Missing rows in HTML table outprint
From our database (Oracle 8i) we produce a listing using Active Server Pages / ADO to create an HTML table that may cover a two-digit number of pages in outprint. The table width is set to 99%.
But when printed directly from web browser (IE 6.0; paper orientation landscape) there are not only columns missing far right, but even more important: there are also rows missing in the outprint, looking like every second page or so is not printed, although the page counter is continuous. If I order outprint of pages 1-4 I get 4 pages numbered from 1 to 4, but with rows that seem to belong to page 1, 3, 5 and 7. (I can copy the complete table into Excel and print from there without problems.)
The HTML source code seem quite normal. We are using colour codes to visualize some status information, but this does not seem to create the problem - if we neutralize the colours, the rows are still missing in the outprint.
The printers we have tried for outprint are mainly HP printers LaserJet series 4000/4200 and Color LaserJet 4500/4550. PCL6 or PostScript driver makes no difference. The print job is placed in a Novell queue feeding the printer.
Has any of you encountered a similar problem, or ideas of where to look for the explanation and solution? Where do I find any good documentation how to handle outprint from HTML tables?
Software/Hardware used:
Software/Hardware used:
ASKED:
February 9, 2005 4:12 AM
UPDATED:
February 28, 2005 5:21 AM
Answer Wiki:
You could maybe check that you aren't trying to print on both sides of your paper sheets. When doing so, some printers print only odd pages or only even pages.
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Am I trying to print duplex on a simplex printer? No, you can rule that out. It is not checked in the printer configuration, and not checkable in the print options. I use the same driver, configuration and options that work well with all other applications – except for tables in HTML.
If you do a print preview in IE, can you see all the data?
No. Already in the print preview the rows are missing.
That goes for:
- both MSIE 6.0 SP2 and Opera 7.
- printer setup portrait or landscape
- HP LaserJet 4000 or Adobe PDF as chosen printer
Seems like the cause of the missing rows has something to do with a column width overflow: If there is something like a web browser print preprocessor (responsible for the print preview, among other things) it seems to get into serious trouble when trying to stuff too wide columns into the print page. (But it tells no one about it, just disposes of what it can’t handle.)
Fact is: I did a rework of the report, reducing width in percent for a handful of columns and – voila! – all rows are now included – portrait or landscape.
To be more precise:
The outprint now works with Mozilla Firefox 1.0 and Opera 7.23, but NOT with Internet Explorer 6.0 SP2.
Using the same printer driver (HP LaserJet 4000N PCL6) the latter is so far not able to fit the HTML table outprint to page size (A4 landscape) in a way that retains all columns and rows, neither in preview nor outprint. Sorry, Bill.