NewDeal Technical Support Document 251

ENVELOPE PRINTING


Printing envelopes, including instructions for the HP DeskJet 500 and 550C

Note: This support document is about NewDeal software. You must have NewDeal software in order to use NewDeal print drivers.

Introduction

Different printers handle envelopes differently. Some feed them through like a typewriter, some feed them through lengthwise. Some feed through centered exactly in the paper feeder, some feed through set to one side or the other. You may need to play with Page and Paper size settings to find a combination that works for you. When you do find something that works, keep track of the settings you use or save the document as a Template, by choosing File, Other, Save as Template.

Page Size versus Paper Size

Two steps are crucial in printing an envelope from any NewDeal application:
  1. setting the page size
  2. setting the paper size
Page size is set in the application (NewDraw, NewWrite, etc.), in the Page Setup box under the File menu. You set Paper size when you tell NewDeal to print your document, by clicking on Options in the Printer Dialog Box.

If you have page size set differently from paper size, the NewDeal print module will try to figure out the most logical way to fit your document on the selected paper size. If page is smaller than paper, it will center the document on the sheet. If the page is larger than the paper size, then NewDeal will "tile" the document to print it out over several sheets of paper, which can then be attached together to form the complete document.

So generally, for the best, most predictable results, set Paper size equal to your Page size.

In either NewWrite or NewDraw, do the following to set the page size:

  1. Click on the File, Page Size.
  2. For Type, choose Envelope
  3. Choose a pre-set size, or enter width and height yourself in the Width and Height boxes (you can enter any size from 1"x1" to 45"x45").

Note that choosing the tall envelope (Portrait) simply switches the figures for Width and Height, turning the page sideways. That is, with Height set to 4" and Width to 11", clicking on Wide (Landscape) will cause the page to be 11" high and 4" wide. A Landscape page can therefore be taller and narrower than a Portrait page. So if you choose one of the preset envelope sizes, don't click Landscape unless you really want to turn the envelope sideways.

When you go to print the document, do the following to set the paper size:

  1. Click on the File, Print.
  2. In the Print Dialog Box, click Options.
  3. Select a paper size equal to the size of your document.
  4. Do not change the Type of paper in printer to envelope. You may also want to change the paper source to Manual.
  5. Click OK and then Print.

If you are putting the envelope through the printer sideways (in the long direction), reverse the dimensions on paper size: that is, for a 4"x9" envelope, set paper size to 9" high and 4" wide. The NewDeal print module is smart enough to figure out to turn the page sideways for printing.

Paper Size Width Limits

NewDeal software will not let you set paper width any wider than can safely be assumed for your printer. In order to prevent damage to your print head, some of these width limits are rather conservative, in general no more than 8.5" for a standard width printer. To use wider paper (such as a 9.5" envelope), you will need to select a wide-carriage printer. Check with your printer manufacturer for what wide carriage printers your printer will emulate.

If you have problems dealing with a narrow-carriage printer, sometimes the simplest thing to do is simply to leave page and paper size at standard letter size and ignore the fact that an envelope is slightly wider than a standard sheet of paper. You will have to play around a bit to find the proper position for the address and return address on your document. You may want to set up a blank envelope template document that you can re-use all the time with margins or tab stops in the correct locations to position your information.

Envelopes in Release 3

If you have printed envelopes successfully from previous versions of NewDeal software, but the same steps result in portrait printing when you expect landscape printing, try this:
  1. Exit NewDeal.
  2. Locate the file GEOS.INI in the directory where you installed NewDeal.
  3. Open GEOS.INI in a text editor. You can use the EDIT command at the DOS prompt, the Windows Notepad, or any text editor that saves plain ASCII text files.
  4. In the GEOS.INI file, locate this line:
    ndOptions = 1
  5. Change the one to a zero, like this:
    ndOptions = 0
  6. Save your change to the file and exit your text editor.
This key in the GEOS.INI file determines whether NewDeal uses the older "virtual page" method (0) of determining the page size, or the newer "actual page" method (1). The newer method will prevent the "Scale to Fit" dialog box from appearing as often, especially when printing on A4 size paper or when your document will actually fit on the page without without resizing. The older method sometimes scaled the page when it wasn't necessary, but it works better with certain printers when printing envelopes.

Laser Printers

Laser Printers often have a special envelope feeder that feeds envelopes in lengthwise. Often what works best for these is simply to leave page and paper size at standard letter size, but change the page to Layout mode under Page Size. You will have to play around a bit to find the proper position for the address and return address on your document.

Hewlett-Packard DeskJet Printers

There are several reasons why the DeskJet prints envelopes differently than other printers. One reason is that the DeskJet cannot print very close to the edge of the page. This unprintable border area makes printing envelopes a challenge. However, once you follow these steps a few times, they'll become second nature.

HP DeskJet 500

  1. Click on File, Page Size.
    Type: Envelope
    Style: Envelope #10
    Width: 8.5 inches.
    Click Apply, then Close.
  2. Choose File, Page Setup
    Top Margin: 0.375 inches
    Bottom Margin: 0.375 inches
    Right Margin: 0.25 inches
    Left Margin: 0.25 inches
    Click Apply, then Close
  3. Enter the return address at the very top left of the envelope form on the screen. When entering the addressee information, start the first line about two inches down from the top, and three or four inches from the left margin.
  4. Choose File, Print, Options
    Height: 4.5 inches
    Paper Source Manual
    Do not select Envelope for Type of Paper.
    Click OK
  5. Feeding the envelope into the printer is the tricky part. DeskJets have a button on their main panel to advance the envelopes into the printer. DO NOT use this button. Feed the envelope face down, lengthwise (portrait), into the top paper tray until the top edge of the envelope is barely touching the large paper feed rollers. The leading edge of the envelope should be aligned with the leading edge of the paper in the tray.
  6. Click on the Print button in the software.

If the envelope is ejected and the text prints on a sheet of paper, the envelope was inserted too far under the large paper feed rollers in step 5.

Note: When printed correctly, the return address will print one inch down from the top and one inch in from the left edge.

To print multiple envelopes

Follow the above procedure for the first envelope. For the second envelope, use the envelope feed button on the printer to insert the envelope into the printer. Then click the OK button on screen (in the dialog box that's prompting you to insert the next sheet of paper).

HP DeskJet 550C

Follow directions in the HP manual for printing envelopes. However be sure to load envelopes flap left. Click on File, Print and choose: Click on OK in the Options Dialog box, then click on Print in the Print dialog box.
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Last Modified 17 Feb 1999