Acrobat chooses wrong paper size for printing...

The PDF Expert

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Jan 17, 2003, 9:41:17 AM1/17/03

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Hi all,

I've been asked to try to solve the following problem.

Some of our PDF forms (created with FormFlow and Distiller) will not
print on the correct paper size with Acrobat.

Example, a legal size form will default to letter size paper even if
the printer is set to "Auto Detect" the correct paper size. This
occurs with many desktop printers.

Does anyone know if this is a:
1) FormFlow problem?
2) Distiller problem?
3) Acrobat problem?
4) printer problem?

Thanks

Bryan

Aandi Inston

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Jan 17, 2003, 12:09:47 PM1/17/03

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Bryan.G...@ccra-adrc.gc.ca (The PDF Expert) wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>I've been asked to try to solve the following problem.
>
>Some of our PDF forms (created with FormFlow and Distiller) will not
>print on the correct paper size with Acrobat.
>
>Example, a legal size form will default to letter size paper even if
>the printer is set to "Auto Detect" the correct paper size. This
>occurs with many desktop printers.

Where is this particular "auto detect" option being set?

>
>Does anyone know if this is a:
>1) FormFlow problem?
>2) Distiller problem?

These will produce a PDF whose pages are a given size. You can check
the size by looking at the Acrobat window.
----------------------------------------
Aandi Inston qu...@dial.pipex.com http://www.quite.com
Please support usenet! Post replies and follow-ups, don't e-mail them.

ThePDFExpert

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Jan 18, 2003, 2:05:44 PM1/18/03

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Yes I know this Aandi. The problem is that my legal (8.5" x 14") pages
(as reported by Acrobat's status bar) insist on printing on letter (8.5"
x 11") size paper, even when the printer(s) are set to automatically
detect the paper size. There is a discrepancy somewhere. Why will the
printers not detect the actual paper size?

Bryan

Aandi Inston

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Jan 19, 2003, 12:45:04 PM1/19/03

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ThePDFExpert <bry...@sympatico.ca> wrote:

>Yes I know this Aandi. The problem is that my legal (8.5" x 14") pages
>(as reported by Acrobat's status bar) insist on printing on letter (8.5"
>x 11") size paper, even when the printer(s) are set to automatically
>detect the paper size. There is a discrepancy somewhere. Why will the
>printers not detect the actual paper size?

I repeat the question:

Where is this particular "auto detect" option being set?

Please be precise.

ThePDFExpert

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Jan 19, 2003, 7:42:09 PM1/19/03

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Auto detect paper size is a common feature on many laser and desktop
printers.

Aandi Inston

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Jan 20, 2003, 4:24:31 AM1/20/03

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ThePDFExpert <bry...@sympatico.ca> wrote:

>Auto detect paper size is a common feature on many laser and desktop
>printers.

If this is being set in the Printer Setup, RATHER THAN the Acrobat 5
advanced options, it sure won't work.

ThePDFExpert

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Jan 20, 2003, 10:28:14 PM1/20/03

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Yes this is being set in the Printer Setup because it is a printer setting.

I don't get it!

This printer setting works for every other app we have.
This printer setting works for many of our PDF files, but not for some.
There is a discrepancy. Why do files created with MS Office, Quark,
InDesign and so many other tools work fine with this printer setting?

Example. I open one of these problematic "Legal" size PDFs (created with
Form Flow 99) in Acrobat 5 and click the Print button, and it defaults
to "Letter" size eventhough the printer is set to "auto detect" which
paper size to use. So I have to manually change the printer setting to
Legal, and print the file.

There is no way I can blame the printer(s) for this, because they
perform fine on the majority of PDFs

Then I close the file, and open a Letter size PDF (created with Word),
and click Print. The printer detects that this is Letter size and
automatically selects the paper tray to use and automatically switches
to the Letter paper tray. Everything prints fine with NO manual
intervention.

Then I open a Legal size PDF created with Word, and click Print. Again
the printer detects that this is Legal size and automatically selects
the Legal paper tray to use. Everything prints fine with NO manual
intervention.

There has got to be something in these FormFlow PDFs that prevents the
printer from doing its job, but I can't figure out what.

I even used the Geometry plugin to check all 5 page parameters (crop,
media, bleed etc) a PDF can have and they are all identical.

What else could there be (or be lacking) in a PDF to prevent a printer
from detecting the page size?

Bryan

Aandi Inston

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Jan 21, 2003, 2:29:28 AM1/21/03

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ThePDFExpert <bry...@sympatico.ca> wrote:

>Yes this is being set in the Printer Setup because it is a printer setting.
>
>I don't get it!
>
>This printer setting works for every other app we have.
>This printer setting works for many of our PDF files, but not for some.
>There is a discrepancy. Why do files created with MS Office, Quark,
>InDesign and so many other tools work fine with this printer setting?

I'm amazed it ever works in Acrobat.

Acrobat 5.0 - full, not Reader - has an option in its advanced
settings to make the paper size follow the page size.

ThePDFExpert

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Jan 21, 2003, 5:05:17 PM1/21/03

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Thanks for all the help Aandi. I finally figured out the problem.
It seems that IT is applying restrictions to the network printers
"Device Settings", and that these restrictions are also applied to
Distiller's settings, thus locking up the "Form To Tray Assignment" setting.

This seems to override Distiller's Printing Preference for Tray
Selection (which is Automatically Select by default). It appears that
Acrobat gets it's print settings from the "Form To Tray Assignment"
setting instead of the Printing Preferences.

WHEW...it all makes my head spin wildly...

Bottom line is, removing the security restrictions for Distiller's
Device Settings will then allow Acrobat to print on the correct paper size.

This is actually such a common problem that I've decided to do a write
up. I'll be posting it to PlanetPDF soon.

Bryan