Envelopes and other non-standard paper

[Heather Mills]

Is there a way to create a template that I can use to print one-page
documents on any size paper from from 3x5 to 8.5x11? I'd like to be
able to load the template, set the dimensions, and print.

This would be for printing on gift cards or envelopes or other
non-standard paper. Each time I have a new paper size, I end up
creating a new document or template. I've now got dozens of them.
Envelopes are the hardest as they are always slightly different sizes.

I've tried a few times to create such a template and each time I run
into some problem.

I've tried setting a custom paper size with the exact dimensions. The
problem with that is that I never know how to feed the paper.
Sometimes it expects it to be fed like letter paper and sometimes like
card stock and sometimes like envelopes. This changes according to the
paper size.

We have 2 printers, an HP laserjet (5000N) and a color inkjet (Canon
S830D). One of the problems is that they feed differently.

The HP feeds letter paper sideways (11 edge first) with the top on the
right. It also feeds envelopes sideways (narrow edge first), but with
the top on the left. The paper guides for the manual feed tray adjust
simultaneously so that the paper is always centered.

The Canon feeds from the back. Letter paper feeds top (8.5) edge
first. The left paper guide is fixed. Only the right can be adjusted.

Is there any way to create a template that will print any size paper
on either printer?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I feel your pain. I have several templates for standard envelope sizes (#10,
6x9) as well as for some of the most common sizes of greeting card
envelopes. For other nonstandard envelopes, I usually start with a greeting
card one and adapt it as required, but I confess I share your uncertainty
about how the printer will choose to feed it and often test with a sheet of
plain paper before feeding the envelope. Luckily, my LaserJet 4100 seems to
be pretty consistent about feeding envelopes and other small paper sizes
from the center, at least with the current driver. That driver also permits
me to define some custom paper sizes, which is helpful.

I don't think you can make any templates that you can confidently use
interchangeably on the two printers, but, if you can, by testing various
sizes, determine where the size breaks are on the LaserJet (that is, where
it stops treating the paper as Letter and starts treating it as an
envelope), then you should be able to make a template for the largest
"envelope" size and then reduce it as needed in a given case. Of course, any
time you change the dimensions, you'll have to drag the Envelope Address
frame to a new location.

It's not hard to see why so many people send hand-addressed greeting cards!

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[bj]

It's not hard to see why so many people send hand-addressed greeting
cards!

--

They do, however, make them look like "real mail".

Which may be why so many charities also send "hand addressed" cards -- many
are hand-writing-printer-fonts, from the look of it, but some are actually
*hand written*.
bj

 

[Heather Mills]

I feel your pain. I have several templates for standard envelope sizes (#10,
6x9) as well as for some of the most common sizes of greeting card
envelopes. For other nonstandard envelopes, I usually start with a greeting
card one and adapt it as required, but I confess I share your uncertainty
about how the printer will choose to feed it and often test with a sheet of
plain paper before feeding the envelope. Luckily, my LaserJet 4100 seems to
be pretty consistent about feeding envelopes and other small paper sizes
from the center, at least with the current driver. That driver also permits
me to define some custom paper sizes, which is helpful.

I don't think you can make any templates that you can confidently use
interchangeably on the two printers, but, if you can, by testing various
sizes, determine where the size breaks are on the LaserJet (that is, where
it stops treating the paper as Letter and starts treating it as an
envelope), then you should be able to make a template for the largest
"envelope" size and then reduce it as needed in a given case. Of course, any
time you change the dimensions, you'll have to drag the Envelope Address
frame to a new location.

It's not hard to see why so many people send hand-addressed greeting cards!

OK. That's too bad. Thanks.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Indeed. And as the USPS scanners improve in their ability to interpret
handwritten addresses (provided the ZIP is clearly written), there's less
emphasis on the need for "typed" addresses. Even for bulk mail for which
there is a postage discount, I believe there is no requirement that an
address be machine-produced (though there are other requirements).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Heather Mills]

I feel your pain. I have several templates for standard envelope sizes (#10,
6x9) as well as for some of the most common sizes of greeting card
envelopes. For other nonstandard envelopes, I usually start with a greeting
card one and adapt it as required, but I confess I share your uncertainty
about how the printer will choose to feed it and often test with a sheet of
plain paper before feeding the envelope. Luckily, my LaserJet 4100 seems to
be pretty consistent about feeding envelopes and other small paper sizes
from the center, at least with the current driver. That driver also permits
me to define some custom paper sizes, which is helpful.

I don't think you can make any templates that you can confidently use
interchangeably on the two printers, but, if you can, by testing various
sizes, determine where the size breaks are on the LaserJet (that is, where
it stops treating the paper as Letter and starts treating it as an
envelope), then you should be able to make a template for the largest
"envelope" size and then reduce it as needed in a given case. Of course, any
time you change the dimensions, you'll have to drag the Envelope Address
frame to a new location.

It's not hard to see why so many people send hand-addressed greeting cards!

Hi, Suzanne,

After you felt my pain (;-)), I was encouraged to give it another try.
I resurrected a method I used a long time ago, but abandoned because
the calculations were too tedious and error prone. I just created a
spreadsheet to handle the calculations and I think I have them almost
right.

I've posted a request over on microsoft.public.vba.general for help
porting the calculations to a macro. If I can get it working, it would
allow anyone to print on any size paper on any printer and have the
text properly aligned. All they have to do is measure the paper and
figure out how the printer will align the forms.

Please feel free to contribute over there.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I don't venture into any of the VBA forums because I don't speak VBA. But I
hope you get the solution you're looking for!

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Heather Mills]

I don't venture into any of the VBA forums because I don't speak VBA. But I
hope you get the solution you're looking for!

Well, I only speak pidgin vba myself! ;-)

If I get a working macro, I'll post a copy here.