Printout Truncated When Printing to Plotter (175205)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
- Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
- Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
This article was previously published under Q175205 SYMPTOMS
When printing to a plotter printer under from a computer running Windows NT
4.0, the printout might shift down and to the left, and might truncate text
or graphics at the bottom and on the right side of the page. All text and
graphics might print as expected on a computer running Windows NT 3.51.
-or-
If a user attempts to format a document with no (zero) margins on a
computer running Windows NT 3.51, applications such as Write allow the
settings and will not return any error message. On computers running
Windows NT 4.0, the following (or a similar) message is returned when no
(zero) margin is requested:
Current printer cannot print outside these margins:
Left: 0.71 Right: 0.7
Top: 0.24 Bottom: 0.24
CAUSE
When you set document margins to all zeros in an application, a
check is made to determine minimum margins for the selected print
device. A routine contained within plotter.dll checks the manufacturer-
supplied "plotter characterization data" (PCD) file. This file supplies
the hardware minimum margin values for the print device. Minimum margin
values are not always correctly enforced because of an error in Windows NT
3.51.
Minimum margin values are correctly enforced in Windows NT 4.0. A request
for a zero margin setting (or a value less than the PCD margin minimum)
returns an error message that shows the minimum values. In some cases in
Windows NT 4.0, printer manufacturers increased minimum margins to
guarantee that print data is contained within the device printable areas.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.51.
We are researching this problem and will post new information here in
the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.
This behavior is by design in Windows NT 4.0.
RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, in Windows NT 4.0, create a custom form that is
slightly larger than the actual page size you are using. For example, if
the area to be printed on the plotter paper is 8.5" x 11", and the
unprintable region is .24" on the top and bottom, and .7" on the left and
the right, create a form with dimensions of at least 9.9" x 11.48".
For more information on how to create custom forms, please see the
following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
ARTICLE-ID: 157172
TITLE : How to Create Custom Forms in Windows NT 4.0
| Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 9/7/2001 |
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| Keywords: | kbbug kbprint KB175205 |
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