Troubleshooting Problems with a printer network connection

Recently while working on a trial, I had trouble sending jobs to a copier/printer which was set up in a hotel for a trial. Jobs sent from a virtual desktop usually didn't work, and even jobs sent locally from my laptop also often failed. I was able to solve the problem by updating the driver, and also by manually inputting the IP address for the printers. These are the steps that I followed.

1. In Windows, I located the printer (just search for Printers and Scanners, select the printer and click manage) and entered 'Printer Properties'.

2. Under Properties, on the Advanced Tab, I had to reset the driver to that for the Konica Minolta printer. It had been changed to 'Microsoft IPP Class Driver'. Click Apply after selecting the right driver.

3. Next, I went to the Ports tab, and then selected ‘Add Port’. Next I selected ‘Standard TCP/IP Port’ and then clicked ‘New Port’

4. In the wizard that came up, I entered the IP address for the copier/printer.

5. After going through the wizard and finishing, I clicked apply and then went to printing preferences for the printer. It's a good idea to set the preferences for the stapling and hole punching functions I was most likely to use while in the virtual desktop. In the virtual environment, these options were disabled.

paper weights

The need to print out documents for attorneys, especially when they are working on a trial, will likely never go away entirely. When planning to print out documents to be reviewed in court or used in client presentations it's important to be conversant in the different types of paper that can be used.

Bond paper is the kind used most frequently in office copies and printers. It is available in different weights - paper is commonly sold at 16, 20, 24, and 46 pounds. The weight of the paper is calculated based on how much 500 sheets will weigh when a given quality of paper is measured uncut at dimensions of 17 inches by 22 inches.

16 pound paper will appear translucent compared to standard office paper and may cause printers to jam.

20 pound paper is the type of bond paper most commonly used in office printers and copiers.

24 pound paper is an upgrade available for bond paper and may be used in order to prevent bleed through on double-sided print-outs. Letterhead is commonly printed on 24 pound bond paper.

46 pound paper is the type of bond paper commonly used for brochures or menus.

Heavier paper between 50 to 100 pounds is referred to as text paper and is used in commercial printing for greeting cards. Index paper is the type of paper index cards are made from, and can exceed 100 pounds. Business cards may be printed on 80 pound paper. Tab dividers and manila folders are commonly at 110 pound index paper.

When selecting the best paper to use with a printer look for multipurpose paper or premium color paper. Multipurpose paper is smoother than standard bond copy paper and it has a more uniform surface. Premium color paper, or laser paper, is an upgrade over multipurpose paper and includes a thin coating - while not having the heavy coating used for photo paper. Using multipurpose or premium laser paper may make a high-end copier or printer less likely to jam.

Printer settings on local computer carry over to VMWare

When you send a job to a printer not on your office network from inside VMWare or another VPN, you may not see all of the options which should be available in the properties for the printer.

Apply the settings for the printer on the local computer on which you are running VMWare. The selections should carry over to the VMWare instance and you'll be able to print jobs from the VPN with settings not available in the properties displayed for the printer within in the VPN.