Shrink-to-fit for printing does not work in Firefox 82.0.2
"Shrink page to fit paper size" does not work printing .pdf files ("Letter" 8-1/2 x 11 paper, or any other size). In the document I am trying to print, only the upper 3/4 of page is printed on full paper page (remainder does not carry over to next page). Width is correct. Full page will print if 80% reduction is chosen, but reduction is not in same proportion as paper page. Windows 7. Firefox 82.0.2. Read numerous articles and posts. Nothing works. Printer is Brother HL-2270DW connected via USB. Using about:config > print :
print.printer_HL-2270DW_USB.print_paper_data The value is "1"
print.printer_HL-2270DW_USB.print_shrink_to_fit The value is "true"
scaling is .8 (tired 1.0 without success)
All other "print" keys are as described in numerous Google items on this topic. Right now I can only save the document as a .pdf, and then open in in Adobe DC that is installed on same computer. Document prints correctly. This is a pain. I read in one Google post that starting with version around 55 Firefox no longer uses Adobe plug-in for pdf files, but switched to its own plug-in - it is clumsy, and as in this situation it does not work. PLEASE go back to using Adobe plug-in.
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Hmm, the problem is that you have a PDF specifying a paper size larger than your physical printer paper size -- or at least the paper size Firefox understands your printer to use? For example, this is A4-sized, so the bottom is cut off on letter-sized paper with either 100% or Shrink to Fit scaling set:
https://www.jeffersonscher.com/pdfjs/web/portrait-a4.pdf
Firefox 82.0 had a bug where all PDFs would fail to use the "unwriteable" margin area for your printer, which led to undesired shrinkage of the PDF (similar to what Adobe Acrobat/Reader does if you don't choose Actual Size) including appearance of headers and footers. Firefox 82.0.2 has a fix for that problem, but it seems to have broken the shrink-to-fit for larger-than-the-paper-size PDFs.
I guess someone will need to file a new bug. Want to do it? https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/
For now, A4 with a custom scaling of 94% fits just right (vertically) on a letter page, but it's not centered horizontally, which would be prettier.
Or you can set Firefox to open PDFs in Acrobat automatically for now if that makes life easier. See: View PDF files using Firefox’s built-in viewer.
P.S. The last plugin allowed in Firefox is Flash, and only for another couple of months. The Adobe Acrobat plugin definitely isn't coming back.
Correction to original post: Full page will NOT print even at 30% or 80% reduction. Only upper 3/4 of page prints, only smaller. Addition to original post: Same problem occurs (will not shrink-to-fit) using a HP-1320 printer. All the "print" parameters reported by about:config for the HP-1320 are the same as for the HL-2270DW. So the problem appears not to be limited to the Brother HL-2270DW. hcole-pe
Thanks for the suggestions. I tried A4 with 94% reduction. No change. Still printed only 3/4 of document page over full paper. I also earlier tried (in "Options, Applications") the option for "other" (same as I got when using "Ask"). I got a list of programs (including VLC media!!) but Adobe was not in the list. It is shown on the desktop, and IE11 opens it as usual. For some reason Firefox does not see it. As I noted in my followup "reply", the same problem occurs when printing to a HP 1320. Only the upper 3/4 of the document page is printed over the full page length (the with is correct). I guess I will send in a bug report, for whatever good that will do. Thank you again. hcole-pe
One last reply: I have spend 30 frustrating minutes trying to set up a Git-Hub account in order to access Bugzilla. Everything seemed to work until I tried to log in - it will not take my email/password that I just entered - over and over. I'm ready to give up the effort.
hcole-pe said
I tried A4 with 94% reduction. No change. Still printed only 3/4 of document page over full paper.
Do normal web page prints use the full page or is there a separate problem that Firefox doesn't understand your printer's paper size?
I also earlier tried (in "Options, Applications") the option for "other" (same as I got when using "Ask"). I got a list of programs (including VLC media!!) but Adobe was not in the list. It is shown on the desktop, and IE11 opens it as usual. For some reason Firefox does not see it.
When you have a PDF in Firefox's viewer, if you click the download button on the viewer's toolbar and use the "Open with" option, will Firefox suggest Adobe there automatically?
