Howto print with HP printer A4 Small Margins

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#1

I can set my HP printer with CUPS to „A4 Small Margins“ and the test print shows margins of 3 mm or 0.12 inches all round. This setting seems to be impossible in LibreOffice 5.1.6.2. Other programs can work with that setting. But LibreOffice allows only margins of obout 15 mm at top and bottom at A4.
Is there a way for making Small Margins possible with changing some values in config files or is that impossible in general. Please extend the settings for paper sizes in LibreOffice.

Wolf

Edit to answer @petermau 's question:

  • With CUPS I set the paper size in general at “A4 Small Margins”
  • LlibreOffice shows the paper size “A4” when I look at Format-Page-Size. And there is no chance to set “A4 Small Margins” in the menu.
  • At File-Printer settings the paper size shows “A4 210x297”. There is no menu for changing. The margins are set 2.00 cm all round.
  • With all margins set to 2.00 cm or set to 0.3 cm (outside borders) and drawing two small rectangles from the top to the bottom and from left to right edge of the paper I get the same printings with margins of 1.5 cm at bottom and top and 0.3 cm at left and right.
  • But when exporting the page to pdf and printing the file with the pfd viewer I get a result with 0,3 mm margins all round as I expected to get by printing with LibeOffice.

SUM: LibreOffice can export documents with small margins to pdf. But it cannot print them by itself.

So what can I do to get LibreOffice printing A4 with small margins?

#2

Have you set the PAGE STYLE margins? This is not the same as FILE > PRINTER SETTINGS.

#3

How are you setting the Margin Size? Have you set the LibO PAGE STYLE?

You need to tell LibO the page dimensions for formatting. These are contained in the PAGE STYLE. You can bring up the active page style be Right Clicking somewhere on the page and then select PAGE. Alternatively PF11 gives access to the STYLES and FORMATTING window, then select the current active page style and choose modify. CUPS controls the printer but the LibO Page Style controls what is sent to the printer.

With my printers, laser and inkjet and LibO 5.3 with Linux Mint, I can set the printer A4 margins using the Page Style to 0.01 in all round. The software does tell me that the settings are outside the normal for this printer, do you wish to continue? Then it allows this setting.

#4

If I understand OP correctly, the problem is that user is unable to activate printer’s special “small margins” mode, when printer does some tricks to make its top and bottom printing margins less. So, usual “normal margins” mode is used.

This is something that should be done either on system level (default printing preferences) or on print job creation stage (print dialog-printer settings), but I haven’t CUPS printing system to advise.

#5

Testing with a fake network HP printer on Ubuntu, I’m able to open File-Printer Settings-Properties-Device-Edge Control. I don’t know if this is available for OP’s case, or if it’s effective; anyway, I suppose, the discussion should target how to reach relevant settings and whether they work. If it’s impossible, then either bug report or enhancement request should be filed at Bugzilla.

#6
  • With CUPS I set the paper size in general at “A4 Small Margins”
  • LlibreOffice shows the paper size “A4” when I look at Format-Page-Size. And there is no chance to set “A4 Small Margins” in the menu.
  • At File-Printer settings the paper size shows “A4 210x297”. There is no menu for changing. The margins are set 2.00 cm all round.
  • With all margins set to 2.00 cm or set to 0.3 cm (outside borders) and drawing two small rectangles from the top to the bottom and from left to right edge of the paper I get the same printings with margins of 1.5 cm at bottom and top and 0.3 cm at left and right.
  • But when exporting the page to pdf and printing the file with the pfd viewer I get a result with 0,3 mm margins all round as I expected to get by printing with LibeOffice.

SUM: LibreOffice can export documents with small margins to pdf. But it cannot print them by itself.

So what can I do to get LibreOffice printing A4 with small margins?

#7

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