OMG - I waste reams of paper

[hatterasman]

How can I set Chief to either 1) Save the paper source/size specific to the layout.  2 ) choose the paper source/size of the printer that matches the layout sheet or to warn me when a print job is spanning multiple pages. (e.g. WARNING, Print job spans multiple pages and will take 437 sheets.  Continue?)

[BrownTiger]

1) You setup layout size via File>Print>Drawing Sheet Setup.

 

2)  forget about using physical printer.

 

3) Use adobe acrobat printer. Acrobat allows print as image and scale printing to fit the printer page.

 

4) When pdf is generated you can examine it, to see that you are satisfied with what generated. 

[hatterasman]

That just shifts the issue to Acrobat...that defaults to 8 1/2" x 11" because 99% of the pdf's I print are letter size.  Sending the plan .pdf to the printer still requires changing the paper size or I end up with a plan that's reduced to fit letter size.  We have "paper source = automatic", why not "size = automatic" or a check box for "Always choose paper size by drawing sheet size" option.

[glennw]

How can I set Chief to either 1) Save the paper source/size specific to the layout.  2 ) choose the paper source/size of the printer that matches the layout sheet or to warn me when a print job is spanning multiple pages. (e.g. WARNING, Print job spans multiple pages and will take 437 sheets.  Continue?)

 

 

There are a couple of things you can do.

 

1.Turn on Print Preview in the layout.

 

2. Look at the print preview in the Print Layout dbx

 

3. You can set up a default printer  and paper size in the Default Printer for View dbx - accessed from the Drawing Sheet Setup dbx..

[hatterasman]

I appreciate the suggestions.  I've been through these options and find them more frustrating than wasting paper.

[glennw]

Looks like you need to buy more paper.

[dshall]

Looks like you need to buy more paper.

 

LOL.  I concur.  It seems like turning on PRINT PREVIEW would save paper,  but what do I know?

[lbuttery]

ok, seriously you need to learn to use PDF first

 

printing to PDF has numerous advantages

 

as stated set you drawing sheet via MENU - PRINT - DRAWING SHEET

 

this should be your desired layout size

 

when you print the layout use PDF as your printer

 

when printing from PDF to paper you have many paper size options

 

I just created an 11 x17 layout but printed on 81/2 x 11 just for review

 

I could take to a print shop and print 11 x 17 or 22 x 34 (on 24 x 36) etc etc etc

and they would be to scale

 

when setting up your drawing sheet you get a visual reference as to how many pages etc

 

same with printing from PDF

 

no need to waster paper

 

Lew

[lbuttery]

the other great advantage of PDF is that you have an archive of exactly what was printed at that time

 

and they can be emailed to clients or the print shop etc

 

I also use PDF's when surfing the web and I find info I want to keep or print

 

if I print straight from web many times there are pages you don't want or comments you  don't want etc

look over PDF and then print just the pages you want

 

have a pdf where you only want certain pages sent to the client

 

when printing from PDF choose PDF as your PDF and create a new PDF with just those pages

 

PDF's are better than sliced bread

 

Lew

[jbaehmer]

I appreciate the suggestions.  I've been through these options and find them more frustrating than wasting paper.

 

You probably don't know how to preview a print.  Here is the print DBX where you can see it.  If this frustrates you....sorry, nothing else I can do.  

[hatterasman]

I use print to pdf.  As I stated above that just shifts the paper size selection to acrobat if I need a hard copy and it's actually easier to change paper size in Chief.  I've turned off print preview as it slows printing, especially with layouts that have imported Truss Layouts and TJI Layout pdfs.   I tend to switch between the full size drawing sheet layout and a letter size "brochure" layout.  It would be a nice feature to have an option to have chief associate the paper size with the drawing sheet.  I probably should have posted this in wish list. 

[jbaehmer]

So it sounds like you are wanting to have two different paper sizes within a single layout file.  That is a no right now.  I have plans were I am printing both 8.5x11 and full size pages, so I have two separate layout files for that instead of switching back and forth on a layout paper size.

 

mention it on the suggestion page....it has been suggested before many times in the past, but worth bringing up again.

[KirkClemons]

How can I set Chief to either 1) Save the paper source/size specific to the layout.  2 ) choose the paper source/size of the printer that matches the layout sheet or to warn me when a print job is spanning multiple pages. (e.g. WARNING, Print job spans multiple pages and will take 437 sheets.  Continue?)

 

1. Select 'File> Print> Drawing Sheet Setup' from the menu.
2. Select your drawing sheet size and print scale.(See this article for choosing scale: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00651/setting-the-print-scale.html )
3. If you want Chief Architect to remember the last printer you used check 'Remember print settings after printing'. If you want Chief to remember a specific printer and paper size uncheck that option and click choose printer.
4. Click print and always check to make sure that these last settings are correct, then click print again.

[BrownTiger]

That just shifts the issue to Acrobat...that defaults to 8 1/2" x 11" because 99% of the pdf's I print are letter size.  Sending the plan .pdf to the printer still requires changing the paper size or I end up with a plan that's reduced to fit letter size.  We have "paper source = automatic", why not "size = automatic" or a check box for "Always choose paper size by drawing sheet size" option.

 

Because it is not how it works. You tell the printer what you want your job to be printed on, DPI's, and you may even be able to specify the tray. And printer will pick a suitable paper.

 

>why not "size = automatic"

 

May be in PCL 7 or 8 HP will add scaling and correctly handling bi-directional communication and queries - with multiple spoolers; and every manufacture will adopt it immediately, everyone will buy new printers: but likelihood of that is pretty low.

 

In Windows OpenFile(Printer), WritePrinter/ReadPrinter api's do not work, they are a joke. No software vendor that I know of uses these. Setting / Getting DeviceCapabilities like DC_PAPERSIZE returns hardcoded values from the driver and not printer, getting /setting DevMode's are broken; and querying PCL printer spoolers are not reliable (90% chance will fail).

 

I would not keep my hopes up.

[DavidJPotter]

There is a lot of good advice above but the rock bottom requirement is to really confront (squarely look at ) dialog box settings before doing anything. It seems like people have forgotten how to really look at a dialog box, see how it is set before acting. This is even more true with the print dialogs from Chief and from a PDF file to paper, you miss one simple setting and all is then waste, it is so preventable.

 

DJP