Controlling Print jobs Type and size

HP Color LaserJet 2600n, 3500 and 3700 Series Printers -  Controlling Print jobs Type and size

Priority for print settings

Gaining access to printer driver settings

In the Microsoft Windows operating system, three settings affect how the printer driver tries to pull paper when sent a print job. The Source, Type, and Size settings appear in the Page Setup, Print, or Print Properties dialog boxes in most software programs. By not changing these settings, the printer automatically selects a tray using the default printer settings.

This document is intended to provide information about how to use Source, Type, and Size settings in order to control print jobs. The sections below provide further information about all three settings.

CAUTION: To avoid affecting print jobs of other users, make printer setup changes through the software application or the printer driver whenever possible. Printer setup changes made through the control panel become default settings for subsequent print jobs. Settings selected in the software or the printer driver override settings selected in the control panel.

Source
Printing by Source means choosing a specific tray from which the printer will pull paper. The printer tries to print from this tray, no matter what type or size is loaded in it. If a tray is chosen that is configured for a type or size that does not match the print job, the printer does not print automatically. Instead, it waits for the tray to be loaded with the type or size of paper for the print job. If the tray is loaded correctly, the printer begins printing. Press (Select) to choose other trays.

NOTE: If difficulties with printing by Source occur, click here to see "Priority for print settings" below .

Type and size
Printing by Type or Size means the printer will pull paper from the first tray that is loaded with the chosen type or size. Selecting paper by type rather than source is similar to locking out trays and helps protect special paper from accidental use. (However, selecting the Any setting does not enable this tray lock-out function.) For example, if a tray is configured for letterhead, and the drivers specified to print on plain paper, the printer will not pull the letterhead from that tray. Instead, it will pull paper from a tray that has plain paper loaded and is configured for plain paper on the printer control panel. Selecting paper by type and size results in significantly better print quality for heavy paper, glossy paper, and transparencies. Using the wrong setting can result in unsatisfactory print quality. Always print by Type for special print media, such as labels or grayscale transparencies. Always print by Size for envelopes.

To print by Type or Size when the trays have not been configured for a certain type or size, load the paper or print media into Tray 1. Then, in the printer driver, select the Type or Size from the Page Setup dialog box, the Print dialog box, or the Print Properties dialog box.

If often printing on a certain type or size of paper, the printer administrator (for a network printer) or the user (for a local printer) can configure a tray for that type or size. Then, when that type or size is chosen for a print job, the printer pulls from the tray configured for that type or size.

Every time Tray 2 or the optional Tray 3 is closed, a message appears prompting you to choose a Type or Size for the tray. If the tray is already configured correctly, press (Back arrow) to return to the Ready state.

Priority for print settings
Changes made to print settings are prioritized (or take precedence) depending on where the changes are made:

NOTE: The names of commands and dialog boxes might vary depending on the software application.

Page Setup dialog box. This dialog box opens when clicking Page Setup or a similar command on the File menu of the program you are working in. Settings changed here override settings changed anywhere else.

Print dialog box. This dialog box opens when clicking Print, Print Setup, or a similar command on the File menu of the program being worked in. Settings changed in the Print dialog box have a lower priority and do not override changes made in the Page Setup dialog box.

Printer Properties dialog box (printer driver). The printer driver opens when clicking Properties in the Print dialog box. Settings changed in the Printer Properties dialog box do not override settings available anywhere else in the printing software.

Default printer driver settings. The default printer driver settings determine settings used in all print jobs, unless settings are changed in the Page Setup, Print, or Printer Properties dialog boxes, as described above.

Printer control panel settings. Settings changed here have a lower priority than changes made anywhere else.

Gaining access to printer driver settings
The follow table provides information about accessing printer driving settings:

Operating System
Temporary Change Settings for Print Jobs
Permanently Change Default Settings*

Windows 98, 2000, Me, and XP
From the File menu, click Print. Select the printer, and then click Properties. (The steps may vary; this procedure is most common.)
Click Start, click Settings, and then click Printers or Printers and Faxes.

Right-click the printer icon, and then click Properties.

Many features are available by choosing the Printing Preferences command (2000 and XP).

Macintosh OS 9.1
On the File menu, click Print. Change settings for the various pop-up menus.
On the File menu, click Print. While changing settings on the pop-up menu, click Save Settings.

Macintosh OS X
On the File menu, click Print. Change settings for the various pop-up menus.
On the File menu, click Print. Change settings for the various pop-up menus, and then on the main pop-up menu, click Save Custom Settings. These settings are saved as the Custom option. To use the new settings, select the Custom option every time a program is opened and prints.

* Access to default printer settings might be restricted, and therefore, the settings might be unavailable.

©2005 Hewlett-Packard