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Why some WordPerfect documents seem to "spontaneously" change or reformat themselves when they are opened, printed, faxed or shared

Table 1 Some possible reasons why WordPerfect might automatically reformat documents or change their status (top of program window) from unmodified to modified Table 2 Tips for users who share the same documents in WordPerfect [applies to WordPerfect 9 (c. 1999) and later versions]

Some examples of the problem Note that the following menu choices refer to the <WordPerfect> menu (right-click on the top menu bar for a choice of menu). If you use a <Microsoft Word> menu, the choices might be absent from your menu (but not from the program), or they might be found under another menu selection. See here for more. When you OPEN an existing document and you know you have not made any changes to it ... Does it change its status from "(unmodified)" as shown in the title bar at the top of the WordPerfect window? That is, does something seem to have modified it in some hidden or non-obvious way? Then ... Does WordPerfect then ask you whether you want to save the document when you try to close it — even if you have not made any changes? Or ... When you (or someone you share a document with) OPEN a document using a different printer, computer, or version of WordPerfect, does the display or the printout change from what you expect? Or ... When you FAX a document directly from WordPerfect, does the recipient receive it formatted differently from what you see on your screen? These are examples of what can appear to be "spontaneous reformatting," but there are various legitimate reasons why WordPerfect might automatically reformat a document when you open, print or fax it. Background A WordPerfect document carries with it lots of hidden information. From Repairing WordPerfect documents and templates: "... you should be aware that WordPerfect documents and templates are not like pieces of paper that serve to hold only words or pictures on them, like pages in a magazine. In fact, they are structures that contain hidden information in their prefixes, such as the current printer selection, style data, formatting, and many other document-specific settings...." Sometimes these hidden bits of information in a particular document are changed by the program for various reasons, as we shall see later in this article. It also helps to keep in mind that WordPerfect is a program originally designed to organize and format words on paper (the output). Therefore, up until relatively recently WordPerfect and other word processing programs were considered an end-point solution to the publication process. Basically, the person who created the document most often was the one who published (printed) that document, and could make adjustments to it until the document was in its final, satisfactory form. However, in recent years the output could also be a computer file (*.wpd, *.doc, etc.) shared with other WordPerfect users in an office, or perhaps with other firms that use a different word processor altogether — most likely, some version of Microsoft Word. Or it could be some other form of electronic output, such as a Portable Document Format file (*.pdf), HTML file, or maybe a faxed image of the document that bypasses the printer and goes straight to a recipient's fax machine. In other words, WordPerfect and other word processing programs can now also be considered as routers of information between users, where there might be many users involved with a given document. Moreover, the next computer system in line to process the document (to display, modify, and/or output it) might be set up in a way that is not known to the person who wrote the original document, much less be understood in terms of hardware or software differences that might affect the document in transit. These changes place a greater burden on WordPerfect — and on users, too — than in the early days. For one thing, with the introduction of Windows the need grew stronger to deliver true, native WYSIWYG ("what you see is what you get") to your screen, which in turn depends, in part, on various small software modules from various manufacturers called printer drivers. [Typically, printer drivers are installed from a CD/DVD when you set up the printer for the first time. They also may be installed automatically by Windows or they might be downloadable from the printer manufacturer's web site (see the topic "Printer drivers" and the information on printer drivers in the tables below).] Printer drivers function to "talk" to a specific printer and are also used to match the screen display with the printer's output to produce WYSIWYG displays. WordPerfect makes much heavier use of printer drivers than most other programs to produce true WYSIWYG on your screen. Moreover, information about the printer driver in effect when the document was saved is stored in the document and "travels" with it. In brief, changes in (or differences between) printer drivers can cause formatting problems, as explained in the tables below. Lastly, both the screen display and the output to the printer (or to another computer screen) are affected by the particular fonts used on a computer (and those available on the recipient's computer). Fonts can vary in the width and height of their characters, the space they take up on a line, and so forth. This means the screen — and the ultimate output, including overall pagination — will probably be different for different fonts of the same font size. Thus, any of these program and operating system changes might sometimes cause "spontaneous" or automatic reformatting of some documents when you open them, or print or fax them, or when another user opens or prints them. WordPerfect does the best it can with what it is given, and if it is given something other than expected (default) values it must make reformatting decisions based on what is present (or absent) on the system, and what optional settings have been enabled (or disabled). Causes There are at least three broad categories of events or conditions that can cause documents to spontaneously change formatting. The first category covers reformatting changes that can occur when you simply open an existing document. For various reasons WordPerfect reformats the document based on (1) optional settings that you might have enabled, or (2) because one or more conditions exist in your document (or in Windows itself) that might force reformatting. The second and third categories cover reformatting changes that can occur when you print or fax a document. Though there is some overlap with items listed in the first category (e.g., you usually need to open a document before printing it), there are a few issues specific to printing or faxing from within WordPerfect. Solutions Identifying the causes of "spontaneous" formatting in Table 1 below can lead to solutions, or at least workarounds. If all else fails, [in WordPerfect 9 and later] you can send the document as a PDF file with File, Publish to PDF. Such documents are images of the original document and should not change from system to system.

