10.4. Anatomy of a Print JobEvery print job starts as output from an application. The first step, albeit one that is already performed for you, is to produce output from an application and tell it what size paper you want to use and the orientation of that paper. In most applications, this is usually accomplished by using the standard File Page Setup (Shift--P) command, which brings up the dialog shown in Figure 10-7. Most of the time, you'll Figure 10-6. Faxing preferenceswant to leave the default settings in this dialog or just change the orientation of your page. However, if you are printing a 4x6 photo or an envelope, you'll want to select a printer attached to your system that gives you access to the page sizes it can handle.
The second step in getting output from an application is to print a document using the standard File Print (-P) command, which brings up the dialog shown in Figure 10-8. From here, you can print to a printer, save to a PDF file, or fax documents anywhere in the world. This rather simple dialog gives access to a wealth of options that can be performed by both the system and by individual printer drivers. The dialog lets you select the printer to print to, listing both local printers and remote printers. It also gives you the opportunity to choose a preset setting and to customize the printer- and, possibly, application-specific settings. Figure 10-7. The Page Setup dialog boxFigure 10-8. The standard Print dialogThe following settings are always available:
In addition to these standard settings, many printer drivers add options to this menu. For example, the HP LaserJet printer driver adds panes to let you select which paper tray to use, whether or not to generate a cover page, and the resolution you want to print at. As another example, the Epson Stylus Photo printer drivers add panes allowing you to select the kind of paper you are printing on since different papers react differently to photographic printing. Sometimes you have to look carefully here for a setting you want to use. For example, the driver for HP's InkJet printers that support duplex printing don't allow you to set up two-sided printing using the Layout pane; instead, a separate two-sided printing pane is provided and accessible via the lower pull-down menu. Of course we can't test and detail the quirks of each printer model here, but the point is, you'll need to check out all the options that your printer driver gives you. 10.4.1. Saving Print SettingsThe Print dialog's Presets menu lets you create presets of your chosen settings across all the option panes, allowing you to quickly set up a print job. For example, you might want to provide a Double-Sided setting so you can quickly opt for duplex printing. Another good idea is a Photo preset that sets the paper type and ColorSync options for your particular printer. To save a set of print settings, simply use the pull-down menu and select the Save As option. Once applied, the name that you choose for a group of print settings will always appear in this menu. 10.4.2. The Simplified Print PanelSome applications that aim for an ease-of-use interface, such as iPhoto, can choose to present a simplified print panel, as shown in Figure 10-9. This panel presents several of the settings located in the various sections in a single interface, which omits many of the more complex settings of the regular print panel. You can get to all the options by clicking the Advanced Options button. Figure 10-9. The simplified print panel |