GrayStrickland
asked on
Paper Trays -- Switching Between HP and Lexmark Printers
This question concerns making paper tray selections consistent which switching between HP and Lexmark printers.
BACKGROUND
We have two (2) HP Laserjet 4+ printers and two (2) Lexmark Optra S laser printers. Both have the maximum optional add-on paper trays.
The HP 4+ has:
-- The flip-down multi-purpose feeder (called “upper paper tray” and “manual feed” in dialogs)
-- The built-in 250 sheet drawer (called “lower paper tray” in dialogs)
-- The optional 500 sheet drawer (called “large capacity” in dialogs)
-- The optional 75 envelope feeder (called “envelope feeder” in dialogs)
In addition to the above, the HP printer driver has options for:
-- “Default Tray (Automatically Select)” and
-- “Automatically Select”
The Lexmark has:
-- The flip-down multi-purpose feeder (called “multipurpose feeder” and “manual paper feed” in dialogs)
-- The built-in 250 sheet drawer (called “tray 1” in dialogs)
-- Three (3) optional 500 sheet drawers (called “Tray 2, Tray 3 and Tray 4” in dialogs)
-- The optional 75 envelope feeder (called “envelope feeder” in dialogs)
In addition to the above, the Lexmark printer driver has options for:
-- “Default Tray (Automatically Select)” and
-- “Automatically Select”
If a document is formatted to print from the “Large Capacity” in the HP, and the printer selection is switched to the Lexmark, instead of “Tray 2” being the source, it will print from “Automatically Select”.
GOAL / QUESTION
How can I set i up so that a Word document formated to use the HP "lower tray" (where we keep bond paper) will automatically use the Lex "Tray 1" when I switch from the HP to the Lex, or vice versa?
How can I set i up so that a Word document formated to use the HP "large capacity" (where we keep plain paper) will automatically use the Lex "Tray 3" when I switch from the HP to the Lex, or vice versa?
I'd like to accomplish this through the printer driver configurations and not by use of some sort of macro in Word.
BACKGROUND
We have two (2) HP Laserjet 4+ printers and two (2) Lexmark Optra S laser printers. Both have the maximum optional add-on paper trays.
The HP 4+ has:
-- The flip-down multi-purpose feeder (called “upper paper tray” and “manual feed” in dialogs)
-- The built-in 250 sheet drawer (called “lower paper tray” in dialogs)
-- The optional 500 sheet drawer (called “large capacity” in dialogs)
-- The optional 75 envelope feeder (called “envelope feeder” in dialogs)
In addition to the above, the HP printer driver has options for:
-- “Default Tray (Automatically Select)” and
-- “Automatically Select”
The Lexmark has:
-- The flip-down multi-purpose feeder (called “multipurpose feeder” and “manual paper feed” in dialogs)
-- The built-in 250 sheet drawer (called “tray 1” in dialogs)
-- Three (3) optional 500 sheet drawers (called “Tray 2, Tray 3 and Tray 4” in dialogs)
-- The optional 75 envelope feeder (called “envelope feeder” in dialogs)
In addition to the above, the Lexmark printer driver has options for:
-- “Default Tray (Automatically Select)” and
-- “Automatically Select”
If a document is formatted to print from the “Large Capacity” in the HP, and the printer selection is switched to the Lexmark, instead of “Tray 2” being the source, it will print from “Automatically Select”.
GOAL / QUESTION
How can I set i up so that a Word document formated to use the HP "lower tray" (where we keep bond paper) will automatically use the Lex "Tray 1" when I switch from the HP to the Lex, or vice versa?
How can I set i up so that a Word document formated to use the HP "large capacity" (where we keep plain paper) will automatically use the Lex "Tray 3" when I switch from the HP to the Lex, or vice versa?
I'd like to accomplish this through the printer driver configurations and not by use of some sort of macro in Word.
Ditto for this Q -- see my answer to your other question, just below.
This is a perennial problem with printers - different manufacturers (and even different models from the same manufacturer) use different PCL tray identifier values for what (ostensibly) appears to be the same type of tray.
Modern HP devices (e.g, 4200, 4300, 4600) appear to use the following identifiers:
- ID = 0 - use current selected paper source (eject page)
1 - main tray
2 - manual feed tray
5 - auxiliary tray
7 - default paper source (as set in printer setup configuration)
(I think these are correct), but other models/manufacturers will use other tray identifiers.
It should also be noted that the paper source is not always selected by a PCL 'select tray identifier' sequence; some drivers instead use a combination of 'select paper size' (e.g A4, Letter, etc. usually automatically recognised by detectors in trays) and 'select paper type' (as set via printer configuration) sequences.
Modern HP devices (e.g, 4200, 4300, 4600) appear to use the following identifiers:
- ID = 0 - use current selected paper source (eject page)
1 - main tray
2 - manual feed tray
5 - auxiliary tray
7 - default paper source (as set in printer setup configuration)
(I think these are correct), but other models/manufacturers will use other tray identifiers.
It should also be noted that the paper source is not always selected by a PCL 'select tray identifier' sequence; some drivers instead use a combination of 'select paper size' (e.g A4, Letter, etc. usually automatically recognised by detectors in trays) and 'select paper type' (as set via printer configuration) sequences.
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Joed's suggestion seems the best to me, but there is another way.
If you are using PostScript, it is possible (theoretically, anyway) to modify the PPD file so the names of the trays are the same for both printers. That way, Word will see the same trays for both printers, and use them appropriately.
This is not a task for the light-hearted, and will involve a great deal of trial and error. PPDs are text files, used by the driver to find printer specific commands. They are text files and can be changed with any text editor. They live in WINNT/SYSTEM32/SPOOL/DRIVE
You can copy tray names from one printer and paste them into the other. After each edit you need to reboot the PC to force the driver to read the new PPD.
If you are using PostScript, it is possible (theoretically, anyway) to modify the PPD file so the names of the trays are the same for both printers. That way, Word will see the same trays for both printers, and use them appropriately.
This is not a task for the light-hearted, and will involve a great deal of trial and error. PPDs are text files, used by the driver to find printer specific commands. They are text files and can be changed with any text editor. They live in WINNT/SYSTEM32/SPOOL/DRIVE
You can copy tray names from one printer and paste them into the other. After each edit you need to reboot the PC to force the driver to read the new PPD.
joed `s suggestion is on the money.
Most curent laser printers can be set in the onboard printer menus so that particular trays are "letterhead", "recycled", etc.
Then you choose by media, not by tray, and leave the tray at autoselect.
That way, if you select letterhead, it will always print on letterhead, and which tray it comes from is irrelevant.
We set this up for users of our Ricoh MFPs on a regular basis.
Most curent laser printers can be set in the onboard printer menus so that particular trays are "letterhead", "recycled", etc.
Then you choose by media, not by tray, and leave the tray at autoselect.
That way, if you select letterhead, it will always print on letterhead, and which tray it comes from is irrelevant.
We set this up for users of our Ricoh MFPs on a regular basis.
DansDadUk is also correct in this question:
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/20953928/Paper-Trays-LexMark-Optra-S-laser-printers.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/20953928/Paper-Trays-LexMark-Optra-S-laser-printers.html
No comment has been added to this question in more than 21 days, so it is now classified as abandoned..
I will leave a recommendation in the Cleanup topic area that this question is:
Accept joed
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hdhondt
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I will leave a recommendation in the Cleanup topic area that this question is:
Accept joed
Any objections should be posted here in the next 4 days. After that time, the question will be closed.
PLEASE DO NOT ACCEPT THIS COMMENT AS AN ANSWER!
hdhondt
EE Cleanup Volunteer