printer friendly pages in a website

[Billiam]

I have created a website in Win XP Publisher 2007, and would like to make
"Printer Friendly pages". Can I place these printer friendly pages (8"x11")
in my web publication, and then link to them from the web publication and
back from the printer frendly publication to the webpage... or do I just set
up another publication with the printer friendly pages and link to and from
them to the website?

 

[DavidF]

Though you can do the first, personally, I think the later is your best
choice.

Using a second Pub file to produce your print friendly html pages and
uploading those to a subfolder on your host will be easier to produce, and
easier to manage. You can resize the width of the page so it will print on
8.5 if you use a new Pub file. You can only have one page width per Pub
file. You can layout your print content in a more print friendly format and
discard those design elements that you don't want to print.

The bigger your site gets, the more you should use separate Publisher files
to build your website, and publishing to subfolders on your host to keep
your html and image files, download files, etc. organized and easier to
manage.

I might also add, that this is one of the reasons that I still use a fixed
760 pixel width for my pages. It seems that as long as the page is 800
pixels or less in width...or so, then it will be "print friendly" in that it
will all print on 8.5 inch paper. I like the way my 760 pixel width page
prints...has good margins on the page. I don't bother trying to break my
site up into 11" long pages for printing purposes. I tend to use long pages
and when you print them you do get all the content...you just can't control
where the printer will break the page and start a new one. I decided that as
long as all the content would print on 8.5 stock paper, that was good
enough. Besides, anything that I really think someone would want to print, I
provide it as a PDF file (also contained in a subfolder). That way I really
can control the print version.

I guess my point is, that though its possible to include your print friendly
pages into your one Pub file, I think you will find it much better in the
long run to start using subfolders on your website, and additional Pub files
to build your site.

Just my opinion ;-)

DavidF

 

[Billiam]

Excellent help---thank you very much, David.

Though you can do the first, personally, I think the later is your best
choice.

Using a second Pub file to produce your print friendly html pages and
uploading those to a subfolder on your host will be easier to produce, and
easier to manage. You can resize the width of the page so it will print on
8.5 if you use a new Pub file. You can only have one page width per Pub
file. You can layout your print content in a more print friendly format and
discard those design elements that you don't want to print.

The bigger your site gets, the more you should use separate Publisher files
to build your website, and publishing to subfolders on your host to keep
your html and image files, download files, etc. organized and easier to
manage.

I might also add, that this is one of the reasons that I still use a fixed
760 pixel width for my pages. It seems that as long as the page is 800
pixels or less in width...or so, then it will be "print friendly" in that it
will all print on 8.5 inch paper. I like the way my 760 pixel width page
prints...has good margins on the page. I don't bother trying to break my
site up into 11" long pages for printing purposes. I tend to use long pages
and when you print them you do get all the content...you just can't control
where the printer will break the page and start a new one. I decided that as
long as all the content would print on 8.5 stock paper, that was good
enough. Besides, anything that I really think someone would want to print, I
provide it as a PDF file (also contained in a subfolder). That way I really
can control the print version.

I guess my point is, that though its possible to include your print friendly
pages into your one Pub file, I think you will find it much better in the
long run to start using subfolders on your website, and additional Pub files
to build your site.

Just my opinion ;-)

DavidF

 

[Billiam]

Hi David,

I went back into my website publication and it is actually using a default
page size of 760 wide by 4608px long, and yet it still is cutting off the
page width. I would really prefer not to have a seperate publication to worry
about updatng (printer friendly publication), as the website I have requires
frequent updates and so would be labour intensive updating both publications.
Margin guides are set at 0" is this my problem?

 

[Mike Koewler]

What is the url of your website? Are you trying to make just specific
pages print friendly or a bunch of them?

Does your printer friendly pages include a banner, Nav Bar, background,
etc.? Or just plain text?

I set my printer friendly pages up 750 pix wide and there is no problem
printing them.

Mike

 

[DavidF]

Billiam,

Hummm...perhaps I am just lucky that my pages print ok, or perhaps it is the
printer default margins? Some printers will not print as close to the edge
as others. Did you perhaps try printing your pages on a different printer?

