Custom page size - text not printing on page

rbuser

I have a custom page size (3.25" wide and 7.375" tall) to print on
cards. I'm using version 12.03 on Delphi XE with Windows 7. If
DeviceType=Screen, then it looks perfect in the preview window. But
printing it from there (or setting DeviceType=Printer) moves the text to
the left side of an 8.5 x 11 page. So the only thing I see on my cards
are the lines that are long enough to get over to my card.

Any ideas on how to fix this?

Thanks,
Mike



--- posted by geoForum on http://www.newswhat.com

nicocizik

Hi Mike,

When you set the page size to 3.25 x 7.375, ReportBuilder (and the printer)
will expect the paper being used to be 3.25 x 7.375, not 8.5 x 11. This is
why the report is appearing on the left side of the paper you are printing
to. If you would like to print in the center, perhaps, of 8.5 x 11 paper
you will need to set the page size to 8.5 x 11 and the layout the report at
the proper location in the design. You could use a TppRegion or rectangle
as a guide for the boundaries of the report.



Regards,

Nico Cizik
Digital Metaphors
http://www.digital-metaphors.com

rbuser

Nico,

I am using cards that are 3.25 x 7.375. The HP printers I'm testing on
have a feeder that narrows the input down and feeds the cards through
the center of the printer. I have done this many times in the past for
this same client, but then I was using Delphi 7 or 2009, Windows XP and
previous versions of ReportBuilder.

Any other ideas? I really need to get this working.

Thanks,
Mike



--- posted by geoForum on http://www.newswhat.com

nicocizik

Hi Mike,

I would check the printer driver properties and see if there is some setting
to let it know that you are feeding smaller paper sizes into the center
rather than the left. The information I gave you is fundamentally how
ReportBuilder has functioned since the beginning. If this worked in the
past, it was a function of the printer driver or printer itself.


Regards,

Nico Cizik
Digital Metaphors
http://www.digital-metaphors.com

rbuser

Upon further testing I'm finding that my current builds still work on
computers with Windows XP, just not on computers with Windows 7 (on the
same 3 printers - all HP and all different models).

I'm not sure how it can be a printer problem if an XP machine can run
the same app as a Windows 7, and it works on XP and not on Windows 7.

Any thoughts on that?



--- posted by geoForum on http://www.newswhat.com

nicocizik

Hi Mike,

The Windows XP machines will most likely be using different printer drivers
than the Windows 7 machines. This would imply that it is a printer driver
issue. I would still take a look at the properties dialog of the Windows 7
printer driver(s) and try to find a setting that allows you to align a
smaller page.


Regards,

Nico Cizik
Digital Metaphors
http://www.digital-metaphors.com

rbuser

I just don't believe that this is not a bug in ReportBuilder. I cannot
find any setting on any of these 3 HP printers that will allow them to
work from Windows 7. I've defined custom paper sizes (3.25 x 7.375) and
that does not change the result.

I've even tried creating a test app that only prints on a 3.25 x 7.375
card. It prints a box around the edges (.25" margin) and a label in the
middle. All I get to see is the right edge of the box on the left edge
of my card.

However, if I open Word 2010 and create a custom paper size of 3.25 x
7.375, I can print perfectly (just like my app does on Windows XP).



--- posted by geoForum on http://www.newswhat.com

rbuser

Nico, Can you or someone there at least try this and verify that you can
do this? If you get it to work, please send me your code. I've been
using ReportBuilder for 12 years and am hardly a newbie. I really need
to make this work and want to stay with ReportBuilder another 12 years.

Thanks,
Mike



--- posted by geoForum on http://www.newswhat.com

nicocizik

Hi Mike,

Sorry for the delay in this reply. We are currently working to figure out a
way to recreate this here on our machines and will get back to you once we
have more information. Thanks for your patience.


Regards,

Nico Cizik
Digital Metaphors
http://www.digital-metaphors.com

nicocizik

Hi Mike,

I'm sorry but I'm unable to recreate different behavior on an XP machine.
Below are the tests I have run on my machines with results. Please let me
know the steps I can take on my machine(s) to create the correct output.

Background:
Simple Delphi 2010 application (TppReport, TButton).
PaperName := Custom;
PaperWidth := 3.25;
PaperHeight := 7.375;
PrinterName := HP 6100 series (This should not matter, RB sends the same
commands to all printer drivers).
All printing to the main tray (8.5 x 11 paper).

Test 1: Windows 7, RB 12.03, Print to printer
Result: Report printed to the top left portion of 8.5 x 11 inch paper.

Test 2: Windows 7, MS Word 2010
Created a similar report design in Word using a paper size of 3.25 x 7.375
inches.
Result: Word doc printed to the top left portion of 8.5 x 11 inch paper.

Test 3: Windows 7, Adobe Reader 9
Exported the initial report to PDF then printed from Adobe.
Result: PDF printed to the top left portion of 8.5 x 11 inch paper.

Test 4: Windows XP, RB 12.03, Print to printer
Result: Report printed to the top left portion of 8.5 x 11 inch paper.

Test 5: Windows XP, MS Word 2007
Result: Word doc printed to the top left portion of 8.5 x 11 inch paper.

Test 6: Windows XP, Adobe Reader 9
Result: PDF printed to the top left portion of 8.5 x 11 inch paper.


Regards,

Nico Cizik
Digital Metaphors
http://www.digital-metaphors.com

rbuser

?Nico,

Thank you for running the tests. But I need you to print on 3.25 x
7.375 cards, not 8.5 x 11 paper. Feed the cards in the manual feeder by
narrowing it down so that it guides them straight down the middle. That
is where the failure is.

Thanks,
Mike



--- posted by geoForum on http://www.newswhat.com

nicocizik

Hi Mike,

This is where I am lost. My printer has a manual feed bin however it
requires that I feed all paper to the far left. When I do so (on Windows 7
and Windows XP) the report outputs correctly. How do you tell your
printer(s) that you would like to feed a 3.25 x 7.375 card down the middle?
Is there a guide that lets you know it is in the correct position? It does
not make sense to simply "eyeball" it down the center of the manual bin.



Regards,

Nico Cizik
Digital Metaphors
http://www.digital-metaphors.com