[SOLVED] LibreOffice 3.5..2.2: Printing Envelopes.

cwizardone · 04-20-2012, 05:47 PM

Tried printing a number 10 envelope in LibreOffice 3.5.2.2 and have ran into a problem.
I've check and re-checked the procedure and I'm doing it properly.
When the envelope goes to the printer it prints the return address correctly, but only prints the first 3 letters or digits of each line of the addressee's name and address, moves over a couple of inches and, again, only prints the first 3 letters or digits of each line and then shoots out the envelope as if it were properly done.

It is not the printer, it has to be LibreOffice. I've search the 'Net and there are various envelope printing problems being reported, but little to nothing in the way of solutions.
Is this a bug in LibreOffice? Am I going to have to fire up, ugh, ms-word just to print an envelope?
Anyone know a solution?
Thanks.

cwizardone · 04-21-2012, 12:20 AM

Update: Deleted the libreOffice configuration files and did a fresh install of LibreOffice.
Now it won't print any part of the name and address of the addressee. It does still print the return address.
Fired up ms-word and printed an envelope just to confirm there is nothing wrong with the printer.

cwizardone · 04-21-2012, 09:03 PM

The problem is solved in a roundabout way.
LibreOffice uses PDF as the default "Printer Language type."
By changing it to Postscript the envelope printed, BUT LibreOffice changes the "Printer Language type" back to PDF almost immediately.
I have yet to find a setting that will allow the default printer language to be set to Postscript.
That and it prints the envelope upside down, i.e., if you insert the envelope into the printer as per the manufacturer's instructions, it will be printed upside down. The easy solution is to turn the envelope around before putting it into the printer.
Oh, well.. Better than not being able to print envelopes at all.... I guess.....

To change (temporarily) the printer language (driver) go to, "Printer Settings" to "Properties" to "Device" and change the "Printer Language type."

cwizardone · 04-21-2012, 09:55 PM

OK. Here is how to change the default "printer language type" in LibreOffice.
As user go to, /usr/lib64/libreoffice/program/
and launch this utility, spadmin (not spadmin.bin). I did it by simply clicking on the it while in a file manager.
At first I selected, "Postscript (level from driver)," but when I later checked the printer settings in LibreOffice it had been changed back to PDF. I then selected "Postscript Level 3," but when I checked the printer settings in LibreOffice it had been changed to "Postscript Level 2." I've left it there and it has not been changed back to PDF.
So, there is the answer.

allend · 04-22-2012, 09:13 AM

Thanks for this. It motivated me to get envelope printing working on my setup and the Printer Language type was a necessary part of the solution.

cwizardone · 04-22-2012, 02:36 PM

You are welcome!

aikempshall · 08-06-2012, 05:21 PM

Apologies for butting in here.

Thanks. I had a similar problem trying to print a booklet. It would only work with one of the PostScript levels in the "Printer Language type" listbox. I too couldn't get it to stick at PostScript (Level from driver) or PostScript Level 3 after closing and restarting /usr/bin/spadmin

Looking at the source code I see this -

Code:

ListBox RID_RTS_DEVICE_PRINTLANG_BOX
    {
        HelpID = "padmin:ListBox:RID_RTS_DEVICEPAGE:RID_RTS_DEVICE_LEVEL_BOX";
        DropDown = TRUE;
        Pos = MAP_APPFONT( 120, 130 );
        Size = MAP_APPFONT( 105, 200 );
        StringList [en-US] =
        {
            < "PostScript (Level from driver)" ; 1; > ;
            < "PostScript Level 1" ; 2; > ;
            < "PostScript Level 2"; 3; > ;
            < "PostScript Level 3"; 3; > ;
            < "PDF"; 10; > ;
        };
    };

The line "PostScript Level 3"; 3; looks to be partially a repeat of the previous line. I wonder if it should have been "PostScript Level 3"; 4;

BTW changing the PostScript level changes the contents of this file -

./.config/libreoffice/3/user/psprint/psprint.conf

For my printer changing to -

"PostScript (Level from driver)" would revert to "PDF
"PostScript Level 3" would revert to "PostScript Level 2"
"PostScript Level 1" would stick with "PostScript Level 1"
"PostScript Level 2" would stick with "PostScript Level 2"
"PDF" would stick to "PDF"

A bit quirky - maybe there's a bug report for this issue. Not looked yet and probably won't do so for several weeks.

jgp-bhr · 01-29-2014, 07:16 AM

I know this thread was solved 1.5 years ago, but I wanted to thank cwizardzone for their posts. The information supplied in their 04-20-2012 06:47 PM post solved a number of printing issues I had been experiencing for some time, but didn't know how to resolve them. #10 envelopes and many documents and spreadsheets would not print correctly. As a work around I had been printing documents and spreadsheets first to a PDF file, then used Okular to print the PDF files, but this method wouldn't work for envelopes. Thanks again!

cwizardone · 01-30-2014, 10:46 AM

You are welcome!