Print order duplex printing HP 4700
Is there any way to change the order in which pages are printed and the page orientation on an HP Color LaserJet 4700 (3 bins). I am printing from Word 2010 using the latest PCL6 64 bit driver (Windows 7 Ultimate 64b).
I have a letter-headed paper in the printer and if printing simplex it prints on the top but if duplex is selected (in Finishing) it annoyingly prints on the back first and the other way up.
I thought the solution might be to set it to always print duplex even if it is one page and put the paper in the other way round but this doesn't work either because it seems to automatically revert to simplex mode if there is only one page. The only answer I have so far is use a macro to add a blank page to the front of every single sided print and put the paper in the correct orientation for duplex - really not a great solution.
Does anyone have any suggestions please that will allow me to print letterhead both simplex and duplex from the same bin without have to turn the paper round and over manually each time.
I have a letter-headed paper in the printer and if printing simplex it prints on the top but if duplex is selected (in Finishing) it annoyingly prints on the back first and the other way up.
I thought the solution might be to set it to always print duplex even if it is one page and put the paper in the other way round but this doesn't work either because it seems to automatically revert to simplex mode if there is only one page. The only answer I have so far is use a macro to add a blank page to the front of every single sided print and put the paper in the correct orientation for duplex - really not a great solution.
Does anyone have any suggestions please that will allow me to print letterhead both simplex and duplex from the same bin without have to turn the paper round and over manually each time.
ASKER
The printer is shared by four people and it is not convenient to have to keep turning the paper over (and stop anyone else printing) to print duplex. What I need is to change the printer default printing order/orientation for duplex so that it prints the first page the same way up and on the same side whether or not it is printing simplex or duplex.
The printers I use and (I think ) the HP4700 will want forms and cheque forms to be turned upside down. I do not think there is any way around this except for a more advanced printer like the 2 tray HP600 series. These print forms correct side up and have two trays for flexibility plus manual feed. I use the HP600 series at several clients and they work fine and more normally for an office environment like yours.
ASKER
These HP4700s are big multi-tray heavy duty colour laser printers with the standard tray (plus manual override feed) and another 3 additional trays and auto duplex unit. I would have hoped that the had some intelligent software?
Coming at the problem from a different angle is there any way of making it print using duplex settings when printing a single page? When I try and do this it prints the same way up as Simplex even though I have told it to print both sides. This would allow me to have the paper permanently the "wrong" way up for all printing.
Otherwise it seems I have two choices. The macro option (blank page one) or have headed paper in two different trays one for simplex and one for duplex. Very irritating.
Coming at the problem from a different angle is there any way of making it print using duplex settings when printing a single page? When I try and do this it prints the same way up as Simplex even though I have told it to print both sides. This would allow me to have the paper permanently the "wrong" way up for all printing.
Otherwise it seems I have two choices. The macro option (blank page one) or have headed paper in two different trays one for simplex and one for duplex. Very irritating.
Have you contacted HP Support to see if they can provide a more specific driver?
ASKER
Yes I have downloaded the specific Win 7 64 bit driver for the 4700. I had to do that to get bin selection options working in programs like Acrobat.
HP Forum / KB just says you need to feed the paper differently for simplex and duplex (although it was talking about the manual feed slot).
I fear that the solution I am seeking does not exist.
HP Forum / KB just says you need to feed the paper differently for simplex and duplex (although it was talking about the manual feed slot).
I fear that the solution I am seeking does not exist.
I fear that the solution I am seeking does not exist.
Quite possibly. Back to another idea: Keep this for high volume work where letterhead is not so vital. Use an HP 600 (B&W Laser) for Letterhead. That might help.
Quite possibly. Back to another idea: Keep this for high volume work where letterhead is not so vital. Use an HP 600 (B&W Laser) for Letterhead. That might help.
ASKER
Not an option for several reasons too long-winded to go into here but mainly that we need colour. Thanks for your input though. I have posted something on the HP Forum so if that comes up with anything I will post back here. I will leave this thread open for a while in case anyone else has any input. Many thanks.
With most LaserJet devices, I'd expect that if you loaded the paper the correct way for normal duplex printing, this would work correctly even with single-page jobs, provided that the print request specified duplex printing.
So I'm not sure why that approach doesn't work; analysis of a captured sample job might (or might not) tell us more.
Some printers (no idea if this applies to your model) support an optional feature referred to as Alternative Letterhead Mode, which (if enabled) means that the paper is always loaded as for duplex print jobs, but will also correctly print simplex jobs which specify Letterhead (or Prepunched?) paper types.
So I'm not sure why that approach doesn't work; analysis of a captured sample job might (or might not) tell us more.
Some printers (no idea if this applies to your model) support an optional feature referred to as Alternative Letterhead Mode, which (if enabled) means that the paper is always loaded as for duplex print jobs, but will also correctly print simplex jobs which specify Letterhead (or Prepunched?) paper types.
The problem is that, for duplex printing, the printer will print page 2 first, and then page one. For larger jobs, it will always print the even page, and then the previous odd page. It's done this way to ensure that the paper ends up in the output tray the correct way up. With plain paper this does not matter, as there is no difference between the two sides of the paper. Unfortunately, letterhead is a different matter.
The solution you found, of adding a blank page, is the best way out unless the printer has the Alternative Letterhead Mode suggested by DansDadUK. If only the first page is on letterhead, Word can be told, from Page Setup, to print different pages from different trays.
The solution you found, of adding a blank page, is the best way out unless the printer has the Alternative Letterhead Mode suggested by DansDadUK. If only the first page is on letterhead, Word can be told, from Page Setup, to print different pages from different trays.
