How to create a custom built-in paper size?

[Jennifer Murphy]

I'd like to create a custom built-in paper size that will show up in the
list of paper sizes on the Paper tab of the Page Setup dialog box.

I thought I did this once in Word 2000 or 2003, but I can't seem to find
how to do it in 2007.

I'm hoping that I can create a paper size that will put the text for a
3x5 card in the right place on the page when fed through the manual feed
tray.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You can't do this in Word. You can create a template for a 3x5 card, but
there's no guarantee it will feed properly. Depending on your printer, you
may have a tab in the printer Properties (accessed from Windows Control
Panel rather than through Word's Print dialog) that allows you to define new
paper sizes.

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

 

[Jennifer Murphy]

You can't do this in Word. You can create a template for a 3x5 card, but
there's no guarantee it will feed properly.

Yes, I've created the template and it does not feed properly unless I
fiddle with the margins.

Depending on your printer, you
may have a tab in the printer Properties (accessed from Windows Control
Panel rather than through Word's Print dialog) that allows you to define new
paper sizes.

Do you mean:

* Start | Settings | Printers & Faxes
* Right-click the printer
* Select Properties

?

Using that procedure, I was not able to find any way to define a new
paper size.

I then tried this from Word:

* File (Office button)
* Print
* Select a printer (the HP laserjet 5000)
* Properties
* Paper tab

There is a section for selecting the paper size. It has a button labeled
"Custom", which is greyed out. Next to it is a little callout with an
"i". Clicking on that brings up a "Feature Tip" which says, "This
feature is not available because you do not have permission to save
settings on this computer."

I was certain that I did this once before, but that may have been before
we upgraded from Win 2000 to Win XP.

Do you know how I can give myself permission? I am the only user and I
thought I usually ran as the Administrator.

The driver for the other printer does not offer this option.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

To your first question, yes. You can also access the printer Properties from
Word's Print dialog, but sometimes there will not be as many tabs (what I
get from Word represents the Printing Preferences subdialog from the overall
printer Properties, with no way to access the rest).

The paper sizes listed on the Paper tab of the Page Setup dialog are
provided by your printer driver and will vary from printer to printer. If
you were able to create a new size in the printer driver, it would show up
here. "Custom" is usually shown when you change the measurements from one of
the built-in sizes.

You asked about creating a new "built-in" size, and the only way to do that
(if possible) is through the printer Properties. Mostly it will be only
high-end laser printers that offer this ability. For example, my LaserJet
4100, in Advanced | Printing Defaults | Paper has a size selector with a
Custom... button that allows me to add a new size (though I don't know why
I'd need to, as it already provides a couple of dozen built-in sizes!).

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