Computer Bytes - No. 73 Bookmark this page !       Send this page to a friend!  " There are many different types of printers available to use with computers. The more common ones are laser, ink jet and dot matrix. Some of these printers are multi-function in that they can copy, scan and fax at the push of a button. Other specialty printers on the market are specifically designed to print labels and photos. The most common type of printer used in the home is the ink jet printer. It is more economical to operate than the laser printer while offering a better quality print than the dot matrix. The dot matrix printer uses pins to impact the page - much like a typewriter. For this reason it is more often used for printing shipping forms, invoices and purchase orders since it can print through multiple pages. Depending on the software program you are using, you can control the print-out of pages. This allows you to choose page orientation, page range, color or black/white printing, number of copies, margins, and scaling. Controlling the print function can save time, paper and ink. Some programs allow you to perform a 'Page Set-Up' before printing. If available, 'Page Set-up' is accessed through the 'File' icon. Once you have set up the print parameters - click 'OK'. You can then select 'Print Preview' from the 'File' icon to see what the printed page will look like before you print. If there is a problem with the layout, 'Cancel' out of the 'Preview' page, go back into 'Page Set-up' and make the necessary changes. Once the changes have been made, check 'Print Preview' again. Should the program not offer a 'Page Set-up' option you can make some changes on screen through the print box after selecting 'Print'. To use this method, click on 'File' and select 'Print'. (You can also access print by simultaneously hitting the 'Control' key and 'P' key.) Once the print box is displayed you can select the printer, if other than the default one, page range, orientation of paper (portrait or landscape), number of copies and such. These options will vary depending on what you are printing. Once the parameters have been selected, click 'OK' to print. Printing pages off the Internet works the same way. For example, you want to print only one page in an article. From the 'Print Preview' option, click through until you see the page containing the part you want to print. Now take note of the page number, i.e., '2 of 8'. Close the 'Preview' pane. Now select 'Print'. In the print box next to 'Pages', you would type in the number 'two' since it is the page you want to print. If you want to print consecutive pages, your page designation might look like '2-5'. This method also works well when printing selected pages from manuals either on line or in Adobe Acrobat format. Computer Bytes Index Send Us an Email | Home Page Copyright 2007-2008. All rights reserved. Computer Bytes articles may not be reprinted, published, quoted, copied, or used in any manner whatsoever without the expressed written permission of David Moncrief.