If you need to use Other, navigate over to the 32-bit programs folder to find Adobe:
C:\Program Files (x86)
I'm adding screenshots of shrink-to-fit and custom scaling at 94% for reference. (This is from old-fashioned print preview in Firefox 82, not the new style print preview of Firefox beta.)
Thank you.
When you have a PDF in Firefox's viewer, if you click the download button on the viewer's toolbar and use the "Open with" option, will Firefox suggest Adobe there automatically? NO, IT DOES NOT. If I'm not mistaken, I believe Adobe DC is 64-bit, but I could be wrong.
I was finally able to create a Bugzilla account and have sent in a bug report. I'm not sure why the Bugzilla web site said to create an account with GitHub when I tried to log in with "bug report".
The user should not have to resort to gyrations to simply print (correctly sized) a downloaded document. I do not want to try Edge (I do not especially trust Microsoft to get it right), or Chrome. I was perfectly happy with IE11 but many sites no longer support it.
I have tried to keep up with FF updates. The last one I received a notice about was 82.0.2. But when I created the bug report, the "Version" list went to 84. I will see if it is available.
Thank you again.
Firefox 82.0.2 is the current stable release version. Firefox 83-84 are pre-release test versions.
I am on the CC list for the bug report. It has been moved from "triage" to an action item. In the meantime (waking up in the middle of the night with a thought), I think I have resolved the problem (but not the Firefox problem). Installing Firefox appears to have changed the Windows Default for pdf files from Adobe to Firefox. I went through Control Panel > Default Programs to pdf file types. Sure enough, the default had been changed to Firefox. I changed it back to Adobe. In Firefox Options Applications I selected "Windows Default" for pdf. Downloading a pdf using Firefox, it appears to now open in Adobe( albeit, slowly), and in my one test it printed correctly (shrinking-to-fit). Shame on Firefox for changing the Windows Default program. But, that still puts the onus on Mozilla to fix Firefox. Thank you again. I'll let you know how things develop.
One VERY interesting observation: The Firefox version on my wife's computer is 81.0.2. The Windows Default program for pdf files is Adobe. I am very certain I did not reset it from Firefox to Adobe when I applied the 81.0.2 upgrade. The Firefox version on my computers (I have checked two so far, with several to go) is 82.0.2. The Windows Default program for pdf files HAD BEEN CHANGED to Firefox in both. I have a couple more computers that I don't think I've upgraded to 82.0.2. I will look at the current Windows Default program on these. If Adobe, I will upgrade to 82.0.2, and look again. May be instructive. I don't believe in coincidences. Thank you again.
Thank you for your comment that is on the Bugzilla page. Here is my added comment which appears to show that Firefox will NOT shrink a document or image that is WIDER than 8.5 in.
BUGZILLA COMMENT
I attempted to print the document
https://www.jeffersonscher.com/pdfjs/web/portrait-a4.pdf
in Firefox using: 1) Adobe (Adobe as the "Windows Default application") - it shrinks to fit in the long direction 2) Firefox pdf application - wIdth is correct, but length does not shrink to fit in the long direction (font is slight larger, and bottom of document cuts off after first bullet point at bottom.
The width of this document is 8.5" (determined using Adobe measuring tool). Thus the width of this document prints correctly in Firefox because no "shrink-to-fit" is required.
However, as I reported earlier (Bugzilla), trying to print an image that is WIDER than 8.5" (an image of a bank deposit slip downloaded from my bank, which appears to be wider than 8.5") has the SAME shrink-to-error. The image exceeds the paper width (8.5 in).
It appears to me that the Firefox shrink-to-fit function does not "shrink-to-fit" ANY size image that is wider than 8.5" and longer than 11". I guess (but cannot confirm) is that shrinking a pdf using the Adobe application is done WITHIN Adobe, and does not depend on the Firefox shrink-to-fit function.
I very much appreciate the contribution made by jeffersonscher. I request that he try printing a document (pdf, or image) that is WIDER than 8.5" using the Firefox function, and see if he gets the same failure-to-fit result as I did with the bank image.
END OF BUGZILLA COMMENT
Thanks
hcole-pe
By the way, Acrobat shows me the width of the A4-sized PDF is 8.3 inches.
I hate that Acrobat shrinks normal sized pages so I keep the scaling on Actual Size and watch for sizing problems when I print:
