Print margins different from Page layout

[Guest]

Using Word 2002 I set up a new page size of 5.5" wide X 8.7" long with left
and right margins of 0.5" each. In the print preview the data is displayed
according to these dimensions.

When I go to print I get the following error message:
The margins are set outside the printable area of the page. Do you want to
continue?

If I choose Yes, it prints off the page to the right and the left margin
starts at approximatley 2.25" instead of 0.5". If I choose No it takes me
back to the document as expected.

I am printing across a LAN to a printer connected to another computer, not a
network printer. I have no problem getting the correct page size/print when I
use Wordperfect on this same computer and setup so I am assuming this is
something specific to Word rather than my computer setup.

I woould appreciate any help to correct this problem.

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

How did you set up the new page size? In Word's File - Page Setup - Paper
tab? When I do that, it works as expected. Can you give the exact steps
you're using so we can try to replicate? (Hard to solve a problem if it
doesn't occur for the solver.)

 

[Guest]

Thank you.
Yes, I did use File/Page Setup and the Paper tab to set the paper size. Also
the Margins tab to set the margins. I tried a second time to set up a new
page with the same dimentions and saved it as a Template, but it still
produced the same result. For me everything looks correct until I try to
print.

The printer is a Dell printer (which I think is actually Lexmark). I mention
this because I searched around and saw a note that Word uses the print driver
in some way to handle paper sizes and in some cases that does not work
correctly. If that is, in fact, true it may be my printer/driver in
combination with Word is not producing the correct output. At this point I
have not searched for another driver as one work around is to use a standard
size page and change the margins to position the output in the correct area
on the smaller page size. I don't use this size very often so it is not
critical for me to go to that bother. On the other hand if that is not the
cause, then I would like to know if there is problem with my installation of
Word which can or needs to be corrected.

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

From what you've said, it doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong in
Word, since you're doing what I'm doing, and I'm not getting a margins
error, and I am getting the expected results. To confirm that it's a printer
driver issue, though, if there is another printer available, you might try
printing to it to see what happens. If you don't have another printer
available, another testing option is to print to the Microsoft Office
Document Image Writer printer driver (assuming it's installed) or to an
Adobe PDF driver (if it's available). In any case, the resulting output
should resemble the expected paper result. If you continue to get the margin
error and things are skewed off to the right, then there probably is a
settings problem.

If it does look like a settings problem, you might try starting Word in Safe
mode to see if the problem still occurs. To start in Safe mode, hold the
Ctrl key when you start Word, and keep it held until Word shows up on the
taskbar. Switch to Word, and say Yes to starting in Safe mode.

 

[Guest]

I do not have office installed, just Word that was installed (along with MS
Works) when I purchased the computer. I do not have MS Office Document Image
Writer print driver, nor do I have the Adobe PDF print driver. I did start
Word in Safe mode and the same error and print results were produced.

I checked for a new printer driver, but there is no updated driver available
from the Dell site.

I do appreciate the help in trying to resolve this problem, but due to the
few times that I try to use this feature, it may be less trouble to just use
the work around of resetting the margins in a standard page.

One thing I just thought of is that I do not have Word installed on my new
computer that the printer is connected to (Dell is currently installing
Wordperfect instead of Word on their computers which is a bit annoying). I
don't know if that should make a difference or not.

Again, thanks for helping with this.

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

Word not being on the other computer shouldn't make a different.

Two more things... First, did you install the printer driver locally, or are
you using the shared printer across the network without having installed a
driver to computer with Word on it?

Second... What happens if you connect the Dell printer directly to the
problem computer? Do you still get the error and skewed printing?

 

[Guest]

I installed the print driver to my computer, but continue with the same
problem. I have a second (legal) copy of Word and installed it on the
computer the printer is hooked up to. I then created a page size in that copy
of Word with the same dimentions/settings as on my other computer, wrote out
a document and got the same error and results. It just seems Word is not
compatible with this printer and odd page sizes. I am not exactly happy with
this Dell printer anyway (ink to expensive)- it just came with the new
computer. My plans are to purchase a different brand printer (probably HP) at
some point in the near future and that will probably solve the problem.

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

What is the model number of that Dell printer?

 

[Guest]

It is model 720. One of those cheapies that come with a new computer.

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

I don't see anything about that error with that printer on Dell's,
Microsoft's or Lexmark's site.

Can you possibly email me a copy of a document that exhibits the problem? I
will install the driver for that printer here and see if I can replicate
(and maybe solve) the problem.

Send to problem(at)thetysons.org (replace (at) with @)

 

[Guest]

Thanks Herb. I have sent the e-mail.

I don't see anything about that error with that printer on Dell's,
Microsoft's or Lexmark's site.

Can you possibly email me a copy of a document that exhibits the problem? I
will install the driver for that printer here and see if I can replicate
(and maybe solve) the problem.

Send to problem(at)thetysons.org (replace (at) with @)

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

Okay. I get the same error you get when I downloaded/installed the Dell 720
printer driver.

BUT... I can make it go away!

Try this, in Word:

1. File - Print - Properties.

2. Under Paper Setup, click on Size.

3. Under Paper Size, scroll to the bottom where it says Custom Size, and
click on it.

4. In Define Custom Paper Size, set the width to 5.5 and the height to 8.7
(if I recall correctly). Click OK.

5. Click Save Settings - Save Your Current Settings.

6. Click on the 1st available slot for saving the cusom paper size, for me,
it was #2, since #1 is locked as the factory settings. Give it a name such
as 5.5x8.7, then click Save.

7. Back in the main Dell 720 properties box, click OK.

8. Back in Word's Print dialog, click OK.

This time, I don't get the error. Because I don't have a Dell 720, I don't
get anything at all. But, you can see if it gives you the desired results.
Let me know if this works!

Steps 5 - 6 aren't really needed if you don't plan to reuse that paper size,
but I suspect you will.

So... why did WordPerfect work without all this hassle? I'm guessing that it
has a built-in way to select paper size, but I could be wrong.

 

[Guest]

Herb,
You are a genius. That did work.
Thank you for all the effort you have put into this. It is very much
appreciated.
Harvey