Setting Portrait or Landscape

[Hans L]

Hello:

In printing screens, it is often necessary to set the printing orientation to either Portrait or Landscape. However, drilling down in menus until you get to where you can set this is boring and time-consuming. Is there any way to do this quickly (button/macro or the like) for Win 7?

Thanks!

Hans L

 

[PooMan UK]

Maybe try this freeware software, it's been around a while and seems pretty popular Gadwin Printscreen

 

[Hans L]

PooMan, that app does not seem to do what I want, namely being able to set Portrait or Landscape in one click or two.

Thanks anyway.

Hans L

 

[mjm6783]

Are you printing from Word? What version? Any shortcut is going to be specific to the software. In MS Word anything 2007 or newer it's on the Page Layout -> Orientation tab.

 

[Hans L]

No, it is not app-specific. In my printer, Canon Inkjet MX700, it has to do with getting to

Printer properties – General – Preferences... button – Page Setup – Orientation (radio buttons Portrait or Landscape).

Any way to set Portrait or Landscape without having to go through the steps above?

Regards,

Hans L

 

[DeaconFrost]

Probably not, because you are trying to change a printer specific setting. The app you are printing from should be the better place to go and change it as needed.

 

[Hans L]

No printer registry setting that one could change "on the fly"?

Hans L

 

[stormy13]

The app you are printing from should be the better place to go and change it as needed.

That's how I do it. The option is there as soon as the print preview comes up to select portrait or landscape, no need to change it in the printer settings.

 

[Hans L]

Here is what I have to do in ClipCache, a popular clipboard program (see attached image files):

ClipCache: Click the Print icon

Print.jpg: Click the Properties... button

Properties.jpg: Click the Page Setup tab

Page Setup.jpg: Check Landscape or Portrait, then click OK

Print.jpg: Click OK

-------

Just a pain, since I do this fairly often.

Any suggestions?

Hans L

 

[mjm6783]

I'm pretty sure it's possible to write a batch file which changes the settings for the printer. Then you could just double click the icon. If I remember correctly it's some form of the RUNDLL32 function. I'd have to spend some time researching and testing.

 

[Hans L]

This may be a place to look:

Command Line Printer Control

Hans L

 

[Hans L]

I'm really fumbling in the dark here, but ...

PageSettings.Landscape Property (System.Drawing.Printing)

Regards,

Hans L

 

[Britton30]

I think if you set your print preferences how you want them, then click "Defaults" it should make those settings "take". Of course until you want to switch again. This is how the settings work for my HP printer at least. It is not a Windows setting.
As stated by importing an image to, say, WordPAd the print settings there are easy to access and flip-flop.

 

[giblets]

Why don't you make two of the same printers in your printer list, call one landscape, one portrait and set the default setting for each. Then you can just click which one you want.

 

[dsperber]

I think if you set your print preferences how you want them, then click "Defaults" it should make those settings "take". Of course until you want to switch again. This is how the settings work for my HP printer at least. It is not a Windows setting.

Actually, I think that by simply setting the "printing preferences" in the objects shown on "Devices and Printers", that these become the defaults for that printer object. I don't see any "defaults" button, at least not on my HP 2605dn printer (for the three PCL5, PCL6 and PS600 drivers which correspond to three separate printer objects going to the same single physical printer), although if present that might just restore all HP-factory default settings rather than use my customized settings.

This is how to set the "default" printing preferences (including portrait vs. landscape, long/short edge binding to influence reverse side page rotation when printing on a duplex printer, etc.) which will then be in effect for all application programs "by default" anytime you print to that particular printer object selected from a "printers" dropdown list.

You can then override it for a given specific program application or printing situation instance by using that application's particular method of say "file -> printer setup", or maybe a setup button on the "file -> print" dialog, etc. Some applications may actually have their own "private setup" which is retained, outside of the Windows "default", so that you don't need to go into any setup dialog for each printing situation... unless, of course, you want to or need to for a special situation.

I do believe that the suggestion above (by "giblets") to make a second printer copy of the first which uses the same printer driver but is conceptually a second printer and therefore capable of having its own separate "printing preferences", is a very clever one. Call one "landscape" in its name prefix/suffix and the other "portrait". Very clever, very intuitive to use, and should work fine.

 

[Britton30]

There in the lower right...

 

[dsperber]

I thought you said it was for your HP printer. The printing preferences screenshot you show is for a Canon inkjet printer, not an HP printer.

I have both a Canon Pixma Pro9000 photo printer, as well as a an HP 2605dn laserjet printer. For my Canon printer I, too, show that "defaults" button in printing preferences (main tab) but there is no such button on my HP printing preferences (none of its tabs).

However I still confirm that even with the Canon driver/setup printing preferences, this "default" button does NOT do anything except for restoring the "factory" settings to that page's settings, undoing whatever customization you might have done and putting back the initial default values. Change something from default, then push the button, and you'll see what it does. It's just a quick way to undo whatever you might have touched.

I still insist that the mere fact that you are working in this whole dialog ("devices and printers") and make a change to "printing preferences" for a printer object... that's what sets the new default values for that printer object whenever you select it for use in printing from any application. It's where the printer driver's settings are stored, and the whole dialog is specific to that manufacturer and particular printer driver.

 

[Hans L]

dsperber, I (Hans L, the oroginal poster) have a Canon, while someone who commented has an HP.

Britton30 and giblets, excellent idea to have two different printers (one landscape and one portrait). Then, all I have to do when I want to use the non-default printer is to click the combobox "Name:" in the Print windows (Print.jpg) and switch to the correct printer.

I'll do that now, and I think it will be my solution. I will report back!

Hans L

 

[Hans L]

Hm, I renamed my Canon printer to "Canon MX700 – Portrait" and then, I added another printer, first named "Canon Inkjet MX700 series" and then changed by me to "Canon MX700 – Landscape". Now, in Control Panel – Hardware and Sound – Devices and Printers, only Canon MX700 – Landscape is listed, that is, Canon MX700 – Portrait AND Canon Inkjet MX700 series FAX have disappeared.

However, in my clipboard program, ClipCache, all three printers are listed under "Select Printer".

I have Windows 7 Ultima, 64-bit. I turned off and restarted the computer.

Would anyone know why this happened?

Regards,

Hans L

 

[Hans L]

And can you believe it, I could not change the name from "Canon MX700 – portrait" to "Canon MX700 – Portrait" (capital "P"). I had to change it first to something else ("Canon" in my case) and then to "Canon MX700 – Portrait" in order to get the capital "P". Glitch, I guess. Now, testing!

Hans L