Printer properties, who wins:application or printer driver ?

[Topaz]

I have found an HP website which states
"Changes made in the software application override settings changed in
the printer driver. Within a software application, changes made in the
Page Setup dialog box override changes made in the Print dialog box."
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/fastFaqLiteDocument?lc=de&cc=de&dlc=&docname=c00313299

Is this a general rule ?

I have often wondered what has priority, "landscape" in Word / Page
Setup or "portrait" in the printer poperties changed after Word /
Print or as printer default.

Thanks.

 

[Chuck]

The "who wins" question is not easy to answer. Seems that the printer
drivers can use "legacy" calls, and some applications also do so. The
collection of various methods allows one app to make changes that persist,
and another app may make changes that last for the app session only. Poorly
written or outdated printer drivers can behave differently between the
various applications in Office, as an example. Word, Excel, and Publisher
are/were the most common apps involved.

Really what is expected is that the app settings change things for the app
session, and then the printer reverts to what ever the default settings are
as shown in Start Settings Printers & Faxes (specific printer) when the
app closes.

Another variant has to do with the app remembering the settings from one
session to another. Some apps revert to system defaults when a new session
is started.

Things can get messy when major app packages are present, such as Office,
and other major apps, such as Photoshop, Acrobat, Autocad, or Corel Draw are
all present on the same P/C, and more than one is in use at the same time.