I certainly understand not wanting to maintain two sets of files. I would
first ask whether the cropping is the full length of the page, or is it just
one design element? Did you run the Design Checker tool? Is it possible that
you have some elements in the scratch area? Are those the ones being
cropped? If you have a text box where all the text is being cropped on one
side, and it is all on your page and not in the scratch area, then indeed it
is probable that even a 760 pixel page is too wide for your printer. And
yes, the best answer is to increase the margin guide or guides slightly
until the page fits. Once you increase the margin guide(s), be sure to have
the Snap To function enabled under Arrange in 2003. Then it will be
relatively easy to move your content within the margins. Once you find the
width that will print correctly, then you can add margins to all pages, or
you could resize your pages to that width.

DavidF

 

[Billiam]

Thanks for the input.

I tried making the default width of the publication 700px wide and that is
working fine for the width now.

My new problem is printing long webpages, especially where I have a table of
individuals and their phone numbers etc. The tables will not print with grid
marks, and where the page is printed in two or more sheets, the first page
prints with a blank background (no fill colour) but the subsequent pages
print With Fill colour. Any ideas appreciated.

My goal is to have the grid marks show as there are 5 columns and lots of
info so the grid lines make a nice "sight break", and no fill colour on the
page would best as well.

Thnks again for your help!

 

[DavidF]

Billium,

I sure would not have thought that you needed to go that narrow, but...

As to the print output, that is printer dependent. I have my browser and
printers set to not print the background, but others may vary. I don't know
how you would over-ride the settings on my computer and printer. There may
be some code that does that for you, but I sure don't know it.

As per the table, I have only one idea off the top of my head, and that is
to copy the table and then paste special back on the page as an image.
Tables generally are converted to images during the html conversion process
anyway, so doing it in advance may print better. But then if you are
printing from web page preview and having those problems, then I don't know
what to say.

It is interesting that you are having problems going from web format to
print format, while most people that post here have the opposite
problem...well, interesting to me anyway ;-)

Personally I think the table you describe is one of those things that
deserve a PDF version. Layout the table on a separate Pub file, and convert
it to PDF. Upload the file to your host, and link to it. I don't remember
which version you are using but 2007 has the pdf add-in that you can use, or
you can download and install www.primopdf.com which is a freebie, but good
pdf conversion tool. And to remind you of how to link external files,
reference: Including external files in a Publisher web :
http://msmvps.com/blogs/dbartosik/archive/2006/01/07/80561.aspx

Sorry I don't have better ideas...DavidF

 

[Billiam]

Good advice on the pdf i think...I was thinking I would have to manually
update both, when in fact I would still only be updating the Publisher 2007
table and converting it to a .pdf. I like this idea better then what I was
doing to solve the problem, which was to break the tables in half, and
provide links to and from them within the publication to ease the printing,
which works, but is still labour intensive. Will try it your way as I think
this makes the most sense. By the way, it is an HP 3050 laserjet i am
printing to, less than a year old, so why I am having the width issue, who
knows... I have managed to convert to the smaller width, so hopefully someone
trying to print won't have the same problems from their home.

Many thanks again for your help and suggestions!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bill

 

[DavidF]

Thanks for posting back. I am at a loss to explain why your printer would
not print a 750 pixel width, or even a 760 width without cropping. Is there
any setting in the print dialog about "print to fit" or the opposite that
might affect the way the page is scaled? If you go to printers and look at
the properties of the printer, are there any settings that might affect or
set the default margins such that you end up with a more narrow page?

Its a lot of fun switching back and forth between print and web media, isn't
it? ;-) Trial and terror sometimes. As per the work involved with updating
the site, that is just part of web building I am afraid. If you went with
dynamic web site software, you might find a better and easier way for
updating, but with Publisher pretty much producing a static site, about the
only thing you can do is build and design your site so that it is as easily
managed as possible. That's one of the reasons building a site using
multiple Publisher files and subfolder on your host can be helpful.

Hope it works out for you.

DavidF