Print Friendly Pages

[+whistler & co.]

ahhh yes hidden in plain sight! I was always have problems with those!

 

We frequently experience the same problem while out caching! If someone else "spotted it as soon as I got out of the car", we are practically guaranteed to need at least ten minutes to located the blasted thing!

[+eigenheimer]

To decrypt the hint, click on [Decrypt] next to the decryption key.

 

To print logs ... hang on. We're still waiting for that feature.

 

I think the idea of the new printer-friendly-page is good but it needs at least the same features and possibilities as the old version.

 

Could anyone please tell me if the "print log" option indeed will come back. I tried to contact someone at the helpdesk but he advised me to post it here. As I come from Holland I don't know if that really works.

[+tozainamboku]

Could anyone please tell me if the "print log" option indeed will come back. I tried to contact someone at the helpdesk but he advised me to post it here. As I come from Holland I don't know if that really works.

That seems to be a standard help desk response.

1. If you ask a question they don't know how to help you with they tell you to come here because someone reading the forum may know the answer
   
2. If you ask for something that is an enhancement or fix to the website they tell you to come here. They say that the Groundspeak programming staff frequently checks the forums so its the place to report website bugs or request enhancements. The help desk job is to help you if you don't understand how to use the existing functions.
   

Raine is certainly aware of the fact that the new print friendly page doesn't have any options to show the logs. I suspect it is on his list of things to fix. Hopefully he understands that this is important for some people.

 

Not being from Holland, I don't know if this would really work. If you stick your finger in the dike would it really keep the water from comming in?

Edited June 20, 2007 by tozainamboku

[PHerison]

I discovered that you can't scale down the fontsize! What's that? In the past it was good to reduce printing size from 100% to less to save a sheet of paper or two!!! Please fix that!!!!1

[+Goonies Oosterhout]

I was thrilled with the new print friendly page (referred to as pfp from hereon). I recently bought myself a PDA, so i used a PDF printer to print the pfp in pdf to my pda (haha). This worked great, acrobat's pocket reader has this wrap-around function that takes care of the annoying scrolling from left to right. Zooming in simply adjusts the text, fitting it into your little screen. I saved some caches like that to my PDA on june 19th. Worked like a charm with that wrap-around!

 

Today, I tried to save some more caches to my PDA. Sadly, the wrap-around didn't work anymore. It still did with the caches saved on the 19th, but not on the new pdf-files. Am I doing something wrong here (although I think I'm following the same procedure as before), or is the code in the pfp adjusted to block wrap-around in pocket reader to force me into becoming a premium member so I can download descriptions in PDF?

 

Or perhaps, some adjustments have been made to the pfp that blocked this feature, but they will be fixed? I really hope this is the case. It's like I just got really nice toy, just to lose it a couple of days later.... I'm a sad, sad Goonie right now...

[+Lake Hunter]

I got to Alaska and no coordinates. New format is garbage

Edited June 22, 2007 by Lake Hunter

[+Miragee]

I was thrilled with the new print friendly page (referred to as pfp from hereon). I recently bought myself a PDA, so i used a PDF printer to print the pfp in pdf to my pda (haha). This worked great, acrobat's pocket reader has this wrap-around function that takes care of the annoying scrolling from left to right. Zooming in simply adjusts the text, fitting it into your little screen. I saved some caches like that to my PDA on june 19th. Worked like a charm with that wrap-around!

 

Today, I tried to save some more caches to my PDA. Sadly, the wrap-around didn't work anymore. It still did with the caches saved on the 19th, but not on the new pdf-files. Am I doing something wrong here (although I think I'm following the same procedure as before), or is the code in the pfp adjusted to block wrap-around in pocket reader to force me into becoming a premium member so I can download descriptions in PDF?

 

Or perhaps, some adjustments have been made to the pfp that blocked this feature, but they will be fixed? I really hope this is the case. It's like I just got really nice toy, just to lose it a couple of days later.... I'm a sad, sad Goonie right now...

Since you have a PDA, have you looked into software that wouldn't involve "printing" the page. Cachemate comes with a file converter that changes the .gpx files into the correct format for that wonderful little program. It is capable of holding the information for thousands of caches, if you ever needed that much data.

