Need help from an HP8250 Photosmart Expert

[glen_w]

Hello all, i've been using an HP photosmart 8250 for a few months now. Overall I really like it but there is one item that is driving me nuts.
When printing, especially when printing a borderless print, some cropping of the photo occurs. This is happening, i believe, to ensure that there is enough "overlap" beyond the edges to ensure a "borderless" print. Even when selecting to print with white borders the same cropping occurs. This is especially maddening when i've added a nice border around the photo and all or part of one side is cropped from the final print.

To avoid losing my borders or edges I've tried numerous settings. even telling the printer to print at say 90% of normal size results in the printer scaling the print back up to fill the 4x6, 5x7, or whatever size i'm printing (I always size the file within photoshop for the size paper i'm using)

To correct this I've tried just about every setting I can find in the printers setup. Regardless of whether I'm printing from Photoshop, or some other program.

What's truly maddening is there seem to be endless settings windows that you can access to set print preferences.

Let's take Photoshop CS2. I can click on Print, then go into printer settings, make changes, and ... same problem.

or.. I can go into print with preview, go into printer settings, find even more printer settings, then even more printer settings within Photoshop itself..... AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGH!

Of course the documentation is worthless (HP's). Basically they figure everyone is simply going to insert their CF card and press the print button. Yet they give you a rather complicated and indepth printer selection if printing from a computer with no specific documentation on how to do what you want...

So what do I want? Well... let's start with something easy that I HOPE and PRAY someone knows how to do.

I have file that i've sized for a 4x6 print. I've stroked in a nice boarder around the picture. I want to print that file, centered on that frigging piece of 4x6 paper, reduced in size enough so that everything I did on the computer shows up on the paper!!!

That's not asking for much is it?

Bueller? Bueller? Anyone? Anyone?

thanks a million folks (grin)

Glen

[h2omike]

Did you ever find a solution?

[scum3825]

I'm having this same problem and HP tech support was unable to help. They kept telling me the printer itself was bad. I have trouble believing that.

Was this problem ever solved?

[laceydranch]

Same problem. After speaking with many individuals at HP tech, they all say the same thing ... that my XP is not letting some files in from the install cd due to firewalls or whatever. From what they say, it should not lose any of the pic. HP told me to disable firewalls and spyware and reinstall software to make sure all files related to printer are installed. I did ... it did not make a bit of difference. I lose at least 1/4" from all sides of 4x6 photo when printing to photo tray. Very frustrating when you spend so much time formatting in Photoshop prior to printing. If I print a photo layout (such as 3 4x6 pics printed on letter sized photo paper), it does not lose any information. I have resorted to this method and do not use the photo tray any more.

[martyland]

Hi Glen, Well, I am nearing the 'upgrade printer ' stage and noticed so many Epson fans here. I have always liked my HP4070 but am considerring the Epson, simply bedause it works well with my Sony camcorder.
I use the HP 4 X 6 tray very seldom but when I do I put a small border around my pictures. If not I get the same message that my picture is too large. I have had this printer about 3 years and never used the card slot.
Once in a while I'll use the 'copy slides' feature.
Any suggestions, Glen?
martyland