Printing two 8x5 Invoices on same sheet 1

[bpratl]

Hi,
In the process of upgrading FP2.5 to VFP9.0 and am having problem in trying to print two short (8.5 x 5.5) POS invoices,with laser, on one perforated 8x11 paper.One is customer and other is store copy. Setting up short 5.5" form is no problem. The problem is we keep getting two invoices,on seperate sheets,instead of one. Using "nopageject" or hacking the FRX does not seem to work. Tried:

*print two 8x5 on one 8x11
report form myinvoice to print nopageeject
report form myinvoice to printer

also tried:

printjob
_peject = "none" && also tried "after"
report form myinvoice to printer
report form myinvoice to printer
endprintjob
set printer to && eject

Using either print methode, prints two 8x5 invoices on two seperate sheets of 8x11 perf paper.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[Mike Gagnon]

Hacking the FRX might be your problem. You need to retain the size information in your report so VFP knows where to stop printing.
1. Create a custom size in the Server properties of the printers.
2. Add that new size to your printer driver.
3. Set that new size as a default.
4. Modify your report and resave it with this printer information as default.

Please be aware that if you do this on a development machine, the size information might not be the same on the user's machine. So these steps have to done on the user's machine. I usually create a small exe that allows to modify a report on the user's machine to save the printer info FOR THAT machine.

Mike Gagnon

If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ184-2483 first.
ReFox XI (www.mcrgsoftware.com)

 

[bpratl]

Mike,
Thanks for your reply. I set up the custom form size as you suggested,in the SERVER PROPERTIES and on the invoice form in the report\printer properties\page setup. The invoice prints out the proper size; but on two seperate sheets. How can I surpress the first page EJECT - ("nopageeject" don't seem to work) in order to print two invoices on one sheet.
Thanks again,
Bob Pratl

 

[Mike Lewis]

Bob,

Are you testing the report from within your application, or are you testing it in the command window?

The reason I mention it is that the NOPAGEEJECT is not available in the command window.

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

My Visual FoxPro site: www.ml-consult.co.uk

 

[Mike Gagnon]

If your information comes out on an 8 1/2 size, it means that the information in the report for the printer is not correct.
Can you confirm a couple of things?
1. Does it work on any machine?
2. Are we talking dev machine vs user machine?
3. Have you save your report with the custome size as a default setting for your printer driver?
4. Is your report the correct size? Meaning have you resizewd your report's height to 5.5?




Mike Gagnon

If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ184-2483 first.
ReFox XI (www.mcrgsoftware.com)

 

[bpratl]

Mike,
I am testing and running the application from my MAIN.prg in the project manager. I have tried two different laser printers, HP1020 & Lexmark R232. Is the report sending a page eject when it see's the page footer? If I send a single form to the printer with a "nopageeject" nothing is printed until I close the application of sent a "set printer to" in the print command. If I send two forms to the printer, using either a FOR 1 to 2\ENDFOR loop or two seperate "report form myinvoice.frx to print nopageeject" I get two pages with the 5.5" short invoice form.
Thanks again,
Bob Pratl

 

[bpratl]

Hi again,
Info for mgagnon:
1. Does it work on any machine?
2. Are we talking dev machine vs user machine?
No - same results on three different machines.

3. Have you save your report with the custome size as a default setting for your printer driver?
Yes - Saved in the reports properties\pagesetup
with and without save environent selected

4. Is your report the correct size? Meaning have you resizewd your report's height to 5.5?
Yes - Even tried printing a test form with a couple
of lines of text.
I am sure that I am doing something silly.
Thanks again,
Bob Pratl

 

[Mike Gagnon]

Bob,

I misunderstood something of the problem. I thought we were talking about a dot matrix printer using a pin-feed paper, which is normally used for this type of setup. I have a feeling you cannot accomplish this the way I have explained. Laser printers a stubborn that way. I have a felling you need to do two invoices on the same report, somehow. What version of VFP are you using?


Mike Gagnon

If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ184-2483 first.
ReFox XI (www.mcrgsoftware.com)

 

[bpratl]

Mike, Thanks again for your reply. Yes we are using a laser printer. The old dos POS system is using 8.5 x 5.5 forms on perforated plain paper. Thw invoice is delevered with the order, signed and them seperated. The customer is left with their copy. The system is now using VFP 9.0 SP1 and the Invoices are printed out fine; but on two sheets of 8.5 x 11 paper instead of one sheet with both invoices. Everything would work great if I could suppress the first page eject. Is this possible with Version 9.0?
Thanks again,
Bob Pratl

 

[wtotten]

Bob,

I have the same issue. I had to use the standard 8.5 x 11" and put the same info on the top half and the bottom half of the page. We print it on pre-perforated 8.5 x 11 paper so you can split it into two.

Bill

As an FYI, Mike's suggestion to setup a custom form works great if it's a dot matrix printer.

 

[mikemck7]

Bob,
Have you considered changing your report layout in the report designer so that each invoice prints twice on the same 8.5 X 11 sheet. Depending on how much processing is done within the report itself, it should be a simple process of copying the report objects and formats to the lower half of the report form.
Mike

 

[SnyAc]

I have several customers printing on a perforated 8 1/2 x 11 sheet... but the only way I was able to get this work was to set up the report layout as full sheet with a store copy section and a customer copy section. I wasn't able to find any way to print to a sheet feed type of printer without getting the form feed.

Andy Snyder
SnyAc Software Services

http://www.snysoft.com

 

[Mike Lewis]

he only way I was able to get this work was to set up the report layout as full sheet with a store copy section and a customer copy section.

Having followed this thread from the begining, I have to say that I would probably have done the same. I know it means duplicating all the objects in the report, and thus making maintenance more difficult, but it would surely be the easiest approach in the long run.

Mike


__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

My Visual FoxPro site: www.ml-consult.co.uk