Firefox Is Changing The Default Paper Size For All Printers When One Is Selected
Hello!
A little background info on what we're dealing with here. I work in a store and we own two workstations. Each workstation shares our two printers. One is a Star Receipt printer, the other is a Brother full size paper printer. Now Workstation2 is working without issue. We are able to print with the system specific default printer settings and nothing changes between printer. All good to go.
Now the issues stems from Workstation1. Our Star Receipt printer is set to print '77MMXRECEIPT', however when we select the Brother printer from the drop down menu then switch back to the Star Receipt the default paper size is forced to 'Letter' which causes the Receipt to print like a large sheet of paper which means we only get a portion of what we are printing.
This wouldn't normally be a problem, but due to some undefined steps(I'm not the only user and we don't always print from one website) the Brother printer is changed to default in Firefox which means that when we select the Receipt printer for printing, the default is again set to 'Letter' until we go to File>Print and set it to default again with '77MMXRECEIPT'.
Here's what I've done to test where the issue is this. I've changed and confirmed that when the Receipt printer is forced to 'Letter', the windows printer settings for both printers does stay on the default settings. I've also confirmed that the printer settings work on all browsers but Firefox and within Firefox I have gone into the .js settings file and deleted anything mentioned as 'print_' as well as going to Help>Troubleshoot>Refresh and completely setting all settings to default with nothing changing. I've also gone into About:config and tried resetting the default printer to no avail. The setting is always forcefully changed to 'Letter' when first switched to Brother printer and back to Star Receipt printer.
My take on it is there is some saved cache or settings file that has recorded and saved the Brother settings along with the Star Receipt settings and sets them both when switched to Brother. I've attempted to check both workstations and compare settings, everything appears the same. I have no idea where else to go on this as I don't know Firefox that intimately. Short of reinstalling Firefox I've done all I can think of.
My current version of Firefox is 66.0.3 (64-bit) labelled as Firefox Quantum.
Please let me know if there is anything you can think of! Thank you for your help.
All Replies (6)
Could you go into your working Firefox and look up the following printer values. Then you can enter them on the non-working Firefox to see whether they "stick":
(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button promising to be careful or accepting the risk.
(2) In the search box above the list, type or paste paper and pause while the list is filtered
Firefox should list all your printers with five preferences for each, derived from the printer driver, unless overridden:
- print.printer_name.print_paper_data
=> 1 is letter; other values are printer dependent - print.printer_name.print_paper_height
=> Usually -1.00 for standard sizes - print.printer_name.print_paper_name
=> I think this is just for information and can be ignored - print.printer_name.print_paper_size_unit
=> 0 is imperial, 1 is metric - print.printer_name.print_paper_width
=> Usually -1.00 for standard sizes
The first one is usually especially important.
To edit a value on the "receiving" Firefox, double-click it to pop up a little dialog where you can change it and click OK.
Two questions:
(1) Does that fix the next print with the label printer? (2) Does the setting stick or does it get changed when you use the regular printer?
IMO, it sounds like switching back and forth between those 2 very different printers is probably what's causing your issue.
Default printer settings done thru Windows have nothing to do with the "default printer" in Firefox when multiple printers are being used, once the printer being used is changed from the default in Windows. In Firefox the "last used" printer is the "default printer". IOW, the "default printer" holds for only as long as it isn't changed.
That can be disabled thru about:config with the print.save_print_settings preference toggled to false.
@jscher2000 Thank you for your reply! I looked into this and it does appear the config settings are forcefully changed and saved when Brother printer is used or brought in as default by using Firefox's menu>print option. I've pasted below the settings for both workstations.
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Workstation2:
user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_bgcolor", false); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_bgimages", false); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_duplex", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_edge_bottom", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_edge_left", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_edge_right", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_edge_top", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_evenpages", true); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_footercenter", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_footerleft", "&PT"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_footerright", "&D"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_headercenter", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_headerleft", "&T"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_headerright", "&U"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_in_color", true); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_margin_bottom", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_margin_left", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_margin_right", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_margin_top", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_oddpages", true); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_orientation", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_page_delay", 50); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_paper_data", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_paper_height", " 11.00"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_paper_name", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_paper_size_unit", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_paper_width", " 8.50"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_resolution", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_reversed", false); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_scaling", " 1.00"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_shrink_to_fit", true); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_to_file", false); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_to_filename", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_unwriteable_margin_left", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_unwriteable_margin_right", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_unwriteable_margin_top", 0);
Workstation1:
user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_bgcolor", false); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_bgimages", false); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_duplex", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_edge_bottom", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_edge_left", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_edge_right", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_edge_top", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_evenpages", true); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_footercenter", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_footerleft", "&PT"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_footerright", "&D"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_headercenter", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_headerleft", "&T"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_headerright", "&U"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_in_color", true); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_margin_bottom", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_margin_left", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_margin_right", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_margin_top", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_oddpages", true); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_orientation", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_page_delay", 50); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_paper_data", 140); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_paper_height", " -1.00"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_paper_name", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_paper_size_unit", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_paper_width", " -1.00"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_resolution", 203); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_reversed", false); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_scaling", " 1.00"); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_shrink_to_fit", true); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_to_file", false); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_to_filename", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_unwriteable_margin_left", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_unwriteable_margin_right", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Star_TSP143LAN_Cutter.print_unwriteable_margin_top", 0);
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When matching the settings from Workstation2 onto Workstation1 they stay the same until Brother printer is used, in which case they revert to Workstation1's current settings which I've posted above.
