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Macros, tips, and templates for Corel® WordPerfect® for Windows®
© Copyright 1996-2008 by Barry MacDonnell. All Rights Reserved.

Q: Is there a way to have an envelope always go to a specfic printer?

A: The envelope dialog in WordPerfect 10 always uses the currently slected printer (the "default" for the current session). There is no setting in the dialog that allows it to print to another printer. (In WP9, the envelope dialog always uses the system default printer -- even if you change it first in File, Print. This appears to be a bug.)

However, in WordPerfect 10 (but not earlier versions) you can create a simple macro that would

• change to the "envelope printer";
• bring up the envelope dialog; and then
• re-set the printer to the "default."

To create this macro (which is not recordable):

• Open a new (blank) document.
• Click Tools, macro, Macro Toolbar. (The Macro Toolbar will open.)
• Open the Reveal Codes window with View, Reveal Codes.
• Place the cursor after all codes in Reveal Codes.
• Carefully type the following 3 lines, each ending with a hard return (i.e., by pressing the <Enter> key). Be SURE to replace "<NewPrinter>" (but keep the quote marks) in the first command with the actual name of your envelope printer as shown in your File, Print, Destination Name drop list -- including any spaces and exact upper/lower case in the name.
  • vPrinterName:=PrinterSelectByName ("<NewPrinter>")
  • EnvelopeDlg
  • PrinterSelectByName (vPrinterName)
• Click Save & Compile from the Macro Toolbar. In the Macro Save dialog,
  give the macro a name you will remember, then click Save to save it in your default macro folder.
• Click File, Close to close the macro.
• Close WP and load it again. (Writing or editing a macro, like running a merge, turns QuickCorrect off temporarily; this will reset QuickCorect.)
• Open (or create) a letter that has an address in it. Play the macro with <Alt+F10> (or click Tools, Macro, Play). The address should already be in the envelope dialog's "To:" field.
• If your envelope printer is on and loaded with an envelope, click on Print Envelope. Whether you print, append, or cancel, the macro should reset the printer back to the "default" printer setting that was in use before you played the macro.

You may want to create a toolbar button or assign the macro to a keystroke for easy access.

TIP:

You can use this technique to "print" to a fax driver (shown in your File, Print dialog's drop list) so that you can fax a document, then reset the printer to your usual printer. See also the fax macro on this site.