Packing Slip Printer? Problems

Yahoo Archive
1
Darren,
I used to have problems occasionally with printers - forms or paper getting
out of aliagnment. Watch the forms feed. Make sure they are lining up
straight and not at on angle. That the paper doesn't catch on the sides of
a box or tray where they are stacked. I have even had cables catch forms
and pull them off.


-----Original Message-----
From: Darren Mann [mailto:dmann@...]
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 3:53 PM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Packing Slip Printer?? Problems


I have looked at this as an option and even purchased a new printer that did
exactly the same thing out of the box. I know the noise is unexplainable at
this point, unless as Eunice outlined the line feed maybe getting scrambled
to the point the printer does not know what to do. The crazy thing is that
it picks itself back up on the next document and the problem occurs exactly
at the same point in the form - packing slip (right after the last detail
line and moves the page number to the middle of the form) - and never the
BOL. If it was a physical problem with the printer or a form travel problem
wouldn't you expect more random occurences of the problem??? Different
points in the page and different reports.

We are pulling the paper and do not place it in the box. The paper is
loosely stacked beneath the printer.
2
We also use an Oki 395 six clerks, 5 part P/S, our printer is
connected
directly to an old 486 PC, where the PC has a login name
shipping and the printer
is shared as shipping. We eliminated the print server when we
moved from
Novell to NT since we experienced the problem you are describing
plus printing
garbage and who knows what else, that was about two years ago.
We have an Okidata 320 in our UPS desk. If the 395 breaks we
put another
model with no problems. Hope this helps...

Eunice Corral

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Darren Mann [SMTP:dmann@...]
> Sent: Miércoles 2 de Agosto de 2000 12:57 PM
> To: Vantage User Group (E-mail)
> Subject: [Vantage] Packing Slip Printer?? Problems
>
> HELP!!!
>
> I have a problem that has been a thorn in my side for tooooo long.
> Our
> Okidata ML 320T is used to print packing slips to 3part paper in the
> shipping area from the office. It is connected to a HP print server,
> which
> is connected to a Bay Networks 304 switch via cat5 cable.
>
> The problem is this: OCCASIONALLY, (I stressed that) the packing slip
> will
> not line feed down the page and throws everything after off-line. The
> printer makes a noise like it is slipping a gear (That was my first
> fix) but
> then prints the last line in the middle of the page. There is NO
> pattern!!
> It may go for weeks without a hiccup or it may happen several times a
> day.
> Never a pattern!! Did I repeat that....
>
> Two different people use this printer and either can cause the
> problem. It
> doesn't even happen during heavy printing, this morning it was the
> first one
> to print. Okidata says it isn't them. I really do not know what else
> to
> try. This has been happening for going on two years!!!! So you can
> understand how the natives are getting restless.
>
> Also, we print BOL to the same printer and it has never missed up on
> these.
>
>
> So far,
>
> I have replaced the printer, the print server, the LAN run, patch
> cables and
> updated all printer drivers. I have checked, researched, and double
> checked
> settings on the print driver and print server settings.
>
> Are there any NT problems that anyone has encountered that would
> create such
> a scenario? It did this with our previous system (before Vantage)
> after
> switching to NT from Novell. I am currently running SBS 4.5 Service
> pack 6a
> on the print/email/data collection gateway server.
>
> Any ray of hope would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks
> Darren Mann
> Miller Products Co.
>
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3
Darren,

I know you said that OKI indicates that it is not their problem BUT there
really aren't any commands you could send a printer that would cause the
printer to make the noise you describe. I'd look for a possible binding of
the paper path (maybe the forms get stuck in the supply box or caught on
some edge...) Since the problem occurs during a form-feed it may not show up
with print jobs that line-feed as they go through.

