printing offset by .25 inches on reverse
 

I'm not sure if this is an Open Office problem or just a driver glich, but I can not find any help on any other forum, so I'm asking here.

OpenOfficea 3.0, Writer, KDE 4.3, Kubuntu 9.04, HP CP1215 Color laser via HPLIP

When I print brochure, (2 up, double sided printing), the printing on the reverse side is always .25 inches offset, despite the margins being .5 inches all around... the result is when you fold the brochure, nothing lines up for trimming, etc... can't trim a full bleed image, for example, because you cut into text on the other side, where there should really be a .25 difference...

Does anyone know what file I can modify to tweak the printer settings?

thanks,
scott

Is the offset across the page or down it? And which way is the page feeding through the printer (portrait or landscape)?

Sometimes you can fix these issues by tweaking the margins (making them non-symmetrical), eg 0.375/0.625 instead of 0.5/0.5.

For laying out print jobs, you might also consider using the application 'scribus'. It isn't as fully featured as a professional publishing package, but you may find it suitable for jobs like brochures.

Hello, thanks for responding

The problem occurs in OpenOffice 3.0.1, when you go into the printer options, and make a choice of either 'left pages' or 'right pages'. Even numbered pages are then offset by the long-side of the paper, as if open office is not centering the entire content of the pages.

If I open OO and create a two page document with only a page border, and if I don't change the options, and print page range of 1, then put it back in the printer and print page 2 on the reverse side, it does fine, but as soon as I select 'either' left page or right page, the even numbered pages are offset.

The result is, when I create a brochure, or booklet (2-up landscape per page with the pages ordered correctly), the text doesn't line up when the item is folded. The same can be duplicated without the brochure option as well by trying to print the right pages first (odd numbered pages), then putting the papar back in the printer and selecting 'left pages' and attempting to print the even numbered pages, thos are then offset.

I'm pretty sure it's not an HPLIP or IJS issue or even a printer driver issue, I think it's specific to OO, and no one seems to know in those forums.

I've tried fresh install and have duplicated the problem prior to any modifications on my part.

I love scribus, and I use it for special projects, but what I'm doing in OO is everyday booklet style that uses linked files, etc.

Yeah, that makes it hard. I've tried to repeat it here by printing a brochure format to a pdf file, and am not getting any offsets, so I'm not sure where the quarter inch offset is happening on your system.

I guess the other option you could try is the mirrored layout for the pages (instead of right and left), and see if that makes a difference.

I appreciate the suggestion, but I've tried all the variations, left/right, mirrored, those don't cause any change... the problem only occurs when I select, under options, 'left-page' or 'right page... when they're both checked, it works great, no matter what I print. For me to print a 'brochure' though, i have to be able to select 'right pages', print those, turn the paper over, put it back in printer, then print the 'left pages'

How large are your brochures?

Maybe a workaround would be to print pages 1,3,5,7,9,11 (Ie number them, don't call them "Right" or "Left") and then 2,4,6,8,10,12

I'm still on Oo 2.4 (I think, I'm at work) so cannot try this.

Greetings tredegar - usually 12 pages (3 actual sheets), sometimes 16 or 20 - I tested it - the workaround does great - thanks! The HPLIP group acknowledges an issues with duplex printing on my specific model printer, and they are fixing it in the next release

Thanks for responses everyone