Onsite Printing Dilemma

strath44 · strath44's Garage

Couldn't be much further from cars but have a work problem I am struggling to solve and drawing a blank on......................

We have guys that go onsite to a business and when they have finished their work they print a code on a order form / report (between 20-100 of these per site visit) each one has a different code but thats changed automatically by word.

This A4 paper form is no longer big enough for all the data on it and it now either has to become a folded A3 or 2 sheets of A4, (the later not really being suitable).

The problem is when you put a piece of A3 folded to A4 in a printer it tries to only pull one page and jams.

I need desperately suggestions to solve this.

One idea I had is that the engineer prints the codes on labels and stick them to the form, however they already have so much to do this would be a total PITA and I would rather avoid it!!

Sorry a bit complicated but any help appreciated!

stomachmonkey · 09-10-2012, 06:35 AM

Sounds like they are using the businesses onsite printers?

I would focus on getting the required info back on one A4.

If it's not your equipment then you will always run into situations that cause problems.

A4 is the standard default/constant.

The reason A3 does not work is if the printer is expecting A4 from your page setup it is expecting to pull a specific length of paper and the longer paper represents a jam.

Are your guys setting A3 in page setup?

id10t · 09-10-2012, 07:26 AM

I'd print to a PDF file and email it to whoever needs it, and let them deal with printing it

herr_oberst · 09-10-2012, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by id10t

I'd print to a PDF file and email it to whoever needs it, and let them deal with printing it

This.

stomachmonkey · 09-10-2012, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by id10t

I'd print to a PDF file and email it to whoever needs it, and let them deal with printing it

Too simple.

Will never work.

dad911 · 09-10-2012, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by id10t

I'd print to a PDF file and email it to whoever needs it, and let them deal with printing it

Yep, copier service tech did this last time they were out, emailed to me immediately, with my signature on it, and I forwarded to my bookkeeper to pay. Saved time for everyone.

strath44 · strath44's Garage

thanks,

a bit further info......

the A4 sheet has an ordering element to it so our clients customers can place additional orders after our guy leaves, about 60% did last year so its important to have a physical document.

our engineers carry canon 4900ip printers which we find very good particularly because they are compact.

Esel Mann · 09-10-2012, 01:24 PM

If you can print to a PDF, then it should be possible to scale the print to the desired paper size no?

I have no idea of what program is being used but perhaps it may have a print to scale option and thus you can avoid the PDF step all together.

id10t · 09-10-2012, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esel Mann

If you can print to a PDF, then it should be possible to scale the print to the desired paper size no?

I have no idea of what program is being used but perhaps it may have a print to scale option and thus you can avoid the PDF step all together.

A pdf file is basically the postscript info sent to the printer, a viewer just interprets it and shows it on the screen. My recommendation to print to PDF lets you bypass the paper feeding issue, saves paper (short term), saves the folks from toting around printers as well as a laptop, provides an electronic paper trail, etc.

If the end user wants to actually hand write additional order information, they can print it and then fax/mail/carrier pigeon it as needed. If they don't need anything extra, they can send it to their purchasing folk via email for a PO to be processed.

Esel Mann · 09-11-2012, 04:33 AM

id10t, I hear what you are saying. It makes absolute sense. In fact it's what I would do!

However (Strath44 please correct me if I'm wrong) from the posts it does sound as if the company (for better or worse) is more interested in some sort of patch as opposed to a complete paradigm shift (got my Dilbert vocabulary in for the day) of their field paperwork procedure. Hence that is why I proposed utilizing something quite likely already there, the scaling function when printing out.