Text cut off on printed page

[friedlanders]

I am currently using RoboHelp 8 to create Help topics. The topics generate as I expect on-line, but if an end user decides to print a topic, there is a problem with text in text boxes. Any text written outside a text box or table seems to wrap to the size of the 81/2 x 11" paper output. However, anything in a text box is cur off on the right side. Is there something about the size of the text box that is doing this? Something else? (I'm not technically sophisticated or proficient in HTML, so there may be a simple answer to what has been a very frustrating problem.)

(Further information: The text boxes are usually 6.5 inches, but there are also text-boxes in drop-down text that may be larger. Will that "stretch" the original text box?)

Thanks for any assistance.

[RoboColum_n_]

If the help displays OK, the chances are the issue is related to the printer driver. Does this only happen on one printer? Check this out on a printer available to you. If it works, get the users to update their printer drivers. Another way around this issue could be to include a PDF of the help (or individual topics).

[friedlanders]

Thanks for your response. Unfortunately, this happens on all printers.

[RoboColum_n_]

I'd expect the text outside of the tables and text boxes to wrap. That is the way HTML works. As for the text elsewhere, are the tables (and table column) widths set to a specific size also. It is best to set these to a percentage value (e.g. table = 100%, column 1 = 50%, column 2 = 50%). The same goes for text boxes, but if they are set to 6.5ins that should be OK. There must be something else going on. Could you do the following for us:

1. Select one of the text boxes that prints off this way. Ensure you select the actual box rather than its contents.
2. Go into the HTML view. The text box code should be highlighted.
3. Copy this code and paste it into a response to this message.

[friedlanders]

Thanks so much (especially for going step by step for me). I'm beginning to see what's happening but not sure exactly how it works -

I have a number of steps in a table. For each step, there is usually a drop-down with a picture. The picture may be the thing that is pushing everything out - it may be bigger than the size of an  81/2x11 page. In addition, I put text (as a caption) in a text box containing the picture to keep it the same size as the picture. My quess is that if the picture goes over the length of the page, the caption will then, too.

Following your instructions, here's an example of text cut off - but I can see already that I made it the same size as a picture - a little over 7.5 inches:

<area shape="rect" coords="108, 115, 724, 382" href="javascript:BSSCPopup('Items_for_Review_(Packet_Decision).htm');"

   id="area15" alt="" />

I was going to send you an example of a text box or table  in a drop-down - but it won't let me go into HTML when I select the box while in the Drop-down Text Editor.

~ I'm also having a similar problem with expanding text. I have a sentence in a text box with expanding text within the sentence. The expanding text wraps, but far outside of the margin, so is cut off:

<a class="expandspot"

    href="javascript:TextPopup(this)" id="a7" style="font-style: normal;

    position: relative;"><span class="EXPAND11BOLD" id="span1"

           style="position: relative;">Show

    All

I wonder if you could tell me a little more about setting a percentage value. In the text box, under Layout and Size, it allows me to set a preferred width and height - but I don't see an option for percentages. Am I in the wrong place to set this? (And if it's set to 100%, it's 100% of what?)

Sorry I have such a basic understanding. I've been working with it for eight years now - and I can pretty much get it to do what I want it to do (which is a bit more than a typical Help), but I run on my word processing experience.

Thanks again.

Leanne

[RoboColum_n_]

That would be it. Reduce the size of your images. Bare in mind that the paper size includes the margins, therefore the image would need to fit inside the margins. For example, if the page size is 8.5in x 11in and there are top, bottom, left and right margins of .5in that means that the image must be less than 7.5in wide and 10in high. Personally I'd make it even smaller.

With reagrds to the percentages, if I understand your requirements correctly you may be better not to use text popups at all. I'd create a separate topic into which you can add your image and text. You can then link to this topic and display it inside a popup window (see below). If you decide to go this way, I prefer to prefix the file name with "popup_" so I can instantly see they do not belong anywhere in the TOC. Also you may want to have different style sheet / master page configurations for these topics depending on your requirements. Finally you may also want to exclude the popup's contents from the search.

[friedlanders]

Thanks so much! I wonder if you could respond to my question about expanding text (not a pop-up), above:

I'm also having a similar problem with expanding text. I have a sentence in a text box with expanding text within the sentence. The expanding text wraps, but far outside of the margin, so is cut off:

<a class="expandspot"

    href="javascript:TextPopup(this)" id="a7" style="font-style: normal;

    position: relative;"><span class="EXPAND11BOLD" id="span1"

           style="position: relative;">Show

    All

Thanks again!

[RoboColum_n_ · Accepted solution]

To be honest I wouldn't use anything in expanding text other than text or an image. They are really not designed for much else. Also the Text Popup functionality is not that widely used anymore. It still exists but has been largely replaced by the DHTML expanding and drop down text functionality. Unless there is a good reason not to use them, I'd use these instead.

[friedlanders]

Thanks so much for your help and patience!