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Table 1 Some possible reasons why WordPerfect might automatically reformat documents, change their [Title Bar] status from unmodified to modified, or display a "Save changes" message If you share documents with another WordPerfect user, see Table 2.
When you do this ...	... here are some possible causes of "spontaneous reformatting" or other "changes" ...	... and here are some possible explanations, solutions and tips [see also Background Information above]
Open a file	1. You have enabled (i.e., ticked the checkbox) the option to "Reformat documents for the WordPerfect default printer on open" in Tools, Settings, Environment.	Normally the "Reformat documents for the WordPerfect default printer on open" option is enabled (but see Table 2) since most users probably want to (eventually) send the document to their current printer (usually, their default printer) and they want the document formatted for that printer. How it works: With this setting enabled, WordPerfect immediately reformats any document that was created and saved while some other (non-default) printer was selected in File, Print, as soon as you open that document again — even if you do nothing else to the document. [This explains why some users can open an old document, view it, do nothing to it, and when they go to close it they are asked if they want to "save their changes." This causes much consternation and needless worry. This also explains why the printer name (in File, Print) changes to the default printer and not the printer originally in use (if different from the default).] Explanation: Different printers usually require different document formatting. The most obvious example is the difference between printing to an ink jet printer, which normally needs wide top and/or bottom margins so that the printer's rollers can grab the paper and feed it through the printer, and printing to a laser printer, which normally needs only very narrow margins since it prints the whole page in one operation. You can be sure the printer drivers — and subsequent document formatting — will be different for these two printers. If your default printer is different from the printer in use at the time you (or the original author) last saved the document, and you have enabled this "Reformat documents..." setting, then WordPerfect will automatically reformat the document — exactly as you have instructed it to do — when you open the document again. Then when you click File, Print the document will already be properly formatted for your default printer, and its name will appear in File, Print instead of the original printer name. Important: The currently selected printer choice (and possibly other information about it) is saved in the document's internal prefix when you save the document. If you want it to "remember" your preference just open the document, select the preferred printer (File, Print, <printername>, Close), and then save the document. Related #1: The document might have been created on a different computer or with a different version of WordPerfect. See the next table row below. Related #2: Windows 10 users might have set an option that lets Windows actively manage the default printer. (See Settings, Devices, Printers & Scanners, "Let Windows manage my default printer".) When enabled (as it is by default) "Windows will set your default printer to be the one you used most recently at your current location". This might cause the reformatting of some documents that were created while a different printer was selected as the default choice. You probably should disable this option (un-tick the checkbox). (Convenience sometimes comes at an unexpected price.) Note 1: While disabling this option usually prevents reformatting, this is not always the case: If the printer that was in use when the document was created and saved is not present (i.e., it is not attached, not turned on, or the same exact printer driver is not installed) when the document is opened again, WordPerfect will still reformat the document for the current default printer even if this option is disabled (i.e., not ticked). It this case, WordPerfect simply makes a "best guess" about what to do with a document that specifies a certain printer that it cannot find, so it reformats the document using your default printer driver. (It must use some printer driver; if none has been installed or if none is available the program might appear to "hang" as it searches for a printer driver. In such circumstances users often install a "dummy" printer that, though nonexistent, does offer a driver that WordPerfect can communicate with, such as the Apple Laserwriter. To install such a "dummy" driver, see this post on WordPerfect Universe.) Be aware that even if the same printer is present, you must have the exact same printer driver installed and it must have the identical printer name displayed in the File, Print dialog, or WordPerfect will reformat the document. (See the next table row below.) Note 2: The "Format document before saving" option in Tools, Settings, Environment [called Slow Save in WordPerfect 8 (c.1997)] performs a related function — but at "document save time" rather than at "document open time". This option might be disabled (checkbox cleared) by default. If left disabled, WordPerfect slightly speeds up the process of saving a document by saving only the changes that are made to the document. However, most users probably want to enable this option (checkbox ticked) so that the entire document is reformatted and saved each time a save is performed. This will help ensure that deleted material is not also (internally) saved along with the document. The slightly slower speed of such saves should not be an issue even if it is noticeable — especially given the benefits or removing some unwanted material or metadata. But even with this setting enabled some other unwanted data could still be saved, such as information stored with Edit, Undo/Redo History, Options; see the UndoRedo page.
