Trouble Printing Envelope

[jmci]

I used the layout wizard to create an envelope layout. It looks alright in preview mode but when I print I get two pages (I'm using paper cut to the size of the envelope to save money while testing) for each record . On the first page I can see the right half of the address block against the left side of the page. The second page is blank.

Any suggestions?

[K1200]

Take a look at the help file topic "Troubleshooting layouts ... "

In particular, the subtopic "An extra blank page prints after each page". Your problem is probably related to the page boundaries, although printing evelopes with a specific page size can also result in size translation and orientation issues with your particular printer.

[jmci]

I'm trying to get my FileMaker app to address elvelopes 5.75" x 8.75" and it isn't working. There is nothing on the layout that exceeds the page boundaries and the help file offers nothing on this matter.

I'm thinking that the problem must be with the printer as you suggest. I've always used Microsoft word to address standard #10 business envelopes and I've never had a problem. As an experiment, I tried to get Word to address one of my custom size envelopes and I experienced the same problem as with FileMaker.

I'd really rather not have to print mailing labels.

[imoree]

have you set your margins using RULERS..

go into preview mode and anything outside the lines will have an issue.

based on info you gave. am a bit lost..

are you printing just merge fields from database? with

textfields?

sliding objects are something you also need to look at

Rulers, Text Rulers, lines, margins,etc

[jmci]

No objects are even approaching the non-printing margins. In layout mode and in preview mode the margins are totally clear.

I haven't used sliding objects. What do you want to know about rulers, text rulers, or ruler lines and why? Whether I've used merge fields or field controls in the layout design none of those things should have any bearing on the problem I've reported, should they? I'm not a novice at layout design and, trust me, this envelope layout is simplicity itself. No objects contained in the layout could be causing the problem I'm experiencing with printing to this custom envelope size.

Imoree, to make it as clear as I can let me walk you through the process. My layout is based upon a table named Contact. The table occurrence group also includes a related table named Company. I created a new envelope layout and the layout wizard asked me to select the fields. I added the FirstName field, a space and the LastName field from the Contact table to the first line of the label. I added the Title field from the Contact table to the second line of the label. I added the Name field from the Company table to the third line of the label. I added the Address1 field, a comma and a space, then the Address2 field from the Company table to the fourth line of the label. Finally I added the City field, a comma and a space, the Province field, a comma and a space, and the PostalCode field from the Company table to the fifth line of the label.

That's it. That's the entire layout. I've made sure that the text block of merge fields isn't anywhere near the non-printing boundaries of the layout. It's as close to the centre of the layout as you would expect an address block would be on an envelope. I have a centre-feed envelope feeder on my printer so I set the height of the header part of the layout to equal 8.5" - the height of the envelope / 2. I went to Print Setup, selected the Custom paper size, input the dimensions of my envelope (see above) and selected Landscape orientation. When I tried to print the layout I experienced the problem I reported earlier.

[comment]

I have a centre-feed envelope feeder on my printer so I set the height of the header part of the layout to equal 8.5" - the height of the envelope / 2.

I don't see the connection between the two.

[jmci]

See the FileMaker help topic entitled: "Considerations when you create an envelope layout"Envelope layout"

[comment]

Well, I have and I still don't. If you are printing one envelope at a time, it doesn't matter if you use a header part or blank space in the body part to determine the vertical position of the text. The important part is that the total height of your layout cannot exceed the height of the envelope (in fact, I would make it even less than that).

[jmci]

You're right. I thought that help topic might help explain problems I was having with the custom size envelope but it was only a distraction.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I've been able to use the printer in question to print standard #10 business envelopes using Microsoft Word. As an experiment I designed an envelope layout for the #10 envelope using the new layout wizard and it worked perfectly first time (no layout header required). Everything appeared in preview mode, and when printed, exactly as it did in layout mode. That was interesting but my client wants to use his custom envelopes.

So, with that in mind, I tried to have the new layout wizard create another layout for my custom envelope size. I went to printer setup and selected my custom size paper before running the layout wizard. The wizard created a layout including a header part (with the #10 envelope it didn't add a header part). The address block was positioned far lower and to the right of where it should be (sigh).

Nevertheless I kept tweaking the layout. I deleted the header part and increased the size of the body part making sure that it not extend below the bottom margin of the paper size. I would do a test print each time I made a change and then tweak the layout again. I noticed that the printed output didn't look like what I saw in layout mode. The address block, when printed, appeared approximately 1.5" above and also 1.5" to the left of where it appeared in both layout mode and preview mode.

In summation, my custom envelope layout is working as I hoped. I still don't understand why objects on the printed envelope appear above and to the left of where they appear in layout mode and preview mode.