@the-edmeister Thank you! Your solution was actually very helpful. So long as I make the Star printer the default before disabling the save printer preferences option, then everything stays the same regardless of what is used since Brother printer never becomes default. But, this does not solve the issue in it's entirety.
You can still see the settings switch with the Star printer after switching to Brother, however they aren't saved. As long as I don't use both printers within the same session window, it won't be a problem. However, workstation2 does have the preference save option enabled without the same issue, so there is still something causing this that I cannot figure out yet with Firefox.
It seems as if the Brother printer has its own settings that Firefox calls on when it is selected which may have somehow been mixed with or saved alongside the receipt printer's settings in some sort of cache that cannot be reverted without finding and deleting them.
Thank you everyone for your continued help!
As far the printer prefs that you posted go, I am surprised that there are no prefs listed for the Brother printer. Both should be there once a printer is used in the Firefox installation, allowing the user to select each printer thru the Print dialog box "Printer > Name" dialog drop-down and using the same setting (margins, paper size, etc) as previously set. IOW, I would have expected that even with print.save_print_settings set to false there would be at least some prefs left for the Brother printer. Firefox would go by the pref for print_printer to determine how the current print job is to be formatted prior to sending the job to a printer; when a different printer (from the last print job) is selected in the Print dialog the formatting prefs would used for the current print job.
As to those two workstations not working the same when toggling that print.save_print_settings reference, I can't answer that.
@the-edmeister It appears there is a character limit for replies and I cut the pref.js short to just the Star printer. I figured it irrelevant due to no change between the two but I'll copy the Brother settings below.
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Workstation2:
user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_bgcolor", false); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_bgimages", false); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_duplex", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_edge_bottom", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_edge_left", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_edge_right", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_edge_top", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_evenpages", true); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_footercenter", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_footerleft", "&PT"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_footerright", "&D"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_headercenter", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_headerleft", "&T"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_headerright", "&U"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_in_color", true); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_margin_bottom", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_margin_left", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_margin_right", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_margin_top", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_oddpages", true); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_orientation", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_page_delay", 50); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_paper_data", 1); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_paper_height", " 11.00"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_paper_name", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_paper_size_unit", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_paper_width", " 8.50"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_resolution", 600); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_reversed", false); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_scaling", " 1.00"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_shrink_to_fit", true); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_to_file", false); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_to_filename", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom", 17); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_left", 17); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_right", 17); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_top", 17);
Workstation1:
user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_bgcolor", false); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_bgimages", false); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_duplex", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_edge_bottom", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_edge_left", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_edge_right", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_edge_top", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_evenpages", true); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_footercenter", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_footerleft", "&PT"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_footerright", "&D"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_headercenter", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_headerleft", "&T"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_headerright", "&U"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_in_color", true); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_margin_bottom", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_margin_left", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_margin_right", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_margin_top", "0.5"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_oddpages", true); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_orientation", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_page_delay", 50); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_paper_data", 1); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_paper_height", " 11.00"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_paper_name", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_paper_size_unit", 0); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_paper_width", " 8.50"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_resolution", 600); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_reversed", false); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_scaling", " 1.00"); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_shrink_to_fit", true); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_to_file", false); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_to_filename", ""); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom", 17); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_left", 17); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_right", 17); user_pref("print.printer_Brother_MFC-9330CDW_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_top", 17);
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I have an idea that I need to check out when I get some time. I just noticed there are two directories for the profiles. Root and Local, I'm going to look and see if by chance there is some difference in settings saved there.
Theorizing said
I just noticed there are two directories for the profiles. Root and Local, I'm going to look and see if by chance there is some difference in settings saved there.
Root has the important files like settings. Local is temp stuff such as cached pages.