ASKER
DansDadUK
No there is not a Letterhead Mode on this printer just paper size (eg A4)
The HP manual specifically says you have to load paper (such as letterhead, forms) differently for simplex and duplex although in this case it is referring to the manual feed facility. This seems to confirm as hdhondt says that it prints even page first on duplex.
I have tested printing to duplex with one sheet and it aways reverts to printing in simplex mode. You mention capture of a sample job but I have no idea what that entails or how to do it?
I have found two tick box options buried in Word > Options > Advanced > Print to which provides options to Print on front of sheet for duplex printing or
Print on back of sheet for duplex printing
(although strangely it allows to to select both!)
Having recorded the step in a macro is seems to set the following parameters respectively
Options.PrintOddPagesInAsc
Options.PrintEvenPagesInAs
In any event neither seem to have any effect on the actual way one two-sided page is printed.
No there is not a Letterhead Mode on this printer just paper size (eg A4)
The HP manual specifically says you have to load paper (such as letterhead, forms) differently for simplex and duplex although in this case it is referring to the manual feed facility. This seems to confirm as hdhondt says that it prints even page first on duplex.
I have tested printing to duplex with one sheet and it aways reverts to printing in simplex mode. You mention capture of a sample job but I have no idea what that entails or how to do it?
I have found two tick box options buried in Word > Options > Advanced > Print to which provides options to Print on front of sheet for duplex printing or
Print on back of sheet for duplex printing
(although strangely it allows to to select both!)
Having recorded the step in a macro is seems to set the following parameters respectively
Options.PrintOddPagesInAsc
Options.PrintEvenPagesInAs
In any event neither seem to have any effect on the actual way one two-sided page is printed.
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>> ... capture of a sample job but I have no idea what that entails or how to do it ...
You can capture the output of a standard Windows printer driver by selecting the 'Print to file' option in the Print dialogue.
You can then perform an analysis of the data captured into your nominated .prn file, using the PRN File Analyse tool in the PCL Paraphernalia application (available via http://www.pclparaphernalia.eu ), provided that you are using a PCL5 or PCL6 (rather than PostScript) printer driver.
You can capture the output of a standard Windows printer driver by selecting the 'Print to file' option in the Print dialogue.
You can then perform an analysis of the data captured into your nominated .prn file, using the PRN File Analyse tool in the PCL Paraphernalia application (available via http://www.pclparaphernalia.eu ), provided that you are using a PCL5 or PCL6 (rather than PostScript) printer driver.
Another note in the HP document referred to in an earlier post states:
Which prompts the question: "what Paper Type do the errant print jobs specify?"
These printer models support smart duplexing. The smart duplexing feature increases printing performance by preventing one-page print jobs or single-sided pages of a duplexed print job from going through the duplexing unit even when the duplexing feature has been selected in the driver.
All media types support the smart duplexing feature, except for media types that cannot be printed on both sides, such as labels and transparencies, and the following media types:
- Prepunched
- Preprinted
- Letterhead
When the media type is set to Unspecified , the smart duplexing feature is disabled.
Which prompts the question: "what Paper Type do the errant print jobs specify?"
... and the LaserJet 4700 User Guide manual suggests that it may be possible to modify the smart duplex feature with a setting (within the Configure Device | System Setup |Tray Behavior menu) on the printer:
DUPLEX BLANK PAGES. This item allows you to determine how a job is to be duplexed.
The available values are AUTO, which is the default value, and YES.
If AUTO is selected, blank pages within the print job are not duplexed.
If YES is selected, any blank pages within the job are duplexed.
The README file for the latest LJ 4700 firmware version suggests (via reference to a fix for "You may see a 49.4C02 error when using ALM (Alternate Letterhead Mode)") that this model does support ALM - which should mean that it appears as an option on the Tray Behavior menu.
ASKER
Thank you - you are correct and I was wrong. I was previously looking in the Printer Properties but I have now found the Alternative Letterhead Mode tucked away in Preferences (Advanced) - it was hidden from view in an unexpanded section called Printer Features.
In efect it prints single sheets duplex by printing a blank page first but I am happy with that.
You also have to set the tray itself to Letterhead on the printer itself as well as in the Paper/Quality tab but it does seem to work, thank you.
Very grateful for your help. I would not have got there on my own. I am marking the case as solved.
In efect it prints single sheets duplex by printing a blank page first but I am happy with that.
You also have to set the tray itself to Letterhead on the printer itself as well as in the Paper/Quality tab but it does seem to work, thank you.
Very grateful for your help. I would not have got there on my own. I am marking the case as solved.
ASKER
"DUPLEX BLANK PAGES. This item allows you to determine how a job is to be duplexed.
The available values are AUTO, which is the default value, and YES.
If AUTO is selected, blank pages within the print job are not duplexed.
If YES is selected, any blank pages within the job are duplexed..."
I hav just read this post which I missed earlier. I will look at that too but I don't mind the dummy duplexing too much although I suppose it wears out the duplexer unnecessarily.
The available values are AUTO, which is the default value, and YES.
If AUTO is selected, blank pages within the print job are not duplexed.
If YES is selected, any blank pages within the job are duplexed..."
I hav just read this post which I missed earlier. I will look at that too but I don't mind the dummy duplexing too much although I suppose it wears out the duplexer unnecessarily.
To print on letterhead or cheque forms, I must load the forms upside down and head first into the printer tray. Then the printer will print on the correct side.
If I have letterhead and two pages to print on it, I put the letterhead in upside down and set Word for two sided print. The output is correct.
I do this in Windows 7 / Word 2010 and so on plus Windows 8 / Word 2013 and so on. It works correctly.