Choosing a Printer

When you first open Mindcad Tiler you will see a message in the workspace asking you to choose a specific printer.  You can do this by clicking on the "Page Setup" button on the Tiler toolbar, or by selecting "Page Setup..." from the File menu.

The reason you need to choose a specific printer is that most printers are unable to print all the way to the edge of the page.  The area that can be safely printed within is called the "printable area."  Tiler needs to know the printable area for your specific printer in order to scale and print your content accurately.

In Page Setup it is important to select a specific printer and paper size.  Tiler will automatically scale your content so you can leave the Scale percentage at 100%.  In addition, you can adjust your page orientation from the Tiler toolbar, so it isn't necessary to select it in Page Setup.

Setting Default Values in Page Setup

Once you have configured Page Setup, you have the option of saving it as your system-wide default.  To do this, select "Save as Default" using the Settings drop-down box as shown below.

Note that "Page Attributes" will still be displayed in the Settings drop-down box when it is collapsed, and if you click on the box again you will see that Page Attributes remains checked.  This is Apple-supplied behavior that Tiler cannot control.

If you save a specific printer as the system-wide default in Page Setup, Tiler will not require you to choose a printer each time you open the application.  However, please keep in mind that all your settings in the Page Setup dialog box will be saved, including your printer choice, paper size, orientation, and scale.  These settings will then apply to all future printing on your computer unless you create a new default configuration, using the same steps as described above.

Printing Your First Banner or Poster

Once you have configured Page Setup, you are ready to print your first banner or poster.  For further guidance, please return to the main tutorial page by clicking the "back" link below.