Textmaker ignores default printer setting?

[wbrells]

Folks,

I have a TextMaker document that always needs to be printed using a certain printer. However, even if I set that to be the default printer, my document is printed (unless I change settings) using the printer that was last-selected under TextMaker. In other words, TextMaker does not see to take any notice of what printer has been selected as the default printer. Microsoft Word, on the other hand, DOES seem to recognize the default printer as expected.

Is this behavior of TextMaker "by design"? If so, is there some way have a given document automatically print on a particular printer?

Thanks,
Wayne

[wbrells]

Interestingly, PlanMaker DOES recognize the default printer, so the problem seems limited (so far, anyway) to TextMaker! If this is a "bug" I hope it can be fixed. Wayne

[SuperTech]

This is not a bug. TextMaker remembers the last printer, and most customers prefer it this way. Note that nowadays Windows offers an option to automatically make the most recently used printer the default printer, so it is moving in the same direction.

[wbrells]

It seems strange that TextMaker works differently from PlanMaker...

More importantly, because I'm trying to automate the printing of labels I really need a way to PROGRAMMATICALLY set the printer before issuing the print command. I was hoping that this code in my Python program would do the job:

win32print.SetDefaultPrinter('\\\\http://192.168.2.65:631\\DYMO_LabelWriter_330_Turbo')

This command does, indeed, change the default printer but does not change the printer for TextMaker. Short of manually selecting the DYMO printer each time before printing a label, can you suggest any approach to programmatically changing the TextMaker printer? (BTW I'm usually printing to a Laser Printer from TextMaker.)

Thanks for any suggestions, Wayne

[martin-k]

The only approach I could imagine is to use Python to write the desired printer string to tmw21config.ini and then start TextMaker. On launch, TextMaker will pick up the changed printer setting, but it won't read the INI file if it is already running.

[wbrells]

Martin,

Your suggestion SHOULD fix my problem since for other reasons I have to restart TextMaker each time I print a label. Thanks ever so much for your help!

Wayne

[Woody44]

This is not a bug. TextMaker remembers the last printer, and most customers prefer it this way. Note that nowadays Windows offers an option to automatically make the most recently used printer the default printer, so it is moving in the same direction.

Is this the finding of a large-scale, comprehensive survey of word processor users, or is this an off-the-cuff response?

With all due respect, I find it extremely annoying when a document tries to print to a device other than my default LaserJet if I have not specified printing to a different device. I don't know anyone who wants the system to constantly change the default printer. Perhaps American preferences and work habits are different from European preferences and work habits.

Given that there are opposing attitudes on this, wouldn't it be better to allow users to choose which way their software operates, rather than play Microsoft and impose your idea of what "best" on an unreceptive clientele? After all, you give us a choice between classic menus and the execrable ribbon mess that Microsoft foisted off on us in 2007 -- why not also allow us to decide if we want a default printer or not?

[wbrells]

I've been able to solve my printer problem by programmatically changing both Window's Default Printer AND the last-used printer saved in TextMaker's ini file. For some reason, changing just ONE of these settings doesn't always seem to change the printer that TextMaker uses when it starts up -- a mystery...

I'm now running into a similar problem when porting my programs over to a Linux Mint system. TextMaker does NOT seem to recognize the Default Printer setting, and the Linux-based TextMaker ini file does not seem to include any printer references!

Does anyone know where/how the Linux ("Debian") based version of TextMaker decides on what printer is to be used?

Many thanks, Wayne

[wbrells]

UPDATE: It appears that, under Linux, TextMaker uses the /home/username/SoftMaker/Settings/of21config.ini file to remember the default printer. Specifically, under section [SmoVer03PrinterDefault] there is the line SmoVer03PrinterDefault=nameofprinter. I will try changing this line programmatically to verify that it does, indeed, control what printer is being used when TextMaker starts up. I'll report results when I have them!

Wayne

[satchman]

Update: I have this same issue. Textmaker Does Not Remember by Default Brother Printer.

Date of Report: October 10, 2026

Operating System- Windows 11-Pro (26H2)

Computer Manufacture: Dell Desktop, almost brand new.

Printer Type: Brother

Model: HL-L2460DW

Softmaker Version: Free Office 2024 (I wanted to post in this thread showing that this is not a one person problem.)

Details: The printer prints great! I turned off "Let Windows Manage My Default Printer" and always set "Brother Printer as Default." Every other app on the PC remembers to Print with the Brother printer, EXCEPT Textmaker. It always goes back to "Microsoft Print to PDF" even when I have the Brother printer set as default. I have the Free Version of Softmaker Free Office 2024 and all drivers and Windows Updates are up to date.

Yes! I have run the Repair utility for Free Office and did a complete uninstall and reinstall of Softmaker Free Office. No change.

Please note that I do not use Plan Maker or Presentation Maker so I can't comment on those. I attribute the above to a small bug in Textmaker that hopefully gets fixed when the next Softmaker Free Office get released.

I am not into changing printer drivers or system files for fear of making something worse.

Satch

[SuperTech]

Softmaker Version: Free Office 2024

This forum covers SoftMaker Office only. For FreeOffice, please use the FreeOffice forum in future, as that product has its own support area.

Regarding the printer: by design, TextMaker does not follow the Windows default printer but remembers the printer last used in TextMaker itself. To check whether this is working on your system, please open a document, go to File | Print, select your Brother HL-L2460DW, print the document and close TextMaker normally. When you start TextMaker again, is the Brother printer still preselected in the Print dialog, or has it switched back to Microsoft Print to PDF?

[satchman]

[This forum covers SoftMaker Office only. For FreeOffice, please use the FreeOffice forum in future, as that product has its own support area.

Regarding the printer: by design, TextMaker does not follow the Windows default printer but remembers the printer last used in TextMaker itself. To check whether this is working on your system, please open a document, go to File | Print, select your Brother HL-L2460DW, print the document and close TextMaker normally. When you start TextMaker again, is the Brother printer still preselected in the Print dialog, or has it switched back to Microsoft Print to PDF?/quote]

Thank you will post in Free Office forums from this point forward but to answer the question:

On the new PC Textmaker Free was going to Microsoft Print to PDF often. What I did to (hopefully) make it hold was:

1.) Printed a file using MS Print to PDF
2. Switched back to Brother Printer
3.) Printed a file with Brother Printer

Seems to hold.

Satch