Open or print a file	2. The document might have been created on a computer using a different WordPerfect version or a different printer.	•  First, different computers might be running different operating systems, which might affect WordPerfect or a component of Windows such as the printer driver (see Background, above). •  Second, you must expect that different versions of WordPerfect might have format features in one version that are not present in another, so this might account for some automatic format changes when importing a document. •  Third (and most common) is using a different printer * from the one that was used when the document was created and/or saved — and which is not installed on your own system. This was mentioned in the previous item (see previous table row). Information about that particular printer is stored in the document. ---------- * A "different printer" more precisely means (besides a physically different printer) that the document was created with either a   - different printer driver (see Background, above), or one with   - the same printer driver but a different version of that driver, or one with   - the same version of the driver but with a slightly different name from your current version of that driver. The names must be identical. ---------- If the printer that was in use when the document was created and saved is not present (i.e., it is not attached, not turned on, or the same exact printer driver is not installed) when the document is opened again, WordPerfect will still reformat the document for the default printer. In this case, WordPerfect simply makes a "best guess" about what to do with a document that specifies a certain printer that it cannot find, so it reformats the document using your default printer driver. (It must use some printer driver; if none has been installed or if none is available the program might appear to "hang" as it searches for a printer driver. In such circumstances users often install a "dummy" printer that, though nonexistent, does offer a driver that WordPerfect can communicate with, such as the Apple Laserwriter. To install such a "dummy" driver, see this post on WordPerfect Universe.) Be aware that even if the same printer is present, you must have the exact same printer driver installed and it must have the identical printer name displayed in the File, Print dialog, or WordPerfect will reformat the document. Again, please bear in mind that WordPerfect makes very heavy use of the printer driver — more so than many other programs — to give you true WYSIWYG ("what you see is what you get") on screen. This information is stored with the saved document and "travels" with it. Printer drivers are typically installed from a CD or DVD when the printer is first set up, but this might not be the most recent version of the driver for that printer. Most printer manufacturers give instructions on their sites about deleting old drivers and installing new ones. Generally, installing a new or updated printer driver is as easy as downloading a file from the manufacturer and double-clicking on it. Typically it then will set up some files in a separate (temporary) folder and install the printer driver from there. Usually this takes only a minute or two. (if you are installing an updated version of the same printer driver on a system, see the Footnote 1 below.) •  Fourth (and while not limited to reformatting issues, it might cause some of them in rare cases), there might be a problem with the program's print engine. See Footnote 2 below. •  Fifth, printer fonts might also be a source of the problem. If the original printer contained printer fonts ("hardware fonts") that were used in printing the document (e.g., Times or Helvetica), and the document is then opened and printed using a different printer, it is possible that WordPerfect will automatically substitute a Windows font such as Times New Roman or Arial (this is sometimes called font mapping or font substitution). The result might, or might not, be noticeable on a printout. [For more on font mapping and your printer, see Jim Shackleford's 2006 post on WordPerfect Universe here. The relevant section is quoted in Footnote 3 below.] Do you share or "round-trip" documents with others? For WordPerfect 9 and later, there are some things you can do to help prevent automatic reformatting and possible repagination when sharing the same document with other WordPerfect users. See Table 2.
