Adjusting the Alignment of PostScript Output (44922)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2.03
  • Microsoft Windows 2.1
  • Microsoft Windows 2.11
  • Microsoft Windows 3.0
  • Microsoft Windows 3.0a
  • Microsoft Windows 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows 3.11
This article was previously published under Q44922

SUMMARY

Most PostScript printers have their printable regions factory aligned to a tolerance of 1/8 inch. This means that if you print a page from an application such as Aldus PageMaker, with a line exactly 1 inch from the physical edge of the page, it may be off by as much as 1/8 inch in one direction or the other. This applies to both vertical and horizontal alignment.

This is not a problem with the Windows PostScript driver. The Windows PostScript driver does not set the position of the printable region; it uses the factory set position. If the factory set position is off, the Windows PostScript output will be off.

You can permanently adjust the position of the printable region on the page in increments of 1/300 inch.

MORE INFORMATION

Use the following PostScript code to adjust the position on the page of the printable region: 
   serverdict begin 0 exitserver
   statusdict begin
   yyy xxx setmargins
   start
   ^D
   ^C
The "yyy" above represents the number of 1/300-inch units that you want to adjust the vertical position of the printable region. Positive numbers move the printable region downward, and negative numbers move the region upward.

The "xxx" represents the number of 1/300-inch units that you want to adjust the horizontal position. Positive moves the region to the right, and negative moves to the left.

To adjust the position, follow these steps:
  1. Create a test page in your application:

    1. Place a vertical line exactly 1 inch from the left edge of the page.
    2. Place and a horizontal line exactly 1 inch from the top edge of the page.
    3. Set both vertical and horizontal margins to 0.
  2. Print the page, and measure the amount by which the lines vary from their ideal 1-inch positions.
  3. Convert this measurement to 1/300-inch units. For example, 1/16 inch would be approximately 19 units.
  4. Use an ASCII text editor (such as Notepad) to create a text file of the above PostScript code. Note that you create the ^D and ^C lines by using the caret character on the keyboard, not by typing CTRL+D or CTRL+C. Substitute your measurements for the the "yyy" and "xxx".
  5. Copy the file to your printer. Most PostScript printers reprint their startup pages at this point. If you receive a PostScript error printout, your printer does not support this type of operation.
Your printable region alignment is now corrected. Reprint your test page to verify this. If you overcorrected, simply repeat this process using new measurements.

The new alignment is written to your printer's nonvolatile memory and the adjustment is permanent.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:7/7/2005
Keywords:KB44922
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