 

I also use GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) to make "paperless" caching very easy.

 

Okay . . . back to more "Printer friendly" comments . . .

[+imajeep]

Way late to this thread--I hope everyone hasn't gone home or fallen asleep!

 

There is an opportunity here for an enterprising programmer. Whip up a simple little app that will let the user specify what they want to see in a cache writeup. Then let the app display caches downladed by the user in a pocket query in that format, and print out hard copy in the same format. It would give people the ultimate in user-friendly output, and it would be a fairly simple program to write, using XSLT for the formatting. Should be saleable for $29.95 or so.

 

Why don't I write it? Wish I could, but we have to stay focused on other things.

[+klossner]

What I want in a cache writeup is all the logs. You can't generate that from a pocket query.

[+leasummer]

I am using IE7 and after I hit "printer friendly version" and I decrypt the hint, when I print (or print preview) the whole top box (with the all important coordinates) and the map have just disappeared. Sounds like others are having this problem, too. Hope it can get de-bugged soon - thanks in advance!

[+Miragee]

What I want in a cache writeup is all the logs. You can't generate that from a pocket query.

If you use GSAK, and you keep adding new PQs to your database, the logs keep adding up. I finally had to set a limit in Cachemate because I have many, many, many, many logs for some of the frequently-visited caches.

 

I can't imagine wanting to print all the logs for a cache that has been visited more than 200 times . . .

Edited June 22, 2007 by Miragee

[+Harry Dolphin]

I think I see the problem, if not the resolution, as to why sometimes the name and coordinates do not print in the (so-called) 'printer-friendly' pages.

If there are encrypted hints, and I hint 'decrypt, they do not print. If I do not decrypt, everything prints.

If there is no hint to decrypt, then they do not print.

This has been going on for a while! Can we go back to what used to work? Please?

[+klossner]

Can we go back to what used to work? Please?

You can get the old print-friendly pages with a little URL magic. Pull up a cache page. Click in the location bar near the top of your browser, the one that shows "http://www.geocaching.com/...". Position your text cursor at the end and type the five characters &pf=y then press ENTER.

 

To get all hints decrypted, use &pf=y&decrypt=y

[+Goonies Oosterhout]

...or is the code in the pfp adjusted to block wrap-around in pocket reader to force me into becoming a premium member so I can download descriptions in PDF?

Since you have a PDA, have you looked into software that wouldn't involve "printing" the page. Cachemate comes with a file converter that changes the .gpx files into the correct format for that wonderful little program. It is capable of holding the information for thousands of caches, if you ever needed that much data.

 

I also use GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) to make "paperless" caching very easy.

 

Okay . . . back to more "Printer friendly" comments . . .

Still commenting on the Printer friendly (page) topic, since cachemate and GSAK require .gpx-files, which require a premium membership, which requires a credit card, which I don't want to have just for geocaching (credit cards aren't as common here as they are in the USA). So I'm stuck with the print friendly page, only not printed on paper, but on my PDA.

I think I found the best option for my situation. Simply saving the pfp as complete website (html) into my PDA gives a light version of the cache page.

 

To get all hints decrypted, use &pf=y&decrypt=y

Sadly, this includes a commercial ad banner in the print-out. The new pfp doesn't show advertising (yet).

[+yorelken]

I use GSAK to filter out the caches I am interested in and go to file-print. It condenses the info quite well, depending on the description of the cache. The print dialogue gives you lots of options for logs, decrypting hints, etc.

[+klossner]

You can get the old print-friendly pages with a little URL magic ...

... but it doesn't work very well these days with Firefox. In both version 1.5 and 2.0, most of the old-style print-friendly pages print incorrectly: the first page is blank, the second page is the first page, the third page is blank, and that's all you get. It looks like the new table organization stimulates a browser bug.

 

So now, to prepare for a day of caching, I have to use Internet Explorer to print these pages. Yuck.

[+KBI]

You can get the old print-friendly pages with a little URL magic. Pull up a cache page. Click in the location bar near the top of your browser, the one that shows "http://www.geocaching.com/...". Position your text cursor at the end and type the five characters &pf=y then press ENTER.

