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Thunderbird page size defaulting to letter for printing, won't change to A4

  • 12 cavab
  • 3 have this problem
  • 22 views
  • Last reply by Tomcat-Cute

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I have been using Thunderbird for years but today it's defaulting the print page size to "Letter" rather than A4 (which is what I use). I can tell it to print on A4 by going into printer properties before OKing the print, but the next time I come to print it has reverted to Letter. No other program I run has this problem - they all pick up the printer driver setting of A4 - and that includes Firefox which is happily defaulting and printing to A4. There is one similar thread to this, which has a strange solution given here: https://support.mozilla.org/cs/questions/951063. But I have followed the script there, without success. I have even deleted the printer from my system and reinstalled it (it's an HP2300). This made no difference. I'm running Thunderbird 52.1.0 on Windows 7(64). Any solutions?

I have been using Thunderbird for years but today it's defaulting the print page size to "Letter" rather than A4 (which is what I use). I can tell it to print on A4 by going into printer properties before OKing the print, but the next time I come to print it has reverted to Letter. No other program I run has this problem - they all pick up the printer driver setting of A4 - and that includes Firefox which is happily defaulting and printing to A4. There is one similar thread to this, which has a strange solution given here: https://support.mozilla.org/cs/questions/951063. But I have followed the script there, without success. I have even deleted the printer from my system and reinstalled it (it's an HP2300). This made no difference. I'm running Thunderbird 52.1.0 on Windows 7(64). Any solutions?

Modified by Wayne Mery

Chosen solution

print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1) print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_2)

There is something odd going on here. Can you explain why you have two identical printers - Copy 1 and Copy2 ?

Suggestion worth trying: In Thunderbird Menu icon > Options > Options > Advanced > 'General' tab click on 'Config Editor' button remove all 'print.printer' entries. Close config editor window - top right X click on OK

Close Thunderbird.

In Computer Control Panel > Printers check you only have the one printer (not duplicates) and make sure it is set as default.

Start Thunderbird. select an email Right click on email > Print Preview to check it looks ok click on 'Page Setup' 'Margins & Header/Footer' If using millimeters set up to use 12.7 for all margins/headers/footers click on Print Click on Properties and make sure A4 is selected.

Please report back on results.

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All Replies (12)

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File (Alt-F) - Page Setup Set the desired format.

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Hi -thanks for the response......however there are several replies around the net saying that the user should go to page set up - as here. However like everyone else that gets told this, when I go to page set up there are just two tabs -"format/options" and "headers and margins. Format only offers a portrait/landscape toggle and a scaling option. Headers only offers a change of margins and a change of header. Where is there an option to change the paper size? I am missing something?

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Where is there an option to change the paper size? I am missing something?

No, you don't. The option to set the paper format exists when running Thunderbird on Linux, but apparently not on Windows.

It is my understanding that printing options on Windows are controlled by the printer driver, not the application. So you should be able to set the paper format underneath Print - Properties. But I guess that's what you already did.

I have no idea why setting the option doesn't stick in your case. You may check with your printer vendor's support.

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Have you found a solution?

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No - at present I'm still having to change the paper size every time I go to print.

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Please check tools > error console for any error messages

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Hi Wayne - there are lots of error messages in the CSS section - but nothing that mentions "page" "size", or even "printer". Is there anything in particular that I should be looking for?

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Please post some info: In Thunderbird Help > Troubleshooting Information click on 'Copy text to clipboard' button

right click in this forum question Reply text box and select 'Paste' then edit what you pasted so that only the printer info is displayed. Then Post Reply

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print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_bgcolor: false

     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_bgimages: false
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_colorspace:
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_command:
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_downloadfonts: false
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_duplex: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_edge_bottom: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_edge_left: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_edge_right: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_edge_top: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_evenpages: true
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_footercenter:
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_footerleft: &PT
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_footerright: &D
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_headercenter:
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_headerleft: &T
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_headerright: &U
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_in_color: true
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_margin_bottom: 0.5
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_margin_left: 0.5
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_margin_right: 0.5
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_margin_top: 0.5
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_oddpages: true
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_orientation: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_page_delay: 50
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_paper_data: 9
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_paper_height: 11.00
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_paper_name:
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_paper_size_type: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_paper_size_unit: 1
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_paper_width: 8.50
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_plex_name:
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_resolution: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_resolution_name:
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_reversed: false
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_scaling: 1.00
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_shrink_to_fit: false
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_to_file: false
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_unwriteable_margin_bottom: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_unwriteable_margin_left: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_unwriteable_margin_right: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1).print_unwriteable_margin_top: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_2).print_bgcolor: false
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_2).print_bgimages: false
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_2).print_duplex: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_2).print_edge_bottom: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_2).print_edge_left: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_2).print_edge_right: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_2).print_edge_top: 0
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_2).print_evenpages: true
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_2).print_footercenter:
     print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Seri
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Seçilmiş Həll

print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_1) print.printer_HP_LaserJet_2300_Series_PCL_5_(Copy_2)

There is something odd going on here. Can you explain why you have two identical printers - Copy 1 and Copy2 ?

Suggestion worth trying: In Thunderbird Menu icon > Options > Options > Advanced > 'General' tab click on 'Config Editor' button remove all 'print.printer' entries. Close config editor window - top right X click on OK

Close Thunderbird.

In Computer Control Panel > Printers check you only have the one printer (not duplicates) and make sure it is set as default.

Start Thunderbird. select an email Right click on email > Print Preview to check it looks ok click on 'Page Setup' 'Margins & Header/Footer' If using millimeters set up to use 12.7 for all margins/headers/footers click on Print Click on Properties and make sure A4 is selected.

Please report back on results.

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Hi Toad-Hall

That seems to have solved it - many thanks. The duplicate entries for the HP2300 were from a previous printer which I replaced some time ago - I was a bit surprised when Windows loaded in new drivers, because I thought it just pick up the old ones, but I guess the system recognized it was a different printer, even if the same model. I had deleted the printer from my "devices and printers" section, but clearly the Thunderbird config files had kept the settings for both. Anyway, I removed all the printer setting lines in the file, and that cured the problem. Thanks again, Tim

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Hi all, this is all very fine but Thunderbird SHOULD DEFINITELY HAVE THE OPTION TO SET PAGE SIZE independently of the installed printers! I simply don’t want everytime I need to print the message to go to the printer driver and change from Letter to A4. I want to set it once for all. When I relocate to the U.S. I want to be able to change it back once for all. Any fresh ideas? No workarounds please. Now the fun part: Thunderbird on my computer defaults to A4, while Thunderbird on a computer in the next room connected to the same printer defaults to Letter. Isn’t that a proof that the setting is and should be done in Thunderbird? Important notice: I’m not an IT man and I did not install either of the two Thunderbirds in question. Sincerely Dan (aka Tomcat-Cute)