How can I get larger-sized print copies?

[trying2win]

--First of all, I'm sure a lot of PA members are familiar with using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Okay, when you're looking at a past performance program on the computer screen, you can magnify it to 150%, 200% or higher. That's good for some of us 40-and-over old fogeys, whose eyesight isn't as good as it once was.

--But...when you try to take a print of the program, no matter what the magnification, it all comes out in the printer in one size on a sheet of 8 1\2 by 11 inch paper.

--So, here's my question. Does anybody know of a software program or print utility that can capture a magnification let's say at 200% or higher and forward that information to the printer, so that the larger-sized print would come out on, lets say a sheet of 11 by 14 inch paper?

--I know, there are big copying machines that you can put in
8 1/2 by 11 inch piece of paper with regular size print on it, press a magnifying button and a copy with a larger-sized print will come out of the machine on 8 1\2 by 14 inch paper.

--So, in conclusion, you would think that the technology would exist whereby a handicapper could magnify the size of past performance programs or computer handicapping selections, then be able to get a copy of the larger-sized print on their ink-jet or laser printers.

Thanks,

Trying2win

[so.cal.fan]

I'd like to know how to do this as well!
Help us out, someone!
:)

[BillW]

t2w,

I'm not a Windows user but since answers aren't flocking to this thread, I'll take a stab.

Have you checked in the system print control in the control panel?

Bill

[JustRalph]

I have been down this road before. The answer is; Depending on what kind of printer you have, there are "large type drivers" available. But they are few and far between and I haven't seen a printer come out in years that have this option. But the ones who did ( I went through this a few years ago for my 68 year old father) didn't work well and when they did work, you got about one pp (read that: one horse, 5 lines of past races) on one sheet of 8.5x11 in landscape mode. Now take 10 races by 7 horses a race (you do the math) and print out your card. You can end up with a Breeders cup card that is 200 pages if you use an application like I do. It shows 10 past races and you can't adjust it. And even the maidens with no past races take up a whole page, so you end up with half the page blank. The solution for my father was to get out of his chair and take him in to see the eye doctor and get a new set of glasses. It cost a couple hundred bucks, but we would have spent that easy in paper and toner. Not to mention it took about 25 minutes to print a card on a decent laser printer. he needed an eye check up anyway! I will fish around and see if anybody has come up with anything new, if I find something I will post it back here.

[Alc]

I guess I'm not the only one that feels this is a problem.TSN and

BRIS recently issued a new PP formatting program and for some reason found it necessary to generate smaller print. Fortunately they still support their older PP product but it doesnt have the same capabilities. Horseracingprogram.com offers a decent size harness PP but USTA will only allow them to produce PPs for Chicago tracks.Why cant suppliers like TRACKMASTER
provide larger print options? I was interested in the TRACKMASTER PP formatting program until viewing the very small print output. Called their tech support staff to no avail.

[Zaf]

If you use the Handicappers Daily form ITSDATA.com, you can print very large font PP's quite easily. You can print youR PP's in Landscape mode with very large print. Its a free download, see if you like it.

ZAFONIC

[trying2win]

--Thanks to all for the replies.

--Just checked my computer control panel...my printer doesn't have the larger font feature.

ZAFONIC:

I just downloaded the ITSDATA'S HANDICAPPERS DAILY FORM. Tried out the magnifying feature for different sizes of print. Took a one page print of the largest print size available. Voila! It came out the same size as on the screen. Hey, that's great!

That's the kind of thing I'm looking for. Not so much for myself, but for some other people I know that like to play the horse races, but whose eyesight isn't very good anymore. After awhile, things from nearsightedness to macular degeneration can cause some real problems when trying to read small or regular sized print.

RALPH:

Yes, it would be nice to have a printer where you could get larger print jobs done, along with the capability of adjusting the print jobs, so there wouldn't be so much waste of paper.

ALC:

I find Trackmaster Data printouts the worst for reading purposes. Fonts are too small and too thin.

--NOW....If only some of the Handicapping Software Programers, could make a feature similar to the ITSDATA'S HANDICAPPERS DAILY FORM...i.e. have a magnifying feature of different sizes for their various data pages, and be able to print out each size of print you chose on the computer screen. Surely, if ITSDATA can do it with their program, the Handicapping Software Programers should be able to do the same. Even at the local public library, they have a section of books with large print!

Trying2win

[BillW]

Does anyone know if the purchased Adobe Acrobat products allow print sizing?

Bill

[Alc]

Billw I did try to find the answer to that question. Searched the Adobe sites. Scanned the users sites. Called Adobe tech support. They wanted me to pay a consulting fee to get an answer. I was not willing to do that. There are a number of software products which claim to use Adobe output but I just couldnt understand the product descriptions enough to know if they would do the job. I also would like to know if such a product exists. Al

[trying2win]

ALC:

I sent an e-mail many months ago, asking TRACKMASTER if they could get a larger and darker font on their past performance programs.

They didn't even have the courtesy to send a reply. Talk about arrogance! Does TRACKMASTER seem to think they know what's best for customers? Or is it because they are owned by EQUIBASE... and since that company doesn't have much competition in the data supply field, that they can dictate what THEY want to do?

Whatever happened to good customer service at some companies?...Sigh!...On the positive side, some companies have excellent customer service and deserve a few accolades.

Trying2win