Printing print friendly cache pages

[+L8HNB]

I have aired this topic on the main geocaching.com forum in mid June, and sent it to to Groundspeak, following the changes to the website. Their response was that I needed to keep it alive on the forums, so here goes:

 

We usually print new local caches off using the "make this page print friendly (no logs) facility".

 

The page now has part of the right hand side cut off - namely the Date, British Grid Reference and the stars on the terrain rating. Its ok on the screen but the info is lost when the sheet is printed-off, similar to when a large image has been added to a page, but oddly the rest of the text is ok.

 

And, what has happened to the "distance from home" text that is on the main page?

 

Also, it would be great if the co-ordinates for the cache location be in similar sized text as the cache title, us blind old cachers can see them better then!

 

This is based on "need to know" info!

 

I am rather minimalist for things like this, it drives me mad when the print friendly selection is chosen and more than one page prints and there is only one (usually useless) line on page two.

 

Not being a wizz on IE or any of the other browsers, nor having any interest in them other than as a tool, I just want the essential information on the least amount of paper.

 

Am I on my own with this problem, or are others finding it a bind?

 

Henry

[+Midnight Ramblers]

I agree with you completely. It took me three attampts to print a rather lengthy cache description recently. In the end I copied and pasted into Word and removed all the bits I did not want.

[+pklong]

Which browser are you using. I print off using FireFox all the time and it worksforme. The only slightly annoying thing is the number of pages taken up usually.

[+L8HNB]

Internet Explorer because I do most of my caching stuff, including printing, during breaks at work - dial-up only at home, but that an old version of IE anyway.

My view is that the page should be formatted to suit the most common software, if not all, and I want to go caching in my spare time not sat in front of a computer, i'm doing that all day!!!!

 

H

[+BikerKats]

I agree with you completely. It took me three attampts to print a rather lengthy cache description recently. In the end I copied and pasted into Word and removed all the bits I did not want.

 

I've done the same. I also sometimes like to print the "show 5 logs" facility as others' logs sometimes help - at the very least to know when the cache was last found.

 

I've been using the PDF version of print-friendly pages but don't like this as much.

[+Write and Mane]

I agree with you completely. It took me three attampts to print a rather lengthy cache description recently. In the end I copied and pasted into Word and removed all the bits I did not want.

 

I've done the same. I also sometimes like to print the "show 5 logs" facility as others' logs sometimes help - at the very least to know when the cache was last found.

 

I've been using the PDF version of print-friendly pages but don't like this as much.

 

Whole heartedly agree.

[+Gralorn]

I just wish that the OS Map was at the bottom of the 'Page friendly Print' rather than that Yahoo ! Simple things to make life as nice as it was.

[+SidAndBob]

As you're a PM you can print the PDF. On the rare occasions that I print, I use this as it's much friendlier. You can preview what it's going to look like so you can easily just print the pages that you want.

[+BikerKats]

As you're a PM you can print the PDF. On the rare occasions that I print, I use this as it's much friendlier. You can preview what it's going to look like so you can easily just print the pages that you want.

 

I'm preparing for some short caching trips in the next few days and am printing off the PDFs for the caches I intend to do.

 

However, two of these are multis and the Additional Waypoints (stages of a multi) showing the part-co-ordinates do not appear on the PDF. I have had to copy and paste them into Word and print another sheet of paper. Am I doing something wrong?

The additional Waypoints do appear on the "Print-friendly" version but, as discussed before, the "print-friendly" version does not include previous logs.

 

I'm still missing the OS grid co-ordinates which do not appear on the PDF version. I like to plot cache locations on a map (if I have one) when caching in an unfamiliar area.

 

I'm finding this so frustrating - the old "Print-friendly" pages were almost ideal - they worked for us, anyway - now I find neither the PDF nor the "print friendly" version satisfactory.

 

Edited August 2, 2007 by BikerKats

[+L8HNB]

Unfortunatly even though I posted this here and on the geocaching.com site as well as emailing TPTB no action has been taken, I assume, due to there not being enough response.

 

Since the original posting there has been a series of caches, 15 in total, placed in the Worcester area. These require the web page to be printed in landscape due to the .pdf and save paper options not showing all the info!

 

It is not really an option to cut and paste as it takes so long, we certainly have better things to do with the three score years and ten allocated to us!

 

It is a joke at present. For us mere mortals who like paper but only want the details required to find the cache, we don't want the frog and all the smileys etc. but I don't know how to progress it further.

 

H&L

[+weston wanderer]

I usually paperless cache but invariably when I need a printout I cut and paste exactly what I need into Word - the name, coordinates, cache description (or if wordy the salient points) and the decrypted clue. I then save paper, can alter the text size to get more on a page, print on the back etc.

 

I never use the print friendly option - because it isn't!

[+Bear and Ragged]

Screen grab a picture.

 

Got Firefox?

