Yeah, going again this year.
Dunno about travel; in past years, there's been parking in a large garage within walking distance of the fairgrounds. This year, nothing about that in the getting-there information; apparently those of us coming from the south are supposed to park at Oracle and take the shuttle bus, which seems rather less than convenient, especially if I buy anything large before departure time.
Anyway, gotta print some info, and some business cards.
Info should be easy: send to laser printer. Complication: Huckleberry the Arcturan Megakitten hears the laser printer spooling up and jumps on it, causing jams and scattering of already-printed pages.
Business cards should be easy, modulo feeding the paper: I have a PDF formatted to match the laser-perf cardstock which I also have. Just have to configure the new-ish office-type inkjet printer for letter-size paper (it's usually stocked with 11x17)... which means some significant futzing around in the "clear" area of the table, which all too often is full of cat.
Well, Top Hat had vacated the spot in front of the printer a while ago, so I just had to contend with a curious Huckleberry and Southmoon, both wanting to help. Oh, and dragging the printer far enough out of its nook to change the magenta ink cartridge.
But... it seems that the office-type printer, while it handles 11x17 plain paper admirably, doesn't speak card stock: it consistently declares a jam, whether I use the cassette or the rear feed slot.
A little more bashing at that (and some searching of the Intarwebs), and if it doesn't start cooperating I'll just have to drag in the cheap&cheesy little inkjet to print the cards.
Update: Gave up, for now, on getting the big printer to handle thick paper (apparently the menu option for thick paper doesn't do what it says on the tin). Ergo:
Out to the living room. Fetch the cheap little printer. Note that it doesn't have a power cord attached. Find the power connector: a dainty 2-pin type. Look for the cord. Eventually find, if not the, then at least a cord that'll do.
Plug USB cable into workstation front-panel port (driver is already installed from when the printer was new, an emergency purchase when the old 11x17 inkjet died). Doesn't seem to work. Kernel messages indicate a failure to enumerate. Maybe it doesn't get along with the USB3 port? Try a different one: also failure to enumerate. Wha'? OK, plug it into the hub where other things tend to be connected: now it works, and it feeds the card stock, and... most of the way through a page, it comes un-enumerated.
Guess the USB interface has some serious bobbles. Oh, well: I got two almost-full sheets of cards printed, so I have enough to fill my pocket for a day at the fairgrounds.
Comments