Gardenware - Printer Usage Clues

Q: Do we need a special printer?

A: No. Gardenware is designed specifically to allow you to use a standard piece of office equipment (a laser printer) to create your own labels and tags. This same printer can produce the rest of your office documents without modifications. Keep in mind that this must be a toner-based printer (AKA "laser", but it can also be a digital LED unit) and not an inkjet model.

Q: I am using a dot matrix printer - do I need special ribbons?

A: Dot matrix printers should use a large ribbon cartridge as opposed to the small ones that sit on the print head. If you use a dot matrix printer we recommend you use a ribbon with ultraviolet stabilized ink if you can find them. Support for dot matrix printers is getting harder and harder to find as time marches on. A laser printer is preferable.

Q: Can I print pictures on signs?

A: YES! The current version allows you to print COLOR PICTURES on Jumbo Signs and posters. You can attach the pictures of your choice to plants in the libraries. You can then choose to print those pictures (or not) when you print Jumbo signs. These pictures can be ones that you have taken with a digital camera, or have scanned, or have gotten from another source (e.g. a CD library of pictures such as Horticopia). NOTE - You can also print pictures with a Monochrome Laser Printer, but obviously the pictures will not be color.

Q: Do I need special toners or ink?

A: The toners in monochrome laser printers generally will hold up fine under weather and sunlight (UV). There are some color laser printers that use toners that fade. See the notes under "Tips on Buying Your Printer". Normally it is only the dot matrix printers require special ultraviolet stabilized ribbons, and sources for these are becoming increasingly rare.

Q: Is there anything special I need to look for in the way the printer feeds the labels?

A: Generally speaking, the paper path for laser printers should be as straight as possible. This makes it less likely that there will be paper jams. However, there are printers that feed fine even though they do not have a straight through path

	Tips for printing labels with Gardenware Q: Do we need a special printer? A: No. Gardenware is designed specifically to allow you to use a standard piece of office equipment (a laser printer) to create your own labels and tags. This same printer can produce the rest of your office documents without modifications. Keep in mind that this must be a toner-based printer (AKA "laser", but it can also be a digital LED unit) and not an inkjet model. Q: I am using a dot matrix printer - do I need special ribbons? A: Dot matrix printers should use a large ribbon cartridge as opposed to the small ones that sit on the print head. If you use a dot matrix printer we recommend you use a ribbon with ultraviolet stabilized ink if you can find them. Support for dot matrix printers is getting harder and harder to find as time marches on. A laser printer is preferable. Q: Can I print pictures on signs? A: YES! The current version allows you to print COLOR PICTURES on Jumbo Signs and posters. You can attach the pictures of your choice to plants in the libraries. You can then choose to print those pictures (or not) when you print Jumbo signs. These pictures can be ones that you have taken with a digital camera, or have scanned, or have gotten from another source (e.g. a CD library of pictures such as Horticopia). NOTE - You can also print pictures with a Monochrome Laser Printer, but obviously the pictures will not be color. Q: Do I need special toners or ink? A: The toners in monochrome laser printers generally will hold up fine under weather and sunlight (UV). There are some color laser printers that use toners that fade. See the notes under "Tips on Buying Your Printer". Normally it is only the dot matrix printers require special ultraviolet stabilized ribbons, and sources for these are becoming increasingly rare. Q: Is there anything special I need to look for in the way the printer feeds the labels? A: Generally speaking, the paper path for laser printers should be as straight as possible. This makes it less likely that there will be paper jams. However, there are printers that feed fine even though they do not have a straight through path