ItsGeekToMe.co

Q: Often I want to print just a portion of a page – leave out ads, eliminate boilerplate etc.  When I bring up the print menu, there is an Options tab that supposedly lets you print frames from a page.  But it’s never active (always grayed out).  What is this feature and how can I use it?

– Bob B.
Niceville, FL

A: Bob, the reason it’s grayed out is because the page you’re on does not use frames.  Many people assume that web pages such as the Daily News’ website, Yahoo!, etc., use frames because they are logically grouped into well-defined areas.  These pages actually use tables to group and lay out content.  The term “frames” has a specific meaning in HTML (the language of the web).  To see a page that uses HTML frames visit http://images.google.com and do a search for “Jeff Werner Geek”.  In the results page, click on one of the thumbnails of my smiling mug.  The page that comes up is split into two HTML frames.  The top frame contains the thumbnail and a few links (note the “Remove Frame” link in the upper-right corner).  The bottom frame contains the picture on its original page.  Activate the print function and you’ll see the “As laid out on screen” and “Only the selected frame” controls are now active.

Now that I’ve answered your question, let me just say that to print only a portion of a web page, you need only select what you want to print with your mouse, then when you select “Print” the “Selection” button in the “Page Range” box becomes active.  Turn it on, and only the selected text and graphics are printed.

Q: I have Apple OS X computer and a Canon MP470 printer.  When I click “print” under “file”, the “printer” and “presets” appear, but there is no “copies” and “pages”.  How do I get them?

– Roger P.
Fort Walton Beach, FL

A: For an answer to your question, I turned to Jeff Langston, owner of Quantum Computer Solutions in Fort Walton Beach, 850-424-3306.  He said since you are using Leopard (OS X 10.5) that you probably don’t have the expanded print dialog activated.  When “Printer” and “Presets” appear, to the right of the “Printer” menu you’ll see a small blue square containing a downward pointing triangle.  If you click on that triangle, the printer dialog will expand and give you “copies” and “pages” plus other print options such as print resolution, etc.