Java printing Margins

R

Roedy Green

Java tells me it wants one inch margins for printing with a LaserJet
1200. I have seen it get much closer to the edges than that. Is
there something I am doing wrong?
 
R

Roedy Green

Java tells me it wants one inch margins for printing with a LaserJet
1200. I have seen it get much closer to the edges than that. Is
there something I am doing wrong?

The Canon MP210 does the same thing. I wonder if Java is ignoring what
the printer says, and just uses as standard one inch.
 
R

Roedy Green

Java tells me it wants one inch margins for printing with a LaserJet
1200. I have seen it get much closer to the edges than that. Is
there something I am doing wrong?

I found that the HP can physically print with .3" side margins and .25
top and bottom margins.

I found the Canon an print with .3" side margins and a 0.1 top and
bottom margin. I can do this from Java if I ignore the printable
regions that PrinterJob tells me.
 
K

Knute Johnson

Java tells me it wants one inch margins for printing with a LaserJet
1200. I have seen it get much closer to the edges than that. Is
there something I am doing wrong?

See PageFormat.setPaper(), Paper.setImageableArea() and Paper.setSize().
 
R

Roedy Green

See PageFormat.setPaper(), Paper.setImageableArea() and Paper.setSize().

That lets me handle setting margins a bit more elegantly, and tells me
where the 1" margins came from, but it does not let me query now
narrow the margins of any given printer can be.

Another related question. When you print landscape, are you supposed
to just pretend you are printing on an 11 x 8.5 paper, or are you
supposed two print on an 8.5 x 11 paper and rotate the image yourself?
 
R

Roedy Green

Java tells me it wants one inch margins for printing with a LaserJet
1200. I have seen it get much closer to the edges than that. Is
there something I am doing wrong?

The more I experiment, the stranger it gets.
I can make it work if I ALSO select landscape in the printer option
dialog. According to the docs, this should not work. LANDSCAPE is
supposed to invert the direction of the y axis, but not rotate it.

I think the way to handle this is to always print portrait, but do
the rotations etc myself so the user does not need to fiddle with the
printer configuration.
 
K

Knute Johnson

That lets me handle setting margins a bit more elegantly, and tells me
where the 1" margins came from, but it does not let me query now
narrow the margins of any given printer can be.

Another related question. When you print landscape, are you supposed
to just pretend you are printing on an 11 x 8.5 paper, or are you
supposed two print on an 8.5 x 11 paper and rotate the image yourself?

I think you should set the PageFormat to landscape. Please see the
following code that I wrote to print images.

//
//
// ImagePrinter
//
//
// Version Date Modification
//
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
// 00.10 20 Jun 08 Incept
// 00.11 23 Jun 08 add image file path to frame
// 00.12 11 Jul 08 correct minor bug with page format
// 00.20 22 Aug 08 add file filter to filechooser
// 00.30 11 Dec 09 add code to persist page format
// 00.31 22 Feb 10 change Image menu name to View and move Load
Image
// to File menu
// 00.32 01 Apr 10 remove the orientation parameter from the page
// format persistence
// 00.34 09 Mar 12 modify to put data file in user.home
// 00.40 03 Dec 13 center frame in screen
//
//

package com.knutejohnson.tools.imageprinter;

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.awt.image.*;
import java.awt.print.*;
import java.io.*;
import javax.imageio.*;
import javax.swing.*;

public class ImagePrinter extends JFrame implements ActionListener,
Printable {
static final String VERSION = "00.40";
static final String DATE = "3 Decemter 2013";
static final String HOME =
System.getProperties().getProperty("user.home");
static final String DATA_FILE = ".imageprinter";

private final File dataFile;
private final JFileChooser fc;
private final PrinterJob pj;

// the following are thread constrained
private PageFormat pf;
private BufferedImage bi;
private boolean centered;
private boolean scaled;
private String fileName = "";

public ImagePrinter() {
super("ImagePrinter");

setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);

addWindowListener(new WindowAdapter() {
public void windowClosed(WindowEvent we) {
saveData(pf);
}
});

dataFile = new File(HOME,DATA_FILE);

pj = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();
pf = pj.defaultPage();
pj.setPrintable(this);
fc = new JFileChooser("/");
fc.addChoosableFileFilter(new ImageFileFilter());

loadData(pf);

JMenuBar mb = new JMenuBar();
setJMenuBar(mb);

JMenu file = new JMenu("File");
JMenu view = new JMenu("View");
JMenu help = new JMenu("Help");

mb.add(file);
mb.add(view);
mb.add(help);

