Specifications

Driver Problems
The best way to determine whether a printer driver is causing a particular problem is to stop using it.
If a problem printing from a Windows application disappears when you print a directory listing by
issuing the
DIR > LPT1 command from the DOS prompt, you can safely say that you need to install a
new printer driver. Other driver problems include the following:
■ Form feed light comes on but nothing prints. This indicates that the printer has less than a full page
of data in its buffer and that the computer has failed to send a form feed command to eject the
page. This is a common occurrence when you print from a DOS prompt or application without
the benefit of a printer driver or use the Print Screen key from DOS or within your BIOS setup
screens, but it also can be the result of a malfunctioning driver. Some drivers (particularly
PostScript drivers) provide an option to send an extra form feed at the end of every print job.
Otherwise, you must eject the page manually from the printer’s control panel.
■ Incorrect fonts printing. Virtually all laser printers have a selection of fonts built into the printer,
and by default, most drivers use these fonts in place of similar TrueType or PostScript Type 1
fonts installed on the computer. Sometimes, noticeable differences can exist between the two
fonts, however, and the printed text might not look exactly like that on the screen. Slight size
discrepancies between the fonts can also cause the page breaks in the printed output to differ
from those on the screen.
Note
Because different printers will use TrueType or Type 1 fonts differently, you should select the printer your document will be
printed with before you save the document. After you select the printer, you should scroll through the document and check
for problems due to page breaks being shifted, margins changing, or other problems.
You also should perform this procedure before you fax your document using a fax modem. Because fax resolution is a
maximum of 200dpi in most cases, this lower resolution can cause major layout changes, even with scalable fonts such
as TrueType or PostScript Type 1.
Application Problems
■ Margins out of range error. Most laser printers have a border around all four sides of the page of
approximately one-third of an inch where the toner cannot reach; inkjet printers might have
an unprintable area as wide as one-half inch. If you configure an application to use margins
smaller than this border, some drivers can generate this error message, whereas others simply
truncate the output to fit the maximum printable page size. If your application or driver does
not generate an error message and does not give you an opportunity to enter a correct margin
setting, be sure to check your printer manual to find the possible margin settings before print-
ing.
Note
Some applications offer a “print-to-fit” option that automatically adjusts the document to fit on the page in case you’ve
made a margin-setting mistake. These options work by changing the font size or readjusting line and page breaks. This
option can be useful, but preview it before you use it blindly.