of postscript print drivers for the apple printers in the past that worked. The only issue that stops me from using those same drivers are the new Windows operating systems. I only have problems printing to the apple printers with Windows Me, and Windows 2000. I have problems printing scaled documents to the postscript HP printer from any Windows operating system.

Any other ideas?

[GibCo]

I have been struggling with one of my clients who wanted three columns of text, side by side, She wanted to type in each one and make spaces between different "entries." When she aligned them in Browse, they aligned perfectly in Preview but when she printed them out they did not print correctly. She has been furious with me because I could not make it align perfectly.

Reading that IBMs are not WYSIWYG, takes the burden off my shoulders. She can buy a Macintosh. Mine always lines up properly. Thanks for the help!

Bev

GibCo