How to Make Color Transparencies

Instructions by Eric Schechter, version of 4/27/01

These instructions are for making color transparencies on the Deskjet 930C or 932C. We have one such printer in room 1427, hooked up to a Windows computer; we hope to have another in a few months. In addition, some faculty members have such a printer in their offices. Here are some caveats:

These instructions are only for color transparencies. If you wish to make a black-and-white (i.e., black-and-clear) transparency, please use the conventional transparency sheets on the conventional photocopier. Note that we have two different kinds of transparencies -- one kind for color, another kind for black-and-white.
If you are using a different kind of printer, or if you are using your own Deskjet 930C hooked up to your own non-Windows computer, you will need to consult the manuals and figure out your own instructions.
Though its initial purchase price is lower than that of the laserprinters, the Deskjet printer is actually more expensive to operate. Feel free to use it if you need color printouts for your mathematics work, but please do not use it for black-and-white printouts (you can do those on the laserprinter) or for non-work-related printouts.
We can print a transparency from essentially any program that runs on the Windows computer and that has a "print" command. This includes (among other things) Mathematica, Netscape, Acrobat Reader, a TeX previewer, and various graphics editors. However, if you have some other sort of file, on a Mac or Unix computer, it may take me a while to figure out how to print it. Please give me a few days advance notice if you might need my help; don't leave it until a few hours before your plane leaves for your conference.

And now, finally, here are the instructions.

	Hardware setup	Software setup
Before printing	Obtain color transparencies from Sally Miller Slide out both of the paper guides,and remove all paper from the IN tray. Fan the edges of the transparency sheets to separate them,then align the edges. Insert a stack of up to 25 transparency sheets,rough side down and the adhesive strip towards the printer. Slide the paper guides snugly against the transparencies.	You may find it helpful to restart the computer (by pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL twice, or by "Start" - "Shutdown" - "Restart") before embarking on any major projects such as printing transparencies or changing the printer settings. If a Windows computer has been running for a while since its last restart, it tends to accumulate memory leaks and other errors. You need to tell the computer that you're going to use the Deskjet 930C (rather than the Laserprinter) and that you're going to use transparencies (rather than paper). You can do this on a temporary basis when the "print" command comes up in your application, but that varies from one application to another. It may be simpler to make the change in the Windows default printer settings: Bring up the Printers box. If you don't see it elsewhere, you can find it under "Start" - "Settings" - "Printers". Click with the right mouse button on the HP Deskjet 930 icon. On the resulting menu, check the "Set as default" item if it isn't already checked. Again, click with the right mouse button on the HP Deskjet 930 icon. On the resulting menu, click "Properties". Then: At the top of the resulting control panel, click the "Setup" tab. Change the "Paper type" setting to "HP Premium Inkjet Transparency Film." Make sure that the "Print Quality" still says "Best". Then click "Okay".
	Tell your software to print. The printer knows that you're using transparencies, so it waits for the transparencies to dry before releasing them automatically.
After printing	Take any leftover transparencies out of the IN tray, and return them to Sally Miller or save them for your next use. Put paper back in the IN tray. *Caution about using* transparencies:** Be gentle with them. These ink-printed transparencies are not as durable as those produced by laserprinter. They can smudge, especially if you get them wet.	If you've changed the Windows default printer settings, please change them back. The HP Deskjet's "Paper type" should be set to "Plain Paper", with "Print Quality" set to "Best". Click okay on that. Then make the room 1427's Laserjet printer to be the default printer again.