Cannot printer 132 columns

[Simon Qu]

We have a Hp LJ 8150dn printer. I created a print name in our HP-UX 11i with the model script net_lj8150. It works fine when I print a file using the default settings: it prints 80 columns, portrait on Letter size paper from tray 4.

I want it to print 132 columns, so I change the settings of the print jobs by using 17 characters per inch, portrait settings and 66 lines per page. In this case, every time if I send a print job, the print cannot go through, and on the printer LCD, it says:"Load tray 1 Plain EXEC". Then I have to press GO button, it says "using Letter plain instead". I press GO again and it prints from tray 4 (Letter size), but it prints landscape and cuts off some columns.

I did the same on other HP Laserjet printers, and they all work fine.

Any help is much appreciated.

[Bill Hassell]

The lines per page selection has caused the printer (given the font you are using) requires a longer piece of paper,thus the error message. Laser printers are infinitely more configurable than a simple line printer. You can control the inter-character spacing, the inter-line spacing, the page height/width, margins, etc. Lines per page almost always causes the error message you are seeing. Don't specify lines per page and instead use interline spacing and font point size to control the lines on the page.

There are subtle differences between laser printer models,all having to do with the printable area and dot density. The best solution for wider printouts is to reduce the font height (somewhere between 8 and 10 points) and set the HSI (horizonjtal spacing increment) and VSI (vertical spacing increment). Since this is a JetDirect LAN c ard, the model script has the -ohsi and -ovsi options. Create a text document with numbers across the page and down the page so you can see the columns and rows, something like:

line 1 ..1....+....2....+....3....+...4......

Then adjusting the hsi and vsi until you get the desired printout. I prefer a 10 point font somewhat squished together for 132 width printouts. Note that you can print 200, even 300 characters per line in portrait mode, but you may need a magnifying glass to read it.