Thanks!! That works great!!

 

That'll hold me until the "Make this page print-friendly (show 5 logs)" option finally returns.

 

Any word on the status of that repair?

[+kweejee]

1) Could there be a couple different printer friendly pages to choose from?

or

2) What about an option for premium members to use templates?

 

For example:

 

[name]

hidden by [hider] on [hide date]

last found: [last find date] printed: [current date]

[type] / - difficulty: [difficulty]/5 terrain: [terrain]/5

[coordinates]

 

[short description]

 

[5 logs]

[+Trekkin'Two]

Now that I am a premium member I can print the pdf pages. HOWEVER - On the Print Friendly pages I can't get any logs - that is a problem. On the pdf pages all of the text runs together, making it VERY DIFFICULT to read. Why can't the pdfs maintain the spacing between paragraphs? I also LIKE to have the map - and it doesn't show up on the pdf.

 

SO -

 

Either a print-friendly page that includes logs OR

A pdf page that does not run the text together (and maybe includes a map)

... would be great.

[+KyWildturkey]

In re: to Print friendly pages..........when I select this option, the hints are always still encrypted. Is this something that will be fixed? I have not done a query, so I don't know if hints are de-crypted there or not.

[+ODragon]

In re: to Print friendly pages..........when I select this option, the hints are always still encrypted. Is this something that will be fixed? I have not done a query, so I don't know if hints are de-crypted there or not.

 

Click on the decrypt button before you print and it will be decrypted!

[+KyWildturkey]

In re: to Print friendly pages..........when I select this option, the hints are always still encrypted. Is this something that will be fixed? I have not done a query, so I don't know if hints are de-crypted there or not.

 

Click on the decrypt button before you print and it will be decrypted!

 

I already tried that before posting.........won't work for me, you try it!

[+ODragon]

I already tried that before posting.........won't work for me, you try it!

 

Works perfectly which is why I suggested it!

[+KyWildturkey]

I already tried that before posting.........won't work for me, you try it!

 

Works perfectly which is why I suggested it!

 

Well it always did for me also until the "new" page look......after you said try it, I though maybe it was something to do with my version of IE. But , no ! I have IE-7 on one computer and IE-6 on another and won't decrypt with either........I tried "print friendly" and then decrypt...nope--------then I tried decrypt(and it will) but when you then select print friendly, it is encrypted again !!

[+ODragon]

Well it always did for me also until the "new" page look......after you said try it, I though maybe it was something to do with my version of IE. But , no ! I have IE-7 on one computer and IE-6 on another and won't decrypt with either........I tried "print friendly" and then decrypt...nope--------then I tried decrypt(and it will) but when you then select print friendly, it is encrypted again !!

 

Odd... It works for me on both firefox and on IE7. Sorry...

[+GizmoGuy411]

Although others have mentioned this problem, I thought I would expand on it and provide some more detail.

 

Using IE7, the following information on a "Printer Friendly" page appears ok in the browser window, however for SOME caches it is missing when printed or viewed with Print Preview: GC logo with Signal the Frog (printerfriendly.png), waypoint type icon, geocache name, placed by & date, coordinates, size, difficulty, terrain, log counts, and disclaimer box.

 

Therefore it appears that everything is missing above the "Short Description" except the GC waypoint name.

 

"Printer Friendly" IE7 window screenshot

"Printer Friendly" IE7 "Print Preview" screenshot

 

A week ago I printed out 15 cache pages before I left to go out of town. 4 of the 15 "Printer Friendly" pages did not print correctly.

 

Today I printed the "Printer Friendly" of GC13JMF (see screenshot), and had the same problem.

 

So in my case at least, some pages print fine, while others do not.

[+pokerace]

I too am a paper printer, and I noticed that the new format does not print out the COORDINATES! What's up with that?

If two pages are printed I do NOT get the COORDINATES! WHY!!

[+KBI]

You can get the old print-friendly pages with a little URL magic. Pull up a cache page. Click in the location bar near the top of your browser, the one that shows "http://www.geocaching.com/...". Position your text cursor at the end and type the five characters &pf=y then press ENTER.

