Re: [libreoffice-users] Printing "Brochure" with Writer -- margins

At 15:17 19/09/2014 -0400, Marc Paré wrote:
> I am just trying to make the routine of 
> publishing music concert programs as easy for 
> new office staff as possible (I am director for 
> an early music group). One way to print the 
> concert programs in booklet format is to have 
> the office staff type up the concert program in 
> Writer and at the point of printing, choose the 
> "brochure layout" option in the Printer window 
> tab "Page Layout". This method works perfectly 
> and allows for any new person to the music 
> office to just step in and print concert 
> programs in very few steps that require 
> practically no brochure layout knowledge -- extremely user friendly to use.
>
> My question is, when the printed brochure comes 
> out, there is a lot of wasted space at the top 
> and bottom of the brochure pages. Is there a way 
> to make use of this space? ... For example, have 
> the printed words start higher up the page and also down the page?

Yes.

> Is this something that could be suggested as a bug or put on a wishlist?

No need.

At 05:44 20/09/2014 -0400, Marc Paré wrote:
> The "brochure" option prints a Writer doc 
> automatically in booklet form and figures out 
> the pagination automatically -- so, a user can 
> easily print out "booklets" by doing practically 
> no setup at all ... no styling needed.

Actually, page format is *only* controlled by a 
page style, so you always have a page style or 
styles in every document, even if you only ever 
use the default Default page style. (Don't be frightened of styles!)

> As far as I can tell, even if I change the body 
> length ... for example set the 8.5X11 inch page 
> to a top and bottom margin of "0.00 inches" ... 
> the brochure (booklet) will still be printed 
> with the same top/bottom gaps of spaces at the top/bottom of the booklet.

The problem - as already suggested by Mark Bourne 
- is that you are not using the brochure facility 
in the best way. (I think this is an example of 
where Microsoft Word does things differently; are 
you perhaps guilty of Wordthink?) If you rely on 
Writer to scale your text to the brochure size, 
you will need to choose font sizes and picture 
sizes and so on which come right in the brochure 
when printed - instead of using the actually 
sizes you want, as you would do normally.

To create brochures most conveniently, set your 
original document page size to the actual size of 
the page as printed - in your case 5.5 by 8.5 
inches in portrait orientation. Set the font 
sizes as you actually want to see them in the 
brochure. As you create the text, you will see 
the pagination as it will actually appear. When 
you print, using the Brochure option, ensure that 
the printer settings are 8.5 by 11 inches and 
landscape orientation. You will find this much 
easier and the margin settings in your page 
style(s) should be reflected in what you get.

> It would be very useful, if there were a way to 
> make use of the white space through the initial 
> Writer document before going to the 
> "Print->Brochure" option. This would allow ALL 
> Writer users to print out brochure-booklets without any prepping of styles.

Why not prepare the page style (half-size, 
portrait, margins, possibly including page 
numbers, ... whatever) yourself and save this as 
a template? This can include the printer 
settings, so that Letter, landscape, and even 
Brochure will all be set without your users having to think about them.

I trust this helps.

Brian Barker


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