Re: [libreoffice-users] Incorrect envelope dimensions passed to print driver

To the base description below, I should add a couple points:

(1) We have an easy alternative to print these envelopes: Export the file as .DOCX to MS Word, 
which passes the page size and orientation without hiccups, then prints directly. [I found that I 
could also export the .ODT file to Word, but then it needs some repair before printing is 
possible.]  But I'm trying to fix this because I want to use LibreOffice, not MS Office.

(2) When printing from LO Writer, the Print dialog box has not only a "Preview" section on the left side, but 
a "Page Layout" section on the lower right side (which seems initially disconnected from the Preview 
section). The Page Layout section has two fields:
 - "Paper size" [initially blank, and cannot be changed until the "Orientation" field is triggered];
 - "Orientation" [initially "Automatic"; the other options are "Portrait" (which then *GETS THE RIGHT DIMENSIONS, BUT WITH 
ORIENTATION REVERSED*!) and "Landscape" (which, though it is the correct orientation, does nothing until the "Paper size" field is 
triggered -- and then the "Paper size" field does not have a matching entry).

This seems to sharpen the troubleshooting focus, but I know nothing about the LO-print_driver interface, and 
in particular know nothing about why the Print dialog box has yet another "Paper size" list from 
the one LO maintains for Page format and the one that the print driver maintains for printer operation.  
Where can I get information about these structural questions?


On 2023-04-12 03:20, John Kaufmann wrote:
> LibreOffice 7.4.2.3, Windows 10 -
> Before reporting this as a bug, I would like to put this question here, because I am missing 
> something.
>
> LO includes in its paper size library "#6-3/4 Envelope", a common North American size defined as:
>       3-5/8 (3.63) in (inches) high by 6-1/2 (6.5) in wide in the customary landscape orientation.
> When selected as the paper format, it sets up perfectly ... until it's time to print.
> Then it passes to the "Print" dialog box (for a Konica Minolta C368, in either PS or PCL6 driver) a 
> size of
>       6.5 in high by 5.5 in ("User Defined") wide.
> That of course is not landscape orientation, and the accompanying figure (on the left side of the Print 
> dialog box) is shown accordingly - that is, in portrait, not landscape, orientation.  Yet if I select 
> "Properties" in the dialog box, to go to the printer driver's own settings, it is portrayed in 
> landscape orientation, though still incorrectly sized:
>       5.5 in high by 6.5 in wide ("Custom Size").
>
> The fact that orientation shifts when passed to the Print dialog box, then shifts again when passed 
> to the printer driver, clearly seems to be a bug, and I intend to report it as such -- as soon as I 
> understand why dimensions change.  Moreover, what is passed to the Print dialog box is specific to 
> the print driver.  For printers I had available, different drivers yielded the following:
>    High  Wide  Printer / Driver
>    3.63  6.50  *Original document in LO 7.4.2.3*
>    3.08  3.63  Brother HL-L2360
>    8.50 11.00  Epson XP-6100
>    8.50 11.00  HP LaserJet 2200 (PCL5)
>    6.50  5.50  KM C360 or C368 (PCL6 or PS)
>    8.50 11.00  MS Windows Print to PDF
>    3.63  6.50  MS Windows Fax [*THIS GETS IT RIGHT* and even identifies "#6 3/4 (Personal) 
> Envelope"]
>    3.63  6.50  MS XPS Document Writer [*THIS GETS IT RIGHT* (same as Fax)]
>    8.00 11.00  OneNote
>
> Bottom line: It's clearly possible to get this right, but rare; most printers/drivers tested got it 
> wrong in one way or another.  Of course this is not just about a particular envelope size, or even 
> envelopes generally; it is clearly a paper size issue.  Bug 146213 (filed in Dec.2021 for LO 
> 6.3.0.4) traced a similar problem for B5 paper size. It was never assigned, so never resolved, so 
> I'm trying to take a more systematic approach.  Is there a coherent way of thinking about this?
>
> John

--
To unsubscribe e-mail to: users+unsubscribe@global.libreoffice.org
Problems? https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/mailing-lists/how-to-unsubscribe/
Posting guidelines + more: https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Netiquette
List archive: https://listarchives.libreoffice.org/global/users/
Privacy Policy: https://www.documentfoundation.org/privacy