Thanks!! That works great!!

 

That'll hold me until the "Make this page print-friendly (show 5 logs)" option finally returns.

 

Any word on the status of that repair?

Anything in the works yet?

 

It sure would be nice to be able to once again conveniently print out the last five logs the way we used to. It seems to me that the logs are among the more critical elements on the cache page.

 

Can we have them back soon? Please?

[+KICT Balloons]

We like the new " Print Friendly" page! But, we would like the option to print the last 5 or 10 logs too.

 

We would print the PDF file but some times it will not print all the text in the cache details. It is like it cuts off the right portion of the text. We have been through several versions of Adobie reader with the same problem.

 

We have the same problem with the intermittant printing of the header. (Running IE7)

 

Thanks for all the hard work!

Kict Balloons

[+TheRedSquirrel]

I would just like it to work again.

 

To be able to see the co-ordinates and what not on the printed cache pages.

Edited July 6, 2007 by TheRedSquirrel

[+whistler & co.]

Rather than printing out the last five logs, (which may in fact be things like "TB Drop" and "Easy find, thanks." that don't help you find the cache) why not use the log count icon on the regular cache view to ascertain how many finds and DNF's there are. Then if there are a lot of DNF's, scroll through the logs to see why.

 

I don't usually print out any logs at all unless someone gives a lot of good info about the cache. Rather, I scan the logs and jot down anything that seems important. I rarely even write the entire comment, but rather my interpretation of it. If the log says "Good thing Bob was with me, because us vertically challenged folks would have a tough time accessing this one!", I jot down "up high" on the printout.

 

As an added comment, I find that the first few finders often write better logs. Of course there are always exceptions to this, but in general, once 100 people have found the cache, there really doesn't often seem like much to add when writing one's own log. And with older caches (pre-2005), the oldest of the logs really tend to be the most interesting and informative. It seems like when there were fewer caches, people were more appreciative and wrote more. Nowadays even a 6 part multi might get a "Nice cache, found easily, thanks" log.

 

Edited to add: jotting down comments saves on paper and printer ink too!

Edited July 6, 2007 by whistler & co.

[+klossner]

I don't usually print out any logs at all unless someone gives a lot of good info about the cache. Rather, I scan the logs and jot down anything that seems important.

That's great, and I'm glad you have a scheme that you're happy with.

 

I prefer to study a cache description once, when I'm in the field, rather than spend a lot of time on homework indoors at the computer.

 

Until recently, you and I could enjoy the game the way we each like. But now that logs are gone from print-friendly pages, you can and I cannot.

[+msrubble]

Suggestion: Please put the Decryption Key in fixed-width font. A PRE tag in HTML would do it. Thanks.

[+JoesBar]

Although others have mentioned this problem, I thought I would expand on it and provide some more detail.

 

Using IE7, the following information on a "Printer Friendly" page appears ok in the browser window, however for SOME caches it is missing when printed or viewed with Print Preview: GC logo with Signal the Frog (printerfriendly.png), waypoint type icon, geocache name, placed by & date, coordinates, size, difficulty, terrain, log counts, and disclaimer box.

 

Therefore it appears that everything is missing above the "Short Description" except the GC waypoint name.

 

"Printer Friendly" IE7 window screenshot

"Printer Friendly" IE7 "Print Preview" screenshot

 

A week ago I printed out 15 cache pages before I left to go out of town. 4 of the 15 "Printer Friendly" pages did not print correctly.

 

Today I printed the "Printer Friendly" of GC13JMF (see screenshot), and had the same problem.

 

So in my case at least, some pages print fine, while others do not.

 

I too am having this problem. I read all the replies to this thread and didn't notice any from the staff at GC. Some news from them would be appreciated.

[Gavia-SGCD]

I must express my utterly disappointment with one change in the function of the cache page.

 

I just have to give you a short background.

 

I consider myself as an “original cacher” and by that I mean that I’m caching without any other technical equipment than my GPS. Regarding my GPS, I don’t use any maps or map functions, but to reach an appropriate parking place for my car, when I go by car, or a suitable road to bike (used to print out the MapQuest map to be able to find a suitable place to park but saves those papers now!), after that I just “follow the arrow” even if the map might show smaller roads and useable paths. I’m caching in the same “mode” as one did 7 years, in “the early days” of geocaching.

