Need help before buying new printer, please

[ET in the USA]

Not sure if this is a genealogy software problem or a computer/printer problem, but I need help please.

I'm using Family Tree Maker Version 11 for my software & have Vista, but this problem was there with Windows 2000 also (and probably Windows 98 with earlier versions of FTM before that).


When I print a large tree that covers more than 1 page -like a descendant or ancestor tree with all the little boxes - 2 irritating things happen:

1. The pages all have a margin of white with no printing along the left & right sides that has to be trimmed before I can tape the pages together. It's good to have white on one page because you have something to overlap, but with white on both pages you have to trim one of them. This may be because I don't have a printer that makes "borderless" prints. I chose the printer because it could handle up to 11 inch X 17 inch paper. Anyway, the printer is DOA & I need to buy another one. Should I get one that prints borderless ? If I do, will it be ALL borderless on every page ? How can I join the pages together is they just but up to each other with no overlap ? What do I need to do/have before I can print a banner-like tree - for example 11 inches x 2 feet ?


2. Once I have trimmed the pages so the sides match and go to join them up, the tops & bottoms are never even. This isn't because of the trimming, it just seems that the program doesn't make the lines in the same place on adjoining pages. In order to have the lines continuous, the top & bottom looks like a saw tooth.

I end up with a 5 page tree looking like this across the top & bottom.|banghead|

_________i-------i_________i----------i__________


So, is it the program, the printer or both & is there a solution ??? I am finding that large format printers are much more expensive, so will probably fore go that luxury, but then I'll have more pages to join, so would like to solve the problems.

Elaine

[Guest]

Your problem isn't confined to any single program, operating system or printer. The line-up problem comes about as a result of the fact that printers don't load pages from the paper tray absolutely exactly the same way each time. There is a small element of tolerance which doesn't matter usually but, as you (and many of the rest of us) have found, does cause a problem when printing a multi-page chart.

To print a true banner chart you need a large format printer of which there are two types:
1) Prints a single large page of variable size
2) Prints a number of pages side by side with zero left and right margins which, effectively, become a single page.
As you mention, both types of printer are pretty expensive.

Machines capable of borderless printing can normally be toggled between borders or not. However, depending on the print engine used by the software, borderless printing may not be possible. Most genealogy programs allow zero left & bright margins to enable use of a banner printer (2 above) but Roots Magic and one or two others insist on a margin value greater than zero.

Graham

[ET in the USA]

Thanks for your input Graham.

I have decided that I can research this to death, so have ordered an Epson Stylus Photo 1400, which has 13 x19 borderless capability - similar to my current 'DOA' Epson Stylus 1160 , which was large format, but not borderless. At least I'll have fewer pages to join than if I was restricted to 8 1/2 x 14 max.

I also threw in an Epson scanner, since my B/W copy machine broke long ago & hasn't been replaced. The 4 in 1 machine options seemed to give me too many buttons, etc & since I've never had a fax, I won't miss it. Now I won't have to have everything scanned/copied on my husband's machine downstairs.

Thanks again.