Open a file	3. You might have enabled "Treat tabs like MS Word" in Tools, Settings, Convert.	Note that the "Treat tabs like MS Word" setting can also be enabled automatically if you import a Microsoft Word document or if you save a document as a MS Word document and then re-open it in WordPerfect. This setting and two others ("Allow boxes to be positioned outside of printable region" and "Do not format document using printer metrics") in the Convert module are automatically enabled in the process of importing a MS Word document. Fortunately these settings are enabled for the imported document only * and can be disabled. [Thanks to "Robin" at WordPerfect Universe for this tip.] Note: If they remain enabled even after you have disabled them, this might be a sign of document corruption (see here fore repair methods). UPDATE Nov 18, 2011: Corel issued a fix for this, included in WordPerfect Office X5 Hot Patch 2. Unfortunately, earlier versions of WordPerfect will still have the issue. (The patch should be also be available via your program's Help, Check for Updates.) * Note that these settings might already have been enabled by clicking the optional [Template] button, which stores them in the default template. You can edit the default (or custom) template with instructions here.
Open a file	4. The document might have been last saved in a different file format (e.g., Microsoft Word).	WordPerfect converts the document during the opening process. Note that you must have installed conversion filters when you installed WordPerfect, or you will see a "Unknown Format" message. And, like the setting explained in the previous row above, WordPerfect will automatically enable "Allow boxes to be positioned outside of printable region," "Do not format document using printer metrics," and "Treat tabs like MS Word."
Open a file	5. There might be a [Date] code in the document that is automatically updated by the program if the current date is different from the date the document was created.	Date codes merely display the current date, they do not really change the the date the document was created or edited. However, longer or shorter (displayed) dates might change the format of the line or paragraph. Even if the change does not cause reformatting, the status of the document will change from "unmodified" to modified.
Open or print a file	6. There might be a font in the document that no longer exists, or was never installed, on your computer.	If a font originally used in a document is currently missing on the computer, WordPerfect will substitute what it thinks is a comparable font. The formatting of the document might change subtly or even grossly. Note that this substitution can also change the width of bolded letters, which in turn might affect line formatting and even pagination. A related problem to missing fonts on your computer can happen if you, or the originator of the document, have used special printer fonts (i.e., fonts installed in the printer's hardware by the manufacturer); if the same printer is no longer attached, the font will be unavailable and WordPerfect will substitute what it thinks is a comparable font. All of these automatic substitutions are seen by WordPerfect as changes to the document. Further: All fonts in the document must be the exact same fonts as those installed on the current system — and not just fonts with the same name. As mentioned above, if a font is missing on the computer WordPerfect will substitute another (allegedly similar) font for the missing font. You are still shown the original font name in the font field of the text property bar, but if you open Reveal Codes (View, Reveal Codes) and click in front of a font code, it may look like [Arial(Helvetica)], which would mean that WordPerfect substituted Arial for a missing Helvetica font. Besides the obvious solution to install the exact same font as was used in the problem document: You (or the originator of the document) can embed the absent fonts in the document when saving it with File, Save (or Save As), Embed fonts.... The fonts will then "travel" with the document. [See Table 2 for this tip and some other methods to minimize reformatting problems.] [For the technically minded: See Jim Shackleford's post about software fonts, printer fonts, and screen fonts (and related formatting issues) on WordPerfect Universe, "What You Need To Know About Font Mapping," here.]
Open a file	7. There might be a formula in a table that calculates automatically when you open the document.	WordPerfect sees this as a change, even if the result is the same as before. Even if the change does not cause reformatting, the status of the document will change from unmodified to modified.
Open a file	8. There might be corruption in the document's internal (hidden) prefix, even if the document appears okay.	See "Repairing WordPerfect documents and templates" for some solutions. Note that a template that "spawned" the document might also be corrupted, so it might need to be repaired, too. See the same "Repairing..." link.
