The Virtual Pub

Come Inside... => The Computer Room => Topic started by: Pastis on October 21, 2008, 04:19:13 PM

Title: Printers etc
Post by: Pastis on October 21, 2008, 04:19:13 PM
So far, three times this month I have sent out a piece of work (graphical / design) on a PDF file only to be told by the person on the other end that when they print it out it's the wrong size  Banghead

Each time I've checked and IT IS EXACTLY THE RIGHT SIZE! Each time it's THEIR printer settings buggering the thing about. The worst one was someone in the trade who said he couldn't print out anything bigger than A4  ::)

I realise that now the world and his wife has a PC and a printer in tow, they assume that everything arrives exactly as sent. Does no one check printer settings? Print dialogue boxes? Sizes?   Shrugs:
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Snoopy on October 21, 2008, 04:22:00 PM
I think you know the answer to that. whistle:
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Snoopy on October 21, 2008, 04:28:07 PM
Editing a magazine I get sent all sorts of stuff. My pet hate are those who use "Publisher" because they think it's the right thing for an article. NO IT ISN'T! Just send it in as a Word Document and leave it to me to do the fancy stuff. M/Soft Publisher has to be the work of the Devil. It just doesn't work and once they have sent it to me I cannot change a thing in it without hours of faffing around. They cannot get it through their thick heads that we publish in A5 format, in black and white .... so all the fancy stuff in Publisher, which they always size A4, in all pretty colours, may look good on their screen but it looks crap when I have to resize each little box and then print it in B&W.  cussing:

Main culprits are the wives/girlfriends of plumbers, builders, gardeners, electricians etc. These wimmin work in offices and think they know all there is to know about "Computers" so they take on the responsibility of transferring their partner's scribbled idea onto the screen. I now seek out the man and ask him what he really wants to say and do it myself.
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Pastis on October 21, 2008, 04:36:32 PM
In answer to the initial statement; Indeed I do. The answer is to keep the reins of the whole job to oneself and not to allow anyone else to muck about. Problem is that the client, or even a relation for whom one's doing a favour, resents it.

Same goes for fonts.  ::) Screen and printer. And then they ask why I have to buy it  ::)
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Snoopy on October 21, 2008, 04:44:48 PM
I confess that when they complain that I have changed their "creation" I always blame the printer ~ not the little grey box that whirrs away next to me but the big hairy Welsh guy with the ink stained hands and impenetrable accent who I rely on.
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Pastis on October 21, 2008, 04:48:20 PM
Getting rid of someone else's formatting's a pain in the @rse. I usually convert it to raw text and start from scratch.
Thankfully I've haven't been sent anything in publisher.

I have a client who persists in sending me files of completed work (allegedly) which I then have to take to bits and re-assemble in Photoshop. I've tried to let him down gently and tell him to just send me the material but he won't have it; he values my professional input apparently and pays... so, I guess, let sleeping dogs lie.
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Pastis on October 21, 2008, 04:51:02 PM
I confess that when they complain that I have changed their "creation" I always blame the printer ~ not the little grey box that whirrs away next to me but the big hairy Welsh guy with the ink stained hands and impenetrable accent who I rely on.

The consummate professional as ever  lol:

You could also use the digital vs. litho argument  whistle:
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Snoopy on October 21, 2008, 04:56:07 PM
I had one woman (no NOT in that sense) who wanted her advert in pretty pink.
I told her that we are Black and White only but still she wanted Pink so I quoted her the cost of printing the 40 page magazine with colour = x5 the normal price. She still argued that it was "only one little advert"

But madam ~ one little advert x 1300 copies Banghead


Must go ~ SWMBO is out and Boys have to be taken to swimming club.
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Pastis on October 21, 2008, 05:31:58 PM
Understood that you need to go...

A parting thought, or one to return to. Much of the problem I encounter is down to a mix of technologies. As you've highlighted, there is the totally fallacious assumption that just because you have a computer and can 'design' stuff on it, then all is well. Totally not the case. Take silk screen printing for example which is still used today in various industries; it's about 1,000 years old and came to the West in the 18thC. Some factories I send work to use it, an 18thC technique... how many PC users would know how to output a file on their 21stC computer that will be usable for a technology like that?
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Snoopy on October 21, 2008, 07:18:05 PM
So the consensus is that all Clients/Customers are idiots put on this earth for the sole purpose of aggravating us
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Bar Wench on October 22, 2008, 07:47:49 AM
YES!

Print monkeys are also idiots of the highest order!
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Uncle Mort on October 22, 2008, 09:16:49 AM
Print monkeys?  rubschin:
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Pastis on October 22, 2008, 09:29:42 AM
Sales reps / account handlers from commercial print companies?
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Bar Wench on October 22, 2008, 09:30:59 AM
The plonkers that run the large printers.  Banghead
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Snoopy on October 22, 2008, 09:37:56 AM
That's why I use a local mad Welshman, one man business (Well he does the printing and his unmarried sister does the folding and stapling.) He is not married either and they live with "Mother".
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Bar Wench on October 22, 2008, 09:39:52 AM
 eeek:

Is it a local printers for local people?

(https://www.virtual-pub.com/SMF/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fgloucestershire%2Ffestivals%2Flit_fest%2F2004%2Fdom_joly%2Ftubs_body_150x180.jpg&hash=da18413ed0817d48a14ff220ef2817bf6005284c)
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Snoopy on October 22, 2008, 09:41:30 AM
The only one in the village indeed to goodness.  lol:
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: tel on October 22, 2008, 11:04:02 AM
The plonkers that run the large printers.  Banghead

Have you seen a modern press?

Only needs 2 operators - they are only there to make sure no-one nicks the press.

