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Today is the day of printing issues.
Explorer is mean
No less than three people needed me to show them where the print and print preview function is in the 'new' explorer (when was the update? how many months ago?). (It stole Chrome's no menu bar look--you have to click on a little gear on the right). Understandable, yes. Except they've used our computers and printed from them since the explorer update. Are they asking someone to point it out to them every time they print?
has just enough cat5 to hang herself with
SC: I need help. I'm in word and I opened print preview to see what it would look like and now I can't get out of it. I can't close print preview.
Me: Okay, let me take a look. [gets up, follow SC to computer]
A quick glance shows nothing out of the ordinary.
SC: I want to print and I can't close this.
Me: Okay, well, you either click the little printer icon here [points to printer icon in MS Word print preview] or you can close this window by click on 'close' in the upper right here [points to 'x close' on the screen].
SC: . . . . Oh. Thanks.
Me: You're welcome. [walks back to desk]
SC: [a few minutes later] Do you have it yet?
[Nota bene: print jobs are sent from patron access computers to the reference computer. We accept the money for the job and send it to the printer]
Me: [scans print release screen] No, I don't have anything for you yet. [sometimes it takes a few seconds to pop up]
SC: Well, I saved it to the desktop and then I clicked print and then it asked for the file name so I gave it the file name. It's not there?
Me: Hmm, let me take a look. [follow SC to her computer]
Her word doc is on the screen. There's a large empty box on the right of her doc.
SC: So I did this [SC goes through the motions of printing--giant windows button, print, etc]. Oh, wait. I want this [check print current page] and two copies [changes to 2].
SC click OK. Something flickers too fast to be seen and then a 'print to file' box comes up (looks just like 'save as.'
SC: And I told it this file [gestures with mouse. Looks intently at me].
Me: I don't recognize that [didn't, at the time, notice the print to file nature of the box].
SC: [clicks save] See I saved it here on the desktop [drags doc screen down and points out two saved instances of the file--her save and the print to file].
Me: That shouldn't make a difference. You don't need to save a file to print it.
SC: Oh. Well. That's what I did.
Me: Okay, let me see. [Click print. Look over print screen; looks mostly normal--correct printer. Check printer icon in the tray next to the clock--icon is in color, should be working fine--we've had a rash of computers effing up their printer settings, but that had settled down. Notice box for 'print to file' is checked] Oh, here we go. Okay, this button that says 'print to file' shouldn't be selected. Otherwise all it's really doing is saving another copy.
SC: Oh. I clicked that because I was looking for 'fit to page.'
I uncheck the box, set it to current page, 2 copies and click okay. All works properly, triggering our print system. A box comes up and asks her to verify 2 copies for 20 cents. I explain it to her and she clicks 'ok.' I go back to my desk, accept her money and release the print job. SC walks to printer to pull out her papers.
SC: It printed this on the bottom. [holds up printed page]
Me: [realization dawning--now know what that box on her word doc was and why she wanted 'fit to page'] Oh, that's the comment box for editing--
SC: [stalks away]
Me: [closes open mouth; stares after her, shaking my head. No point in finishing my sentence or offer of help]
SC: [moments later appearing at my desk] Do you have mine?
Me: Did you manage to--
SC: I clicked delete.
Me: Oh, good. [brings up print release station and highlights her jobs]
SC: [crotchety voice] Do I have to pay?
Me: [sweet smile] Twenty cents, please.
Seriously? You did print preview, realized it wasn't what you wanted, messed with the print settings to the point that you couldn't use it and still sent it. You're paying for it and your reprint.
Sigh. So glad I'm off the ref desk now.
Explorer is mean
No less than three people needed me to show them where the print and print preview function is in the 'new' explorer (when was the update? how many months ago?). (It stole Chrome's no menu bar look--you have to click on a little gear on the right). Understandable, yes. Except they've used our computers and printed from them since the explorer update. Are they asking someone to point it out to them every time they print?
has just enough cat5 to hang herself with
SC: I need help. I'm in word and I opened print preview to see what it would look like and now I can't get out of it. I can't close print preview.
Me: Okay, let me take a look. [gets up, follow SC to computer]
A quick glance shows nothing out of the ordinary.
SC: I want to print and I can't close this.
Me: Okay, well, you either click the little printer icon here [points to printer icon in MS Word print preview] or you can close this window by click on 'close' in the upper right here [points to 'x close' on the screen].
SC: . . . . Oh. Thanks.
Me: You're welcome. [walks back to desk]
SC: [a few minutes later] Do you have it yet?
[Nota bene: print jobs are sent from patron access computers to the reference computer. We accept the money for the job and send it to the printer]
Me: [scans print release screen] No, I don't have anything for you yet. [sometimes it takes a few seconds to pop up]
SC: Well, I saved it to the desktop and then I clicked print and then it asked for the file name so I gave it the file name. It's not there?
Me: Hmm, let me take a look. [follow SC to her computer]
Her word doc is on the screen. There's a large empty box on the right of her doc.
SC: So I did this [SC goes through the motions of printing--giant windows button, print, etc]. Oh, wait. I want this [check print current page] and two copies [changes to 2].
SC click OK. Something flickers too fast to be seen and then a 'print to file' box comes up (looks just like 'save as.'
SC: And I told it this file [gestures with mouse. Looks intently at me].
Me: I don't recognize that [didn't, at the time, notice the print to file nature of the box].
SC: [clicks save] See I saved it here on the desktop [drags doc screen down and points out two saved instances of the file--her save and the print to file].
Me: That shouldn't make a difference. You don't need to save a file to print it.
SC: Oh. Well. That's what I did.
Me: Okay, let me see. [Click print. Look over print screen; looks mostly normal--correct printer. Check printer icon in the tray next to the clock--icon is in color, should be working fine--we've had a rash of computers effing up their printer settings, but that had settled down. Notice box for 'print to file' is checked] Oh, here we go. Okay, this button that says 'print to file' shouldn't be selected. Otherwise all it's really doing is saving another copy.
SC: Oh. I clicked that because I was looking for 'fit to page.'
I uncheck the box, set it to current page, 2 copies and click okay. All works properly, triggering our print system. A box comes up and asks her to verify 2 copies for 20 cents. I explain it to her and she clicks 'ok.' I go back to my desk, accept her money and release the print job. SC walks to printer to pull out her papers.
SC: It printed this on the bottom. [holds up printed page]
Me: [realization dawning--now know what that box on her word doc was and why she wanted 'fit to page'] Oh, that's the comment box for editing--
SC: [stalks away]
Me: [closes open mouth; stares after her, shaking my head. No point in finishing my sentence or offer of help]
SC: [moments later appearing at my desk] Do you have mine?
Me: Did you manage to--
SC: I clicked delete.
Me: Oh, good. [brings up print release station and highlights her jobs]
SC: [crotchety voice] Do I have to pay?
Me: [sweet smile] Twenty cents, please.
Seriously? You did print preview, realized it wasn't what you wanted, messed with the print settings to the point that you couldn't use it and still sent it. You're paying for it and your reprint.
Sigh. So glad I'm off the ref desk now.
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