Open a file	9. The page definition used to create the document (a letter,  sheet of labels, envelope, etc.) might be different.	If the page definition (created with Format, Page, Page Setup or Format, Labels) is different in an imported document from the page definition on your system — perhaps because it was customized by someone — WordPerfect will reformat the document. (Page definitions are stored in the user's Windows Registry, so it is usually easier to manually re-create them on another system.)
Open or print a file	10. A template macro — i.e., a macro stored inside the template (*.WPT) on which the document is based — might have been automatically played, and the macro might have changed something.	Even if a template macro does not cause reformatting, the status of the document will change from unmodified to modified since WordPerfect records the event in the Edit, Undo/Redo History feature. (For more information about automating templates with template macros, see Automating WordPerfect Templates.pdf.) Note that the same thing can happen if you manually play a file macro. In either case you will see "Play Macro" in the Undo/Redo History dialog.
Open or close a file	11. You might have searched for something (Edit, Find and Replace) or performed some other action that (e.g.) was stored in the Edit, Undo/Redo History feature.	Even if you did nothing to reformat the document, the status of the document will change from unmodified to modified since WordPerfect records the event in the Edit, Undo/Redo History feature. Another possibility is that a startup switch caused the modification status to change. (See WordPerfect Help <F1>, Index tab, for more on these startup switches.) For example, the startup switch /recover can be used to rebuild a corrupt table when the document is opended, and such a switch might cause the file to be modified. Also see the next issue (#12).
Open or close a file (even a blank document)	12. You might have used the Spell Checker, thesaurus, dictionary or Grammatik (on the Tools menu).	Even if you merely open and then close these tools — regardless of whether you change the document with their suggestions — WordPerfect will change the document's status from unmodified to modified and and even if no changes were made by those features, the program can still trigger a "Save changes" message if you try to close the document or exit the program. [Verified in WordPerfect versions X6-2020; but it may — and probably will — occur in other versions.]
Open a file (even a blank document)	13. You might have opened a Styles Editor.	Even if you merely open this tool — e.g., by double-clicking on a style code in Reveal Codes such as the initial [Open Style] code — regardless of whether you change anything in that Editor, and then close the Editor with the OK or Cancel buttons, WordPerfect will change the document's status from unmodified to modified.
Fax a file	14. The document was reformatted when it was faxed from inside WordPerfect.	Here's a quote from Charles Rossiter [Corel C_Tech] on the WordPerfect 8 newsgroup: "The ... problem arises because of the different resolutions of a standard printer and a Fax, which can have an adverse effect on a bitmap graphic — which may try to use the same number of bits, resulting in a larger image on the page. The Fax is of low resolution, although you can set it to 'fine' and get a better performance. You need to select the fax printer first, and make sure the formatting is correct before transmission." And a tip from another user: "I find I get a lot closer approximation to [my] regular printer formatting if I change from Times New Roman 12 point to 13 point for the fax; the pagination stays much the same."

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Table 2 Tips for users who share the same documents in WordPerfect [Applies to WordPerfect 9 (c. 1999) and later versions] The following information should help solve most if not all reformatting or repagination problems when you share WordPerfect documents. (Some information is from Charles Rossiter, some is from WordPerfect Help (F1), and some is from the author's own tests.) Related Tip:  You might also want to remove traces of your editing that might be stored in the document (so-called metadata) with the suggestions given on the Undo/Redo page.
To minimize reformatting and possible repagination, try one of these 3 Methods	... by doing this ...
