Margins Incorrect when Printing to ImageWriter II (WP)

When printing a word processing document to an ImageWriter, the right hand margins may appear to be larger than anticipated. This is especially true when "Better Text" is selected in the Print dialog box (change to "Better Graphics"). This is caused by the way the ImageWriter prints text. (NOTE: ClarisWorks version 2.1v1, 2.1v2, and 2.1v3 did not have a Better Text or Better Graphics feature. ClarisWorks 2.0 and 2.1v4 do.)

A workaround for this behavior is to set the right hand margin to 0". This adjustment can be made in the Document section under the Format menu. Turning off "Show Margins" is also recommended. By changing the right hand margin, the difference in pixel width is compensated for and the right hand margin will be roughly equivalent to that of the left. This is under the assumption of 1" margins and an 8 1/2" X 11" page.

If you create a stationery document with these margins, you can avoid having to set them each time you open a new ClarisWorks WP document. See page 2-20 of the User's Guide for details on how to create a default stationery file.

Why this happens:
The text is made up from a series of "dots" (pixels) which when printed closely to each other make up the solid text of the printed output. The pixels on the Macintosh screen are square, while the pixels in the ImageWriter are rectangular. The difference in the pixel width translates to text that is more compact and therefore takes up less width across the screen.
ClarisWorks uses the square pixels in its calculations for the text frame width, which is what determines the amount of text that is displayed on each line. Currently, there is no method for ClarisWorks to compensate for the difference in pixel width and its effects on the output.

This printing problem occurs with ImageWriter drivers 2.7, 7.0 and 7.0.1. It does not occur with ClarisWorks 1.0.

If a ClarisWorks 2.0v1 (Mac) WP document is printing to an ImageWriter II and the printed text looks condensed or scrunched together, this may be due to the margins being incorrect as discussed in this article.

We have one report that installing a software package called "BetterWriters v1.0.1" from GDT Softworks fixes this problem.

Apparently, this software package also fixes a slow-speed printing problem found while using SuperLaserSpool.

Claris Tech Support has not tested either of these fixes.