Try Screengrab!

 

I use Snapper, but can't find the link at the moment!

 

G

[Deceangi]

For a non browser dependant program have a look at MWsnap it's completely free and comes highly recommended by my colleague with the pointed hat who gave me the link

[+mousekakat]

I'm having trouble with the "map it" page.

 

We don't do paperless, especially since we do a bit of spontaneous caching, so I do it by areas and check the "map it" feature and then print off the page as a coversheet and the cache pages with the information go after it and it all goes into a little "booklet" that is in our caching bag.

 

Map it pages are having the right side of the map cut off when they print and I can't for the life of me figure out why. I already print them landscape, but it doesn't help matters.

 

We really like doing it this way because it gives us an idea of where the caches are when we're out and looking or just out doing something else and want to see if something is in the area we are in.

[markandlynn]

How frustrating just tried this and its seriously broken

Best alternative i got was dowloading a loc file and viewing in word which gives

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<loc version="1.0" src="Groundspeak">

<waypoint>

<name id="GC13542"><![CDATA[One Step To Heaven by markandlynn]]></name>

<coord lat="52.8151" lon="-2.313583"/>

<type>Geocache</type>

<link text="Cache Details">http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC13542</link>

</waypoint></loc>

 

Useless if you want hints or anything other than a traditional cache to seek.

 

Have you considered using an old palm Vx (or similar) a pocket query and cachemate only costs about £20 plus premium membership?

[+Primitive Person]

My view is that the page should be formatted to suit the most common software, if not all, and I want to go caching in my spare time not sat in front of a computer, i'm doing that all day!!!!

 

H

 

Someone should tell Microsoft to get their act together, then! IE routinely chops part of the page off when printing just about any website, regardless of how it's formatted, because it's basically a truly awful piece of software. Firefox works a treat.

 

Lee

[BillW]

Someone should tell Microsoft to get their act together, then! IE routinely chops part of the page off when printing just about any website, regardless of how it's formatted, because it's basically a truly awful piece of software. Firefox works a treat.

 

Lee

 

This is fixed in version 7.

[+greanleaf]

I agree with you all. I don't like the new print friendly format. A good 20 percent of the pages print without the cache name and coordinates. I have just grabbed them off the printer and headed out the door without realizing I didn't have all the info, very frustrating! Also, the print friendly pages should be complete on one page unless there is a lengthy description. Thanks for letting me vent.

[markandlynn]

I can see from most of the profiles above that you are PM's you could buy a palm Vx

 

Here is one on ebay for £10

 

then buy cachemate from smittyware its £4 at the moment as the exchange rate is good.

 

When you download the zip file you get cm convert which will convert a

 

basic pocket querry into the right sort of file to install onto your palm.

 

Id suggest that your first pq is set up to return

 

500 caches

 

Any type

 

Any container

 

That

 

I have not found

 

Country

 

UK or other you can Ctrl click on multiple countries Guernsey, Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey and United Kingdom are the ones you may need to look for.

 

From waypoint name GC (closest to your house) home co ords yields variable results

 

Sorry for going so of topic

[+kewfriend]

Internet Explorer because I do most of my caching stuff, including printing, during breaks at work - dial-up only at home, but that an old version of IE anyway.

To some extent you've answered your own question - you need to be IE7 concurrent - and it all works (very well). I know you are dialup only, but you really do need to be updated - find a friendly broadband hookup and get current. IE7 is a good stable product.

 

There is of course nothing you can do about setters who work well outside the standard visual screen.

[+mousekakat]

I don't use IE... Opera here

[+molfrew-mosstoad]

Dont know if this wil help much but in I/E you can change the page set up for printing.

File, Page setup, make the Margins smaller (less chance of cutting off) & you also get the option to print Landscape or Portrait.

 

Another thing that has worked in the past is

View, Text Size Change to smallest

[+mumbo jumbo]

I'm no techno wizard so I just copy paste what I need. I'll be on hols soon so am preparing for some possible caching outings. By cutting out the cr*p I've got 20 caches on 7 pages. Re printing pdfs, I think the additional waypoints don't come out on the print out. This caused a few seekers problems on one of my caches until I worked out what was going on and put the co-ords in the main listing. There can be other problems with this too - for instance, where the waypoints are part of a puzzle.

[+BikerKats]

Thanks for the suggestion Mark and Lynn.

 

We are trying to go paperless - we already have two pocket PCs and memory map.

 

We have purchased cachemate (yesterday) but so far have been unable to get it to run. In trying to prepare for caching trips I have run a pocket query but have been unable to get it to load into GSAK. (I have run pocket queries before now and they worked). I don't know what I am doing wrong, or what I am missing in my understanding.

 

We desperately want to have paperless set up before we go on holiday as I do not want to take reams of paper with us so we have details of the relatively small number of caches we will attempt. It is all very time consuming and frustrating.