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Printing

File  Print sends the current view of the contents of the graphics window to the specified printer via the standard Windows or Motif printer dialog. If the contents have been modified in the current view, they will appear modified in the printer output.

To print the contents of the graphics window:

  1. Select File  Print. The standard Windows or Motif printer dialog appears.
  2.  

  3. Select the desired printer and printer properties from the printer dialog.
  4.  

  5. Click Print. The current view of the contents of the graphics window is sent to the chosen printer, with the chosen options.

Print Preview

The Print Preview dialog in iTools allows you to view and manipulate your iTool window content before sending it to the printer.

To open the Print Preview dialog, select File  Print Preview...

You can reposition your content in the Print Preview window by clicking it and dragging it to a new location. If you move your content in such a way that part of it is no longer visible in the Print Preview dialog, this same part will not be shown when printed.


Note
If your Print Preview dialog shows the red border, it will not appear on paper when printed.

You can resize your content by clicking and dragging the small black rectangle at the upper right corner of the window area. The aspect ratio of the content cannot be changed. If Center is unchecked then the content will be resized while keeping the location of the lower left corner static. If Center is checked then resizing will take place while keeping the content centered.

The Print Preview dialog and its functions are shown here:

Figure 7-13: The Print Preview Dialog

Figure 7-13: The Print Preview Dialog

Table 7-2: Print Preview Functions

Table 7-2: Print Preview Functions
Component
Function
X Margin
Sets the left margin to your desired value. Values can be manually entered.
Y Margin
Sets the bottom margin to your desired value. Values can be manually entered.
Width
Select your desired printout width. Values can be manually entered. Only positive values are accepted. The aspect ratio of the content is kept constant so a change in width will also change the height.
Height
Select your desired printout height. Values can be manually entered. Only positive values are accepted. The aspect ratio of the content is kept constant so a change in height will also change the width.
Units
Set width and height units in inches or centimeters. Default is inches.
Reset
Resets all settings to the original value when the Print Preview dialog was first opened. The margins, units, center, and border settings will be reset to defaults and the size is reset based on the size of the tool window.
Help
This invokes the IDL help for print and print preview procedures.
Orientation
Select Portrait or Landscape. Changing the orientation will reset the X and Y margins and the width and height, unless the Center check box is checked, in which case the width and height will be reset but the image will remain centered. Default is Portrait.
Center
Click to center your content on the page. When center is checked the X and Y margin text boxes are no longer available and the ability to drag the image with the mouse is removed. Default is off.
Border
Click to show or hide the content border as a red outline. The border does not print and is included only to indicate the boundary of the contents. The border setting is not saved. Default is on.
Setup
Select to edit printer information. If the Print button is pressed while in the setup dialog, the contents of the Print Preview dialog will be printed and the dialog will be dismissed.
Print
Prints the contents of the Print Preview dialog to the currently selected printer and closes the dialog.
Close
Closes the Print Preview dialog and saves the current settings without printing.

  IDL Online Help (March 01, 2006)