Dale Puls
Pacesetter Electronics

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Stetter [mailto:jimstetter@...]
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 1:55 PM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Packing Slip Printer?? Problems


Darren, are you using an OKI print driver or a Generic/Text only one? If
the latter is true, be sure that driver is named exactly the same on all
computers that print packing slips. Make sure that you design the Crystal
form (have a made an unwarranted assumption?) to use that printer, with
exactly the same printer name. I have had similar problems with
generic/text output and found that Crystal does not always format the output
correctly when you change your printer setup at print time. Hope this
helps.
Jim Stetter

-----Original Message-----
From: Darren Mann [mailto:dmann@...]
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 1:57 PM
To: Vantage User Group (E-mail)
Subject: [Vantage] Packing Slip Printer?? Problems


HELP!!!

I have a problem that has been a thorn in my side for tooooo long. Our
Okidata ML 320T is used to print packing slips to 3part paper in the
shipping area from the office. It is connected to a HP print server,
which
is connected to a Bay Networks 304 switch via cat5 cable.

The problem is this: OCCASIONALLY, (I stressed that) the packing slip
will
not line feed down the page and throws everything after off-line. The
printer makes a noise like it is slipping a gear (That was my first fix)
but
then prints the last line in the middle of the page. There is NO
pattern!!
It may go for weeks without a hiccup or it may happen several times a day.
Never a pattern!! Did I repeat that....

Two different people use this printer and either can cause the problem.
It
doesn't even happen during heavy printing, this morning it was the first
one
to print. Okidata says it isn't them. I really do not know what else to
try. This has been happening for going on two years!!!! So you can
understand how the natives are getting restless.

Also, we print BOL to the same printer and it has never missed up on
these.


So far,

I have replaced the printer, the print server, the LAN run, patch cables
and
updated all printer drivers. I have checked, researched, and double
checked
settings on the print driver and print server settings.

Are there any NT problems that anyone has encountered that would create
such
a scenario? It did this with our previous system (before Vantage) after
switching to NT from Novell. I am currently running SBS 4.5 Service pack
6a
on the print/email/data collection gateway server.

Any ray of hope would be appreciated.

Thanks
Darren Mann
Miller Products Co.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




We no longer allow attachments to files. To access/share Report Files,
please go to the following link: http://www.egroups.com/files/vantage/
(Note: If this link does not work for you the first time you try it, go to
www.egroups.com, login and be sure to save your password, choose My Groups,
choose Vantage, then choose Files. If you save the password, the link above
will work the next time you try it.)
4
Darren, P.S.

OKI also uses a clear plastic guide to keep the forms against the platen and
away from the print head. This "shield" can get worn and then catch on paper
as it goes by. Also, you didn't mention if the forms are tractor feed or
not (I'm assuming they are). You may have a gear (or bushing) that gets
stuck if the tractor axle wanders too far to the right (or left). Also the
best path through a printer will use the tractor to PULL the form rather
than PUSH.

Lots of luck,

Dale Puls

-----Original Message-----
From: H. Dale Puls [mailto:DPuls@...]
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 1:53 PM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Packing Slip Printer?? Problems


Darren,

I know you said that OKI indicates that it is not their problem BUT there
really aren't any commands you could send a printer that would cause the
printer to make the noise you describe. I'd look for a possible binding of
the paper path (maybe the forms get stuck in the supply box or caught on
some edge...) Since the problem occurs during a form-feed it may not show up
with print jobs that line-feed as they go through.

Dale Puls
Pacesetter Electronics

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Stetter [mailto:jimstetter@...]
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 1:55 PM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Packing Slip Printer?? Problems


Darren, are you using an OKI print driver or a Generic/Text only one? If
the latter is true, be sure that driver is named exactly the same on all
computers that print packing slips. Make sure that you design the Crystal
form (have a made an unwarranted assumption?) to use that printer, with
exactly the same printer name. I have had similar problems with
generic/text output and found that Crystal does not always format the output
correctly when you change your printer setup at print time. Hope this
helps.
Jim Stetter

-----Original Message-----
From: Darren Mann [mailto:dmann@...]
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 1:57 PM
To: Vantage User Group (E-mail)
Subject: [Vantage] Packing Slip Printer?? Problems


HELP!!!

