Printing Templot Templates

[bordercollie]

Hi

I am having trouble printing templates.

When printing templates I get a warning at top of page telling me that the printer hasn't been calibrated. I have re-calibrated several times including today with the latest version. The calibration proof sheet measures up at 250 mm long and 150 mm wide. I had measured the inside frame on calibration test sheet. The print out was portrait orientation. Despite this warning I measured the sleeper length with verniers and it was spot on. So the calibration across the width is OK. Sleeper spacing over four sleepers seems to be OK so the height calibration is correct. The rails on print-out run from from top to bottom of sheet so the timber spacing gave a a height measurement. Can I assume the warning is a mistake.
Also I wasn't able to print a single template using the output or Print now function. Even though I pressed the single template option. The page map is very small but it seems to show the single template I was after, When print preview was selected it showed three lines of track from my track plan and this is what was printed out i.e. several templates. The only distinction was that the control template had different coloured rails i.e. brown compared to blue on the other templates
Finally, if it is possible to print out a single template is it possible to get it on a single sheet of A4 paper, as long as it small enough to fit.
Please note that when I setup printer I selected A4 and auto select.

Regards
Graham

 

[Martin Wynne]

@bordercollie

Hi Graham,

Most modern printers are very accurate and many users are happy to use them uncalibrated. If the warning message is a nuisance you can switch it off by unticking this box:

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• For the printer functions to work as intended in Templot, it is important that the printer is switched on and connected before you start Templot. On start-up Templot looks to see what printers are available and makes its own list of them. If the printer isn't switched on first, Templot won't see it and won't know later where to put the calibration data.

The calibration data isn't saved automatically between sessions because they might be weeks apart and Templot has no way of knowing that the printer is still physically the same one. Using wrong calibration data is worse than not having any, so it's important to be sure it is using the correct data for the printer being used. To that end you can save a calibration file after doing the calibration, and load the file again next time. It is then up to you to make sure you are using the correct data.

The actual program code for the printer calibration hasn't changed in the 25 years since I wrote it for Windows98, and it is several months since I last used it. Nevertheless I have just done a calibration for my current printer on Windows11 and it is all working fine as intended.

If you are still having problems, please can you make a list of exactly what you clicked in what order and what messages appeared? Thanks. Which version of Windows are you using and which printer?

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The control template prints with brown rails, background templates with blue rails. When you print the control template any nearby background templates will also be printed. This enables you to see where the control template lies within the track plan.

However it is rare that anyone wants to do that. The primary purpose of being able to print the control template is so that you can create and print single construction templates without needing to create a track plan or store any background templates. This is described as "PHASE 1" of Templot on this page:

https://85a.uk/templot/companion/origins_intent.php

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The "print single page" function is intended to scale down an entire track plan so that it fits on a single sheet of paper. I suspect that was not what you wanted.

In order to print a single template on a single sheet of paper, or with the minimum number of sheet joins, use the move page origin mouse action to move the page outlines to their most convenient position around the template. More info about that here:

https://85a.uk/templot/archive/topics/topic_3276.php

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The print now! functions by-pass most of the above and go straight to the printer with whatever settings are currently in force. If you have specific requirements it is better to print via the output menu functions and settings.

Martin.

 

[bordercollie]

Thanks Martyn
I will follow the instructions the next time I want to print templates. I did use the save calibration data, but was unsure how to retrieve and utilise it for the next printing session. I will have another look at it. Like I said the warning in red said that printer wasn't calibrated on the printouts. Although measuring the proof sheet showed it was spot on measured by verniers
You are right that there is no reason to print individual templates.
I now remember the "move page origin". I think it was mentioned on one of the 2 mm association videos on TEMPLOT.
Best wishes
Graham