Print jobs

[KARL]

Two things: Firstly, it strikes me as a singularly bad choice to make the print job selector default to 'All' pages rather than 'Current' or some other single page (Windows and other operating systems). This means that unless you deliberately select a single page theen the whole document goes for printing whereas you might just want one page from it (e.g. the one you are working on). I know of no way to change this default so I do not in the occasional hurry have to cancel the job and throw away whatever has already been printed. If the default were the other way around then the worst that can happen is that you realise you need to instruct the remainder to be printed. Does anyone know a way to change the default ?

Second, it seems to take an inordinate time for a print job to be truly wiped off the PC/printer system. While the cancelled job vanishes from the print job list, the printer keeps trying to print what remains of it - up to half an hour later. Re-booting and switching off the printer does not seem to get around this. Surely a system that can carry out tasks in nanoseconds can be persuaded to sort its right hand from its left in a time not a lot longer than that ? Does anyone know the answer (I want cancelling the print job to be just that, entirely gone, no residual effects)?

[squarebear]

1 - I prefer to print out the whole thing, as I do this more often than a single page.

2 - Stopping and starting the print spooler service on the PC, usually sorts that out.

[rojash]

In my experience, most people, most of the time, want to print a whole document.

Generally if that's not the case it's because they have created a single document which would be more logically be multiple documents.

[ACtheTROLL]

au quantro rojash me old mate

I don't do much at work these days except write documents - some of 'em run to 100s of pages consisting of words pikkies photos flowcharts etc
(I really should get out more)

I only ever print the whole thing twice at most

but as you know - the most brilliant photo in the world can look terrible when word has done it's magic
so I generally only ever print single pages

KARL
the simplest way to do it is to record a macro
make a document
tools | macro | record new macro | toolbars
also select save to normal.dot

run through the steps - stop the recording - and a chuffing huge button will appear that prints the current page -
customise the toolbar
right click the button and you can shorten the name and draw an icon

with a bit of fiddling you can pretty it up

[rojash]

Accybabe, only girls drink Cointreau :-)

[KARL]

Thanks AC. Ideally what I would like is for the decision to be permanently made to default to a single page (ideally current) or else (second choice) force me to choose which default I want BEFORE the familiar print dialogue window (yes, to wake me up). Unless I am missing something, your suggestion will not do this (?).

[ACtheTROLL]

yes it will

when you set it up
create a 4-5 page doc full of anything

move the cursor to select the page to print
THEN record your macro
by just selecting "current page" and pressing print
(doing it like that you aren't making any decisions)

so the button will always print the page with the cursor in it

when you edit the macro button - you can leave the name and paste a printer icon next to it - or just show the button as an icon

the only decision then is if you want to keep the standard printer button

selecting the page after needs "real" code - not as easy

[ACtheTROLL]

oh and you can assign a key combi (you could even replace ctrl+p)

it's not permanent - and if you want it in excel - you'll have to record another

I have looked everywhere - and there just don't seem to be any hacks for this

just found this though - easier to follow - still applies with later versions
http://home.comcast.net/~bobsanchez1/print_but ton.pdf