Windows XP not using custom form

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ryan Tremblay
  • Start date Start date
R

Ryan Tremblay

I have created a new form by going into printers & faxes and then going into
file -> printer server settings. We use a 8 1/2 X 5.5 continuous tractor
fed form to print student schedules on. The printer works fine in Windows
95 & 98. We want to put in a new computer with Windows XP but when it prints
it form feeds over a whole form basically wasting a form. The printer we
are using is an Okidata ML380 printer. I checked on the printer and it is
setup for 5.5 length paper and I set the defaults for the printer to use the
new form I created. If anyone has any ideas on how to fix this it would be
appreciated. If I cannot find a fix I will have to put in the old Win98
machine again :(. Is there a way to use 98 print drivers in XP?
 
What type of application are you using? The application must enumerate and
select the newly created form. If you are not familiar with enumerate, it
means the application should show the form you defined in it's page setup.
If it's a custom application, it's possible this isn't being done correctly.

Do you have another app that you can try (Like Word or something like that)
as a test? The app should display the form you defined in it's page setup.

No the 98 driver will not work on XP.
 
We are using NX/VIEW which connects to our Unisys Mainframe running Unisys'
MCP. They type in the command into the mainframe and it sends the print job
to the printer. I will try word and see what it does. In it.
 
Just tried something in word. It still sends a form feed which still wastes
a form. Is there a way to set the printer driver the LPP (lines per inch)
somewhere? I think that is what is causing it.
 
Is there a way to set the printer driver the LPP (lines per inch)
somewhere?
Click to expand...
Unless it's built into the driver, no. If it were in the driver, I would
think there would be a property sheet to allow it.

Are you sure the driver is sending a form feed? This is normal with most dot
matrix drivers. If you have set the printer features with a particular form
size, then the printer should be honoring the form feed and not feeding more
than the define form length.

I am not familiar with NX/VIEW
I assume that Word displayed the custom form size that you defined in
Printers and Faxes->File->Server Properties and it was selected for the
print test.
The only thing I can suggest (if you are technically inclined) is to print a
page to file and examine the data through some hex viewer. Count the number
of line feeds (0x0A) and form feeds (0x0C) and see what the total is. This
way you can verify what exactly is being generated by the pc. The interface
between other computer systems (mainframe) can sometime introduce strange
behaviour.
Note: Some printers have features that treat a carriage return (0x0d) as a
line feed. If this were the case you would get double the feed if the output
data was using CrLf (0x0d0x0a) for newlines.

Have you checked the printer mfg for the latest (XP) drivers?
 
Back
Top