415171 - Landscape/portrait layout needs to be settable for each particular job, and not necessarily permanently

Status: NEW

(Core :: Printing: Output, defect)

Description

[Aleksander Adamowski]

Currently the only way to change print orientation is from File -> "Page Setup...". It stores the setting permanently, so it's preserved between Firefox sessions.

It isn't possible to change it for a given print job in File -> Print.

From usability perspective, this is completely backwards. Portrait/landscape orientation is usually decided on particular job basis, so it should be settable from File -> Print, and not necessarily from "Page Setup", and not necessarily remembered between Firefox sessions.

To quote a great description of the problem at http://smylers.hates-software.com/2006/07/26/4e90c54b.html :

------SNIP------
smylers hates software: Firefox Page Setup
From: Smylers
Date: 14:34 on 26 Jul 2006
Subject: Firefox Page Setup

I've just printed a bunch of pages in Firefox, then collected them from
the printer and found them all to be landscape when I expected portrait.
I printed something landscape last week and forgot to change the setting
back.

That's because Firefox (on Linux at least) doesn't include the
portrait/landscape option in the Print dialogue box which pops up every
time I'm printing, but in a separate Page Setup dialogue box which
persists its state.

Portrait/landscape is not a property of my printer or corporate policy
or whatever; it isn't something I wish to customize to my preferences
then use for evermore; it depends on the particular shape of the thing
I'm printing.  Hate.

And I can't imagine ever wanting to set this except just before
printing, but there isn't an easy way of getting from Page Setup to
Print (or even the other way round).  Hate.

While looking at my wrong-way-round print-outs I spotted that some of
the footer text is off the edge of the page.  I see that for juggling
this there is a Margins option in page Setup (I think the footer appears
in the bottom margin).  Separately, from the Print dialogue box there's
a button for opening the Printer Properties dialogue box which has
settings for 'Gap from edge of paper to Margin'.

The margins setting is in millimetres; the 'gap from edge' one in
inches.  Hate.

Smylers
------SNIP------

nothing more, nothing less.

Comment 1

[Aleksander Adamowski]

See also bug 347518.

Comment 2

[Aleksander Adamowski]

I think that a proper fix for bug 284925 would solve this bug and bug 415171.

Marking as dependent on 284925.

Comment 3

[Aleksander Adamowski]

Product -> Core.