 

This can cause me many extra kilometres and a lot of extra work, but it gives me “the real adventure” of geocaching! To my BIG satisfaction, I just recently noticed on the Swedish Geocaching Forum that I’m not alone! Several other cachers, of, surprisingly enough, more or less the same reason as I, advocate of “original caching”.

 

“Original caching” also means that I don’t study any information on the cache page before I “challenge the cache owner and her/his cache”, I just check the last five logs for yellow or blue smileys. If there are blue smileys I do read the logs to ensure myself if it’s worth a try to find the cache or not.

 

I don’t read any “additional hint”, but, and this is why I write to you, I do print the first page(-s) (“printer friendly with no logs”) after I decrypted the hint and, WITHOUT reading the hint. I immediately folds the paper so I don’t, by mistake, will be able to see the hint. When I yesterday did just this, in the same way as I have done it hundreds of times before, I became utterly disappointed of the result!

 

After making the page “printer friendly with no logs”, decrypting the hint and clicking for a print out, I noticed, with great disappointment, that the hint on the printed paper wasn’t decrypted! I thought, of course, that I had made some mistake under way and started the “process” all over again, but, sadly enough, with the same result!

 

Why have you changed this function? I’m a very environmental aware person and it’s utterly disappointing that I now have to, either print out many more papers, totally unnecessarily, to get a paper with the decrypted hint, or have to write it down on a paper, or have to print it “printer friendly with no logs” and than, “in the middle of nowhere” and perhaps in down-pour rain, have to decrypt the hint “manually”!

 

In my opinion this change is a severe change to the worse, of a page function which before the change was functioning extremely well!

 

On behalf of MANY devoted “original cachers” I pledge to you to change the page back again, so when one do the environmental friendly print out function “printer friendly with no logs” the decrypted hint shall still be decrypted, because this saves the environment by consuming less paper and it gives also a better service for geocachers who want to practice geocaching the “original” way!

 

Many thanks in advance for your help and understanding!

 

Best regards

 

Anders Sylvan (58 years young)

Gavia and the Smashing GeoCaching Dogs

 

GÖTEBORG, Sweden

[+Miragee]

There is a long thread below this one in this Forum about the problems with printing cache pages since the changes to the web site . . . I don't know for sure if they are "workin' on it," but I bet someone is.

[+mtn-man]

I merged Gavia's response into this topic.

[+KBI]

You can get the old print-friendly pages with a little URL magic. Pull up a cache page. Click in the location bar near the top of your browser, the one that shows "http://www.geocaching.com/...". Position your text cursor at the end and type the five characters &pf=y then press ENTER.

Thanks!! That works great!!

 

That'll hold me until the "Make this page print-friendly (show 5 logs)" option finally returns.

 

Any word on the status of that repair?

Anything in the works yet?

 

It sure would be nice to be able to once again conveniently print out the last five logs the way we used to. It seems to me that the logs are among the more critical elements on the cache page.

 

Can we have them back soon? Please?

Well? Any news?

 

I suuuuuure do miss that function.

[+JoesBar]

Yes, I'm whinning about this.

When I click, "make this page print -friendly (no logs)" link, there is still a problem. The page displays all information. When I send it to a printer, the coords, the cache name, and all info above, "short description" do not print. This happens to me on various computers and printers.

It would be nice to hear from someone at GC about this.

[+Bluefeather]

I just want to add my vote. I'd like to see the OPTION of printing recent logs (5 or so) on the print friendly page.

I always take a printed page with me when I'm looking for a cache.

Other than that, I'm happy with the recent improvements to the print friendly page.

[+pokerace]

Yes, I'm whinning about this.

When I click, "make this page print -friendly (no logs)" link, there is still a problem. The page displays all information. When I send it to a printer, the coords, the cache name, and all info above, "short description" do not print. This happens to me on various computers and printers.

It would be nice to hear from someone at GC about this.

 

I am having the same problem!!! wish it would get fixed.

