I have two users who use Lotus SmartSuite and Dell Dimension computers
and are experiencing print problems in 123. We are on a W2000 Server
with an HP8500N as our network printer. SOME of their spreadsheets
will print only the background (colored) but not the actual data in
the spreadsheet. This occurs only when printing to the HP8500N. When
printing to their local printers, also HPs, the files print fine. When
printing these same files from other systems these file print okay to
the same printer. Any ideas?

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Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 18 Dec 2002 11:42 PST

sihlen...

Please tell me if the information on this page seems 
relevant, particularly the following excerpt:

"NOTE: HP does not support Microsoft Print Services
 or going through a server to print. The only exception
 to this is Novell; a Novell print server can only be
 a dedicated server. HP Jetdirect will troubleshoot
 Novell print server issues. For all other
 troubleshooting issues, the customer must connect the
 printer directly into the network. Bypass the server
 completely. The only supported configuration will be
 with the printer as a node on the network. Any server
 related issues, the customer needs to talk to Microsoft
 or the OS manufacturer."
...from a support page for the 8500N on HP's site:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=bpl70396&locale=en_US&taskId=110&prodSeriesId=25506&prodTypeId=18972

I also wonder how much RAM you have installed in
your printer, and the size of the spreadsheet files
you are having trouble with. Please see the section
on the same page, entitled:

"Complexity and File Size of Graphics"

"In Windows Explorer the file size may be only
 500 KB, but the same file after being sent to
 the printer could be more than 60 times larger,
 in this case 30 MB or larger. The actual file
 size can be found from a particular application
 when it is printed. It is called doing a
 PRINT TO FILE."

FAQs for the 8500N are here:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DocumentIndex.jsp?contentType=SupportFAQ&locale=en_US&prodTypeId=18972&prodSeriesId=25506&taskId=110&prodSeriesId=25506&docIndexId=3

Tech Support for the 8500N is here:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Resource.jsp?locale=en_US&taskId=110&prodSeriesId=25506&prodTypeId=18972


Searches done, via Google:

HP 8500N problem
://www.google.com/search?num=50&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=HP+8500N+problem

Let me know if this is useful...

sublime1-ga

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Clarification of Question by sihlen-ga on 18 Dec 2002 20:35 PST

I will be in my office on Friday and will look at the questions you
raised. The information you provided is of some help, however, so I
will try to bypass the server and provide additional info to you on
Friday. Thanks!

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Clarification of Question by sihlen-ga on 20 Dec 2002 08:41 PST

The printer is not directly connected to the server. It is using a
JetDirect card. The printer has 32 meg of ram. This does not seem to
be an issue, as I can print from other computers using the same
username and files and drivers, and the documents print fine. The size
of the spreadsheet do not seem to be the problem either, as they are
about 64kb in size. The other important issue, I believe is that one
is using a Dell computer with 2000, the other a Dell with XP.

sihlen...

Well, I'm about out of ideas at this point.
Hopefully another researcher can shed more
light on your situation.

sublime1-ga

I don't know if this is an option, but I've found that I usually save
time and headache by uninstalling and reinstalling the application. 
It solves quirky problems 75% of the time.

I've seen similar problems when printing to hp printers through
novell, we usually  resolved them by changing the HP print driver, as
on 2000 the drivers seemed to be a little flaky. It may be worth your
while changing from a postscript driver to a PCL driver (or vice versa
depending on your setup) and seeing if that makes a difference.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have uninstalled Lotus and reinstalled
and downloaded a new PCL driver and tried that. Still am unable to
print certain documents properly.

sihlen...

A friend of mine is a MS certified rep, and he
says he has some ideas about your JetDirect card
and the configuration thereof. I'll get back to
you when I hear from him.

sublime1-ga

Have you tried to print directly to the printer via an ip port.  To
create an ip printing port the instructions are pretty much the same
for 2000 and XP.
Go to Start>Settings>Printers>Add Printer
Click next on the Welcome Screen Wizard
Click Local Printer (Uncheck the box for Automatically Detect Plug and
Play)
Click Next
Select the Radio button for create new port (you will then need to hit
the drop down button and switch from local port to Standard TCP/IP
Port)
Click Next on the welcome screen
Type in the IP Address of the printer  (You can use any name you want
for the port name.)
Click Next
(If the printer is on and you specified the proper IP Address the next
screen will ask you for the appropriate driver.  Install the driver
and try a test page.
This solution has solved some of the headaches that my company has run
into.
Greg

sihlen...

I apologize for raising false hopes...
It seems my 'friend', the MS rep is not as
reliable as I had hoped. At this point, it
seems unlikely that he will address your 
problem. If he does, I'll let you know ASAP.

My two users are choosing to print to other printers and also are
contemplating a switch to Excel. Not exactly a solution to the
problem, but a workaround nonetheless.