I have a problem that has been a thorn in my side for tooooo long. Our
Okidata ML 320T is used to print packing slips to 3part paper in the
shipping area from the office. It is connected to a HP print server,
which
is connected to a Bay Networks 304 switch via cat5 cable.

The problem is this: OCCASIONALLY, (I stressed that) the packing slip
will
not line feed down the page and throws everything after off-line. The
printer makes a noise like it is slipping a gear (That was my first fix)
but
then prints the last line in the middle of the page. There is NO
pattern!!
It may go for weeks without a hiccup or it may happen several times a day.
Never a pattern!! Did I repeat that....

Two different people use this printer and either can cause the problem.
It
doesn't even happen during heavy printing, this morning it was the first
one
to print. Okidata says it isn't them. I really do not know what else to
try. This has been happening for going on two years!!!! So you can
understand how the natives are getting restless.

Also, we print BOL to the same printer and it has never missed up on
these.


So far,

I have replaced the printer, the print server, the LAN run, patch cables
and
updated all printer drivers. I have checked, researched, and double
checked
settings on the print driver and print server settings.

Are there any NT problems that anyone has encountered that would create
such
a scenario? It did this with our previous system (before Vantage) after
switching to NT from Novell. I am currently running SBS 4.5 Service pack
6a
on the print/email/data collection gateway server.

Any ray of hope would be appreciated.

Thanks
Darren Mann
Miller Products Co.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
5
I have looked at this as an option and even purchased a new printer that did
exactly the same thing out of the box. I know the noise is unexplainable at
this point, unless as Eunice outlined the line feed maybe getting scrambled
to the point the printer does not know what to do. The crazy thing is that
it picks itself back up on the next document and the problem occurs exactly
at the same point in the form - packing slip (right after the last detail
line and moves the page number to the middle of the form) - and never the
BOL. If it was a physical problem with the printer or a form travel problem
wouldn't you expect more random occurences of the problem??? Different
points in the page and different reports.

We are pulling the paper and do not place it in the box. The paper is
loosely stacked beneath the printer.

I am using the Okidata driver and not the generic/text driver. I can not
remember if I have ever used the generic driver to be sure. But each
station does have the same printer name assigned and the report was saved
with that printer name.

I am interested in the print server problem with NT that Eunice spoke of.
It sounds like the most similar at this point. Thanks so far for the info.
I really appreciate people taking the time to give this some thought.

Darren Mann
Miller Products Co.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: H. Dale Puls [mailto:DPuls@...]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 2:03 PM
> To: vantage@egroups.com
> Subject: RE: [Vantage] Packing Slip Printer?? Problems
>
>
> Darren, P.S.
>
> OKI also uses a clear plastic guide to keep the forms against
> the platen and
> away from the print head. This "shield" can get worn and then
> catch on paper
> as it goes by. Also, you didn't mention if the forms are
> tractor feed or
> not (I'm assuming they are). You may have a gear (or bushing)
> that gets
> stuck if the tractor axle wanders too far to the right (or
> left). Also the
> best path through a printer will use the tractor to PULL the
> form rather
> than PUSH.
>
> Lots of luck,
>
> Dale Puls
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: H. Dale Puls [mailto:DPuls@...]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 1:53 PM
> To: vantage@egroups.com
> Subject: RE: [Vantage] Packing Slip Printer?? Problems
>
>
> Darren,
>
> I know you said that OKI indicates that it is not their
> problem BUT there
> really aren't any commands you could send a printer that
> would cause the
> printer to make the noise you describe. I'd look for a
> possible binding of
> the paper path (maybe the forms get stuck in the supply box
> or caught on
> some edge...) Since the problem occurs during a form-feed it
> may not show up
> with print jobs that line-feed as they go through.
>
> Dale Puls
> Pacesetter Electronics
>
>