All automatic/digital these days.
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Bar Wench on October 22, 2008, 11:07:46 AM
Yes I have seen them, lots of them, cut sheet, inserters, digital printers, litho printers.

And the people that run the computers who tell the printers what to do are numpties.  Banghead
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: tel on October 22, 2008, 11:10:38 AM
The nice big web ones are the best.
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Darwins Selection on October 22, 2008, 09:40:30 PM
eeek:

Is it a local printers for local people?

(https://www.virtual-pub.com/SMF/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fgloucestershire%2Ffestivals%2Flit_fest%2F2004%2Fdom_joly%2Ftubs_body_150x180.jpg&hash=da18413ed0817d48a14ff220ef2817bf6005284c)

They don't look like they are networking people.


(DS attempt at tekky joke)
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Miss Demeanour on May 04, 2010, 08:44:07 PM
Bloody technical gremlins are at it again tonight  cussing:

The Brat is trying to print off her homework ...of course it's due in tomorrow  ::)...printer says there is a paper jam - there isn't  evil:.

The rollers are sounding like they are cutting diamonds  noooo:

Would the technical wizards here confirm it is gubbed ??

I have taken it to pieces and put it back to no avail  evil:
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Pastis on May 04, 2010, 09:21:37 PM
I've only just set mine up (same as yours I think we agreed) ... she's not trying to put cardboard through it is she?  rubschin:
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Miss Demeanour on May 04, 2010, 09:32:13 PM
It was prolly me mentioning the bloody thing that put a hex on it.

It's not that old either

I may be joining Growlers stomping group against all things pc related yet  Banghead
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Grumpmeister on May 04, 2010, 09:40:50 PM
Possibly a stupid question but if all else fails can't she print it at school or email it to her teacher?
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Pastis on May 04, 2010, 09:41:48 PM
What I always do is turn it off, restart, reset the paper, etc etc etc etc etc..... and eventually the bloody decides to conform  ::)
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Just One More on May 05, 2010, 02:54:34 AM

The rollers are sounding like they are cutting diamonds  noooo:

Or a staple/paperclip
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Miss Demeanour on May 05, 2010, 05:45:57 AM
Possibly a stupid question but if all else fails can't she print it at school or email it to her teacher?

No ...tried that one GM 

School has MS Office 2002  - we have 2007 and its not backwards compatible  Banghead
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Snoopy on May 05, 2010, 07:50:24 AM
Possibly a stupid question but if all else fails can't she print it at school or email it to her teacher?

No ...tried that one GM 

School has MS Office 2002  - we have 2007 and its not backwards compatible  Banghead

The THW's school will not permit students to bring in work on memory stick, disk or any other storage device to be printed at school. They say it is to protect their systems from infection and because they cannot afford the ink/paper that this would involve with a school roll of 2000. They also refuse to allow emailed home/course work to be sent either to the school system or to be printed by the staff .... for the same reasons excuses.
Certain teachers refuse to accept home/coursework that has been printed on Ink Jet printers because it is not "clear enough" They will only accept stuff printed on laser printers. (This was the cause of a major ruck I had with the headteacher).

BUT as I asked my daughter, and you might care to do the same, "Why not hand write your homework and bollix them completely?"
Of course that would actually involve the child in work so you'll get no support there.

The school have PCs and Printers and they will permit, in fact they would like, the children to attend the homework clubs run in all schools and use their equipment to produce the work but of course the pupils don't like that idea because they would not then be able to leave it all to the last minute before doing the work.

It is worth reminding your child that she will NOT have the use of a PC and printer for her exams ~ a fact only recently realised by the THW who is devastated by it.
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Miss Demeanour on May 05, 2010, 07:59:28 AM
I did suggest writing it all out by hand last night ...to be fair it was an excel spreadsheet and charts and stuff  - but still the look of disgust on her face was worth it  lol: lol: lol:
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Snoopy on May 05, 2010, 08:06:18 AM
I did suggest writing it all out by hand last night ...to be fair it was an excel spreadsheet and charts and stuff  - but still the look of disgust on her face was worth it  lol: lol: lol:

I would imagine it was.

They seem to think we did our homework:
(https://www.virtual-pub.com/SMF/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.itziklevy.com%2Fgallery%2Fgraphics%2Fcaveman.jpg&hash=effe0feee057c8fd5f6ff26b427a4aa89dc45ca1)
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Nick on May 05, 2010, 08:08:33 AM
I have just realised I didn't touch a keyboard till I was 26. And that was a typewriter  noooo:
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Snoopy on May 05, 2010, 09:57:50 AM
My point exactly. I hand wrote everything until I was 45.
There was pleasure to be had from a good fountain pen, quality paper and a well composed letter. I find no satisfaction in CUL8ER  ::)
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Pastis on May 05, 2010, 01:05:03 PM
I was just about to Google "CULBER"   redface:
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Nick on May 05, 2010, 01:22:35 PM
 nonono: Oldster  noooo:
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Darwins Selection on May 05, 2010, 08:40:17 PM
Possibly a stupid question but if all else fails can't she print it at school or email it to her teacher?

No ...tried that one GM 

School has MS Office 2002  - we have 2007 and its not backwards compatible  Banghead

I am sure the geeks will correct me, but can you not save any Office file in an older format to be compatible?

SIL has office 97 and we have to save Word things in that form so she can see them.
Title: Re: Printers etc
Post by: Snoopy on May 06, 2010, 08:57:28 AM
Possibly a stupid question but if all else fails can't she print it at school or email it to her teacher?

No ...tried that one GM 

School has MS Office 2002  - we have 2007 and its not backwards compatible  Banghead

I am sure the geeks will correct me, but can you not save any Office file in an older format to be compatible?

SIL has office 97 and we have to save Word things in that form so she can see them.

Correctemondo my old horny handed son of the soil.