Method #1 The optimal way to minimize reformatting and repagination might be to use all 4 steps listed in the next column (assuming all users have the same WordPerfect version and the same Windows version). One reason why this might be an optimal solution is that users might want (or need) to take advantage of a specific printer's requirements and/or capabilities. If this is not necessary, Method 2 below — which does not use your printer's "metrics" to help format the document — might be easier to implement.	◄ PLEASE SEE COMMENTS FIRST Step 1 [a] Install the exact same printer driver on all systems (from the installation CD or downloaded from the printer manufacturer's web site); and ... [b] have users select this "common" printer driver in File, Print before editing and saving the shared document. [Note that on the system without the physical printer attached you might need to specify FILE: when asked for the "printer port" during installation of the printer driver. Naturally, do not try to print a test page! And if you are installing an updated version of the same printer driver on a system, see the Footnote below.] and also ... Step 2   Disable (i.e., un-tick) the option "Do not format document using printer metrics" in Tools, Settings, Convert before editing and saving a shared document. (This setting is labeled "Don't use printer metrics" in early WordPerfect versions.) This is necessary because this (typically document-specific) option, if enabled, would force WordPerfect to bypass any installed printer driver (#1 above) by substituting its own internal 1200dpi virtual driver (for more on this setting, see the next section below, where this setting is enabled instead of being disabled). and also ... Step 3   Disable the option "Reformat documents for the WP default printer on open" in Tools, Settings, Environment before receiving the document from the sender to ensure it isn't reformatted with a (possibly different) default printer driver. and also ... Step 4   Install the same fonts on all systems that are used to view or edit the document (or, alternatively, embed the fonts in the document with File, Save (or Save As), Embed fonts...). Cautions •  Printer drivers: As noted in Table 1 above, it is not enough to have the same printer attached to the computer: you must have the exact same printer driver selected in File, Print. The printer driver must also be the same version and have the exact same name. Be aware that sometimes the name stays the same but the version changes as manufacturers release updates. Also, there can be — and very often, will be — differences between printer drivers (for the same printer) for different operating systems. •  WordPerfect (and Windows) versions: One version of WordPerfect can have features that are not present in another version, which might affect formatting and pagination. Moreover, different versions of Windows can require changes (e.g., in the printer driver) that might affect WordPerfect. In these cases you may not have any choice but to send the file as a PDF document. [in WordPerfect 9 and later] you can send the document as a PDF file with File, Publish to PDF.   Tips •  When dealing with WordPerfect users outside of your own organization, it might be easier or more acceptable to install the recipient's printer driver on your system, perhaps via a download from the printer manufacturer's web site, than to get the recipient to install your driver on their system. •  If you need to re-install a printer driver to update it, see the top section of this page. •  [A tip unrelated to the 4 steps above:] Using Tabs to separate columnar material can sometimes be problematic when switching between printers. In these situations it is usually more reliable to use WordPerfect Columns (Format, Columns...) or WordPerfect Tables (Table, Create...) — with or without border lines, joined cells, etc. — as formatting tools. [For some tips using tables as a formatting and organizational tool, see (e.g.) here.]
Method #2 If the above method does not work or it is impractical, try using the two WordPerfect settings in the next column on both computers that might share the same documents. These settings make use of WordPerfect's built-in 1200 dpi (dots per inch) "virtual" printer driver instead of an actual printer's driver. The document is then sent to the physical printer formatted to match the screen display and pagination. However, there still might be differences in the actual printed output using different printers; you would be wise to test this. Hence, this method might be a slightly less than optimal solution in some situations.	Step 1  Enable the option, "Do not format document using printer metrics" for all systems that will share the document in Tools, Settings, Convert. (This setting is labeled "Don't use printer metrics" in early WordPerfect versions.) Translation: "Don't use your regular printer driver to format the document for display or print; instead, use WordPerfect's generic built-in driver." For all outgoing shared documents — i.e, those to be opened in another version of WordPerfect or on a system with a different printer — WordPerfect will then use a built-in 1200 dpi 'virtual' printer driver to format documents (see below). The resulting document might be slightly longer or shorter due to the difference in the way the 1200dpi driver kerns letters and determines line length compared to the way it does with a normal printer driver, but at least it will be remain the same when the document is then loaded on a different computer (assuming #2 below is also set properly). Note that this setting is document specific and it is stored with the file, and it will "travel" with it. Be sure to click the [Template] button if you want this setting to apply to all newly created files. ▸  Here's more from WordPerfect 9's Help file: "By default, WordPerfect determines line endings through printer metrics. If you will be moving a document between different printers often, you may wish to prevent the document from reformatting every time you change printers. You can do this by disabling printer metrics. When you disable printer metrics, WordPerfect determines line endings by display metrics. To disable printer metrics (in WordPerfect 9