Word interrogates the printer driver. There is nowhere else it can gain this
information. If the printer driver provides the wrong information to Word,
Word will display the wrong information. This is not Word's fault.
The printable area (or specifically the non-printable areas should be in the
Printer's documentation (usually set out as the minimum margins).
The programming side of Word is not public knowledge, but as the printer
manufacturers are able (usually) to write drivers, they must be give the
necessary information. Word uses the data provided by the printer driver to
calculate not just page margins but how to layout the page for the attached
printer.
Terry Farrell
: (See WORKAROUND at bottom)
:
: Review the original problem:
:
: Start Word, new document. Default paper size: 8.5 x 11
: Margins: Top and bottom 1, Left and right 1.25
:
: Change paper size to 7 x 9
:
: Word shows message A: "One or more margins are set outside the printable
: area of the page. Choose the Fix button to increase the appropriate
margins."
:
: $ Question 1: What is a "printable area"? Look in Word Help; it's Not
Found.
: Technical terms in messages should be defined in Help; this is a Word
problem.
:
: $ Question 2: What is the specific printable area in this case?
: If Word determines this from the print driver, why can't Word display it
to
: me?
:
: $ Question 3: Which margin (shown for 8.5 x 11 doc) is "set outside" the
: "printable area"? If Word determines this from the print driver, why
can't
: Word tell me which margin is a problem?
:
: I then clicked Fix, as Word told me to do.
:
: Word changed the margins to: Top 1, Bottom 9.5, Left 3.75, Right 3.75.
:
: $ Question 4: On a 7x9 document, how did Word calculate each of these
: margins? Even a new user can see the Bottom, Left, and Right margins are
: INVALID. Word approved the changes knowing the doc size, so it's another
Word
: problem.
:
: After clicking OK, Word shows message B: "The settings you chose for the
: left and right margins, column spacing, or paragraph indents are too large
: for the page width in some sections."
:
: $ Question 5: Why does Word blame me (the settings YOU chose) for changing
: the margins?
: I did not enter the new margins. The only other party here that I know
about
: is Word. Word told me to click Fix. As a new user, I know nothing about
Word
: interacting with print drivers.
: A more accurate and helpful message is: "The current print driver has
: determined a new Left margin value, which is invalid. For more
information,
: see Help under xxxxx."
:
: $ Clicking on Ignore, and then entering data into doc, do Print preview,
the
: data is not there. Ignore evidently means more than simply ignore the
: message.
:
: WORKAROUND
:
: Lexmark Tech Support suggested this:
: Go to Control Panel, Printers, Properties (of specific printer being
used),
: Printing Preferences, Paper Setup. Select Custom size, enter 7 x 9.
:
: Repeat exercise in Word. Now I do not get message A.
:
: Then I go back to Control Panel and change back to standard Letter (8.5 x
: 11).
:
: Repeat exercise in Word. I still do not get message A.
: In Word, change paper size to other custom sizes. No message A.
:
: What has happened? It appears that going into Control Panel and specifying
: 7x9 custom size has told Word that ANY custom size is OK from now on (even
: after Control Panel shows standard Letter again).
:
: And I do not know how to make the problem occur again.
: This also causes confusion!
:
: I would like to get more information about the relationship between Print
: driver, Control Panel, and Word. For example, did Control Panel change the
: print driver? What exactly does Word consult to determine "printable area"
: and valid margins? Is it not reasonable to want to understand the rules?
:
:
:
:
: "TF" wrote:
:
: > I say again that this is not really a Word problem. I can certainly do
: > custom sizes smaller using a Canon printer driver. Maybe your printer
driver
: > is corrupt or out of date. Check to see if there is a newer driver and
then
: > delete and reinstall the driver.
: >
: > Word has not change the margins to an invalid value off its own bat: it
is
: > the printer driver that determines these settings and NOT Word. Where
does
: > Word blame the user?
: >
: > Surely IGNORE needs no definition. It means the same in any version of
the
: > English Language.
: >
: > Printable Area is defined as 'Area that is Printable'. Every printer
(well
: > standard home/office printers) has a narrow unprintable area around the
page
: > (unprintable border). Older InkJets had a huge unprintable area at the
: > bottom of the page, but usually the unprintable area these days is
around
: > 5mm all around the page.
: >
: > If you want to print to the edge of a page, you need to go to a print
shop
: > where they have printers that 'bleed' to the edges. (Many Photo Printers
: > have an option to print photo to the edges of special paper though.)
: >
: > Terry
: >
: > : > : Word is not helpful in these ways:
: > : >Term "printable area" in message is not found in Word Help.
: > : >Word did not provide way for user to get additional information.
: > : >Word did not explain effect of clicking Ignore option.
: > : >Word tells user to click Fix to resolve problem, but it does not
resolve
: > problem; instead
: > : >Word changed margins to INVALID values for paper size of 7 x 9, then
: > : >Word blames user for choosing bad values.
: > :
: > : This is NOT user friendly!
: > :
: > : I checked with the printer manual; it states custom sizes are OK; just
: > load
: > : paper on right side. I printed an Excel sheet on 7 x 9 paper. The
printer
: > : printed the info and advanced the paper thru. That's exactly what I
: > expected.
: > : If it can do this, I'd say the print driver supports 7 x 9 paper.
: > :
: > : I wouldn't think that a paper size smaller than standard 8.5 x 11
should
: > be
: > : a problem. If the print driver supports 8.5 x 11, what's the problem
with
: > a
: > : smaller size? The printed image starts at upper left corner as we see
it
: > on
: > : screen, and transferred to actual paper as it is driven thru the
printer.
: > :
: > : I would think this would be a "piece of cake" for Word.
: > : I'm greatly disappointed.
: > :
: >
: >
: >