[+KBI]

You can get the old print-friendly pages with a little URL magic. Pull up a cache page. Click in the location bar near the top of your browser, the one that shows "http://www.geocaching.com/...". Position your text cursor at the end and type the five characters &pf=y then press ENTER.

Thanks!! That works great!!

 

That'll hold me until the "Make this page print-friendly (show 5 logs)" option finally returns.

 

Any word on the status of that repair?

Anything in the works yet?

 

It sure would be nice to be able to once again conveniently print out the last five logs the way we used to. It seems to me that the logs are among the more critical elements on the cache page.

 

Can we have them back soon? Please?

Well? Any news?

 

I suuuuuure do miss that function.

[cautiously optimistic thread bump.]

[+whistler & co.]

I wonder if some of the problems people are having getting hints to decrypt, coords to print, etc. is due to anti-virus programs, spyware sweepers, etc.? I don't know much about computers (actually, I don't know anything about computers!), but it seems like there can be two people with the same OS and browser, yet one is having trouble with the printer friendly pages and one is not.

[+Raine]

I discovered that you can't scale down the fontsize! What's that? In the past it was good to reduce printing size from 100% to less to save a sheet of paper or two!!! Please fix that!!!!1

 

I just tried Ctrl + and Ctrl - in firefox and the fonts scaled fine.

 

Are you still having this issue?

 

-Raine

[+Raine]

Ok... I'm reading this thread and seeing the many "Please fix this", "this doesn't work and makes me mad", etc...

 

Let me give you a little background and maybe we can get somewhere.

 

When I make these changes, I test them on all grade A browsers. Grade A browsers are: IE 7, Firefox 2.x, Opera 9.x and Safari for Mac & XP.

 

I test all those browsers on various caches and fix the bugs as I see them appear. So, when issues like the ones that are being reported come up, if you don't tell me what browser you're using and what cache this is happening on, it really does me no good and doesn't help me "fix" or find a solution any faster.

 

So, please please please, if you report an error provide some basic information in your post: Operating System, Browser and Browser version number. If the error is happening on a cache, then give me either the URL or the GC number of the cache.

 

Thanks,

 

Raine

Edited July 24, 2007 by Raine

[+JoesBar]

First off, Thank you Raine for responding.

It must get pretty hetic at the center of the known universe.

 

So, I read your response, (obiviously) and I check the computer for Windows Vista Business, and Internet Explorer 7. Then I check three caches and click "make page print friendly, no logs." They display normally. Which I expected. Then I send them to the printer.

IT'S A MIRACLE! THEY PRINTED PERFECTLY!

You're good.

(You're not off the hook yet. I use a different OS and different IE version at home.)

[+JDandDD]

This maybe some new info on the printer friendly page problem. I am using IE7 on XP. I have noticed that the problem of not getting the coordinates etc only occurs for printouts that are more than 1 page long. If the cache listing is only one page long, the printer friendly page works every time. If the printer friendly version is more than 1 page it fails (doesn't display the coords etc.) every time.

 

Hope that helps Raine.

 

JD

[+JDandDD]

This maybe some new info on the printer friendly page problem. I am using IE7 on XP. I have noticed that the problem of not getting the coordinates etc only occurs for printouts that are more than 1 page long. If the cache listing is only one page long, the printer friendly page works every time. If the printer friendly version is more than 1 page it fails (doesn't display the coords etc.) every time.

 

Hope that helps Raine.

 

JD

[+MaxB on the River]

Please add back the feature on the printer friendly pages what country or state the cache is located in. It disappeared with the new format. when people are traveling, it helps to know which caches are in what state.

 

I like the new format, especially being able to choose which blocks of info I want to send to the printer. I just have to remember to click on the decoder (decrypt link - on right side of printer friendlypage) in order to decrypt the hint before printing.

[+Kiwi Nomad]

On pages with pictures in background when I try and use the printer friendly page the paper 'dissapers' so you can see the background pictures all over the pages making the words hard to read and not worth printing.

 

Examples

Intake

Intake printer friendly version

 

Those pages with a plain green background do not have any issues in printing.

Windows 98 second edition

Internet Explora 6