M609x and Mixed Paper Sizes/Weights

[bl0ke]

We have an M609x with added L0H18A Sheet Feeder and L0H20A Finisher.

Tray 2 contains 160gsm A5 card, and trays 3 & 4 contain plain 80gsm A4 .

Tray 2 is configured correctly on the printer as "A5 Cardstock".

We print a mix of documents from two PDFs which we print via Foxit PDF - one for A4 and one for A5. While the printer correctly selects the paper size based on the PDF, it always prompts us to load plain A5 or use another drawer. We can get around this  if we open printer preferences and actively select Cardstock A5 from a saved profile. 

Is there a way to configure Windows to realise that the A5 is to be printed on Cardstock A5 and not Plain A5?

[Repairatrooper]

If you only print A5 cardstock, the easiest work around is to adjust the paper settings (fuser temperature, etc) for plain paper to match card stock. Other solution is to force tray selection which will result in tray 2 printing. Your issue is likely that the PDF while programmed for A5 is likely plain not card stock. Have you adjusted the paper type in the driver defaults to show that Tray 2 has yardstick?

[bl0ke]

Hi Repairatrooper,

I can set the paper type in the driver preferences as follows:

However, when I later go to print an A4 PDF, the printer prompts for A4 cardstock.

[bl0ke]

UPDATE:

After removing and reinstalling the driver and all apps, we have one machine working and one not.

On the machine that works, the Properties panel looks like this:

On the machine that still has the problem, the Properties looks a lot less complicated:

The printer was installed the same way on both machines:

1. Devices >> Printers and scanners >> Add a new printer or scanner.
2. Ignore discovered devices and use 'The printer that I want isn't listed'.
3. Add by TCP/IP address, unticking "Query the printer and automatically select the driver to use".

Can anyone suggest why the second machine seems to pick up more details from the printer (the output stackers was detected, for example) than the first?

It appears to be the PCL driver version - both machines now have all of the options.

[Repairatrooper]

When dealing with mixed media types, you are going to have to take a second step. Unless the document was programmed to print on cardstock, it is likely defaulting to plain paper. When you go to print cardstock you are going to have to open printer properties and either specify tray 2 or specify that you want to print cardstock. Or create a printing shortcut in the driver that is configured f

[bl0ke]

Good morning Repairatrooper,

Thank you for responding, and I appreciate your efforts, but the approach you detailed was what we had used previously. It relies on the user remembering the extra step, and while we're flying along it's very easy to miss it (especially as it's a new step) so the user just ends up frustrated.

Since we have one working machine, I have transferred the printer drivers and settings using MMC from there, and now both are 'weight-agnostic' as far as paper is concerned - we send the different sized PDFs to the printer and the correct paper size is selected. The printer itself knows that tray 2 is cardstock and adjusts the fuser temperature accordingly.

Everything seems OK. Fingers crossed.