JMenuItem pageFormat = new JMenuItem("Page Format");
JMenuItem print = new JMenuItem("Print");
JMenuItem quit = new JMenuItem("Quit");
JMenuItem selectImage = new JMenuItem("Load Image");
JCheckBoxMenuItem center = new JCheckBoxMenuItem("Center");
JCheckBoxMenuItem scale = new JCheckBoxMenuItem("Scale To Fit");
JMenuItem about = new JMenuItem("About");

pageFormat.addActionListener(this);
print.addActionListener(this);
quit.addActionListener(this);
selectImage.addActionListener(this);
center.addActionListener(this);
scale.addActionListener(this);
about.addActionListener(this);

file.add(selectImage);
file.add(pageFormat);
file.add(print);
file.add(new JSeparator());
file.add(quit);
view.add(center);
view.add(scale);
help.add(about);

add(new ImagePanel(),BorderLayout.CENTER);

pack();
setLocationRelativeTo(null);
setVisible(true);
}

public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
String ac = ae.getActionCommand();
if (ac.equals("Page Format")) {
pf = pj.pageDialog(pf);
repaint();
} else if (ac.equals("Print")) {
if (pj.printDialog())
try {
if (bi == null)
throw new PrinterException("No Image Loaded");
pj.print();
} catch (PrinterException pe) {
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(ImagePrinter.this,pe,
"Printing Error",JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
}
} else if (ac.equals("Quit")) {
dispose();
} else if (ac.equals("Load Image")) {
int opt = fc.showOpenDialog(ImagePrinter.this);
if (opt == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION) {
try {
File file = fc.getSelectedFile();
bi = ImageIO.read(file);
if (bi == null) {
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(ImagePrinter.this,
"Selected File Is Not An Image File",
"Error Loading Image",JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
fileName = "";
} else {
fileName = file.getPath();
}
} catch (IOException ioe) {
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(ImagePrinter.this,
ioe,"Error Loading Image",
JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
}
repaint();
}
} else if (ac.equals("Center")) {
JCheckBoxMenuItem center = (JCheckBoxMenuItem)ae.getSource();
centered = center.isSelected();
repaint();
} else if (ac.equals("Scale To Fit")) {
JCheckBoxMenuItem scale = (JCheckBoxMenuItem)ae.getSource();
scaled = scale.isSelected();
repaint();
} else if (ac.equals("About")) {
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(ImagePrinter.this,
"ImagePrinter\nVersion: " + VERSION + " - " + DATE + "\n" +
"Copyright \u00a9 Knute Johnson 2008-2013. All rights
reserved.",
"About",JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);
}
}

public int print(Graphics g,PageFormat pf,int index) {
if (index == 0) {
render(g);
return Printable.PAGE_EXISTS;
} else
return Printable.NO_SUCH_PAGE;
}

void render(Graphics g2D) {
Graphics2D g = (Graphics2D)g2D;
int x = (int)pf.getImageableX();
int y = (int)pf.getImageableY();
int w = bi.getWidth();
int h = bi.getHeight();

if (scaled) {
double aspectRatioOfPage =
pf.getImageableWidth() / pf.getImageableHeight();
double aspectRatioOfImage = (double)w / h;
if (aspectRatioOfImage > aspectRatioOfPage) {
double scale = pf.getImageableWidth() / bi.getWidth();
w = (int)(w * scale);
h = (int)(h * scale);
} else {
double scale = pf.getImageableHeight() / bi.getHeight();
w = (int)(w * scale);
h = (int)(h * scale);
}
}
if (centered) {
int adjust = ((int)pf.getImageableWidth() - w) / 2;
x += adjust;

adjust = ((int)pf.getImageableHeight() - h) / 2;
y += adjust;
}
g.drawImage(bi,x,y,w,h,null);
}

private void loadData(PageFormat pf) {
Paper paper = pf.getPaper();
try {
BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new
FileReader(dataFile));
double x = Double.parseDouble(br.readLine());
double y = Double.parseDouble(br.readLine());
double iX = Double.parseDouble(br.readLine());
double iY = Double.parseDouble(br.readLine());
double w = Double.parseDouble(br.readLine());
double h = Double.parseDouble(br.readLine());
br.close();
paper.setImageableArea(x,y,iX,iY);
paper.setSize(w,h);
pf.setPaper(paper);
} catch (IOException ioe) {
ioe.printStackTrace();
} catch (NumberFormatException nfe) {
nfe.printStackTrace();
}
}

private void saveData(PageFormat pf) {
Paper paper = pf.getPaper();
try {
BufferedWriter bw = new BufferedWriter(new
FileWriter(dataFile));
bw.write(Double.toString(paper.getImageableX()));
bw.newLine();
bw.write(Double.toString(paper.getImageableY()));
bw.newLine();
bw.write(Double.toString(paper.getImageableWidth()));
bw.newLine();
bw.write(Double.toString(paper.getImageableHeight()));
bw.newLine();
bw.write(Double.toString(paper.getWidth()));
bw.newLine();
bw.write(Double.toString(paper.getHeight()));
bw.newLine();
bw.close();
} catch (IOException ioe) {
ioe.printStackTrace();
}
}

class ImagePanel extends JPanel {
public ImagePanel() {
setPreferredSize(new Dimension(500,500));
}

public void paintComponent(Graphics g2D) {
// anti-alias all drawing
Graphics2D g = (Graphics2D)g2D;
g.setRenderingHint(RenderingHints.KEY_ANTIALIASING,
RenderingHints.VALUE_ANTIALIAS_ON);
// draw file pathname
g.drawString(fileName,10,20);
// set scale
g.scale(0.5,0.5);
// center the paper in the frame
g.translate((getWidth() * 2.0 - pf.getWidth()) / 2.0,
(getHeight() * 2.0 - pf.getHeight()) / 2.0);
// draw the paper
g.drawRect(0,0,(int)pf.getWidth(),(int)pf.getHeight());
// draw the imageable area
g.drawRect((int)pf.getImageableX(),(int)pf.getImageableY(),
(int)pf.getImageableWidth(),(int)pf.getImageableHeight());
// draw the image if it exists
if (bi != null)
render(g);
}
}

static class ImageFileFilter extends
javax.swing.filechooser.FileFilter {
public boolean accept(File file) {
return file.isDirectory() || file.getName().matches(
"^.*\\.(?i:jpg|jpeg|png|bmp|wbmp|gif)$");
}

public String getDescription() {
return "Image Files";
}
}

public static void main(String[] args) {
EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
new ImagePrinter();
}
});
}
}
 
K

Knute Johnson

That lets me handle setting margins a bit more elegantly, and tells me
where the 1" margins came from, but it does not let me query now
narrow the margins of any given printer can be.

No it doesn't and if you figure that out I would love to know. I
originally thought that you could get that information from the
PrinterJob somehow but I can't figure it out.
 
R

Roedy Green

I think the way to handle this is to always print portrait, but do
the rotations etc myself so the user does not need to fiddle with the
printer configuration.

This is what I did. I works fine. I let the user optionally adjust the
margins. There is no sign of a native method to find out the true
margins.
 
J

Jeff Higgins

No it doesn't and if you figure that out I would love to know. I
originally thought that you could get that information from the
PrinterJob somehow but I can't figure it out.
I've not tested javax.print.attribute.standard.MediaPrintableArea.
 
R

Roedy Green

I think you should set the PageFormat to landscape. Please see the
following code that I wrote to print images.

Nothing rotated. I could get it to rotate by choosing landscape by
clicking into the Windows printer dialog.

And of course I was able to get it to rotate with AffineTransform.
 
R

Roedy Green

No it doesn't and if you figure that out I would love to know. I
originally thought that you could get that information from the
PrinterJob somehow but I can't figure it out.

I had a look at the code. The margins are set to one inch all the
time. There is no native method to find out the actual margins.

I suppose you could collect the numbers for thousands of printers. I
don't know if PrintJob will give you a manfacturer and model number.

Maybe a bit of JNI could add that ability.
 
K

Knute Johnson

Nothing rotated. I could get it to rotate by choosing landscape by
clicking into the Windows printer dialog.

And of course I was able to get it to rotate with AffineTransform.

Maybe I misunderstood what you wanted. To print landscape just select
landscape but if you want your image drawn rotated, you have to do that
yourself.
 
K

Knute Johnson

Knute's program works here and does exactly what it says on the tin: pick
an image that's longer than its wide, select landscape, select the
printer, hit print and its done. The printed result is exactly what I
expected: the image occupies the full printable area of the page (without
changing default margins, which Knute's program doesn't allow, and is in
landscape mode on the page.

I'm running Linux Fedora 20, java version "1.6.0_45", and printing to a
LAN-attached HP Laserjet 5 with a JetDirect network interface card.

I assume that's pretty close what you wanted.

To be honest I default the margins to 0.3 inches for my printer. But
select PageFormat from the File menu and you can set the margins.
 
J

Jeff Higgins

LibreOffice + CUPS only shows the following printer properties:

paper size,orientation,duplex,paper tray

for my HP Laserjet 5. I just tried printing a page with all margins set
to zero, expecting that at least one or two characters would be cut off
on the left margin but, no, it just left a (guessed 4mm margin all round.

I can't tell if CUPS knows what the required margins are for an LJ5.
However, something seems to have decided to use the printable
area rather than the physical page size and to have centred it on the
physical page. The only think I know for sure is that the CUPS client,
i.e. Libre Office, knew nothing about required minimal margins. If it did
know that, then I'd have expected to refuse to set zero margin widths.

My guess, and thats all it is, is that Java would do the same if I'd been
running an application that printed through cups4j or one of the other
classes you listed.
Intersting site, especially the section titled
"PDF is the standard print job format from CUPS 1.6.x on".
<http://www.linuxfoundation.org/collaborate/workgroups/openprinting/group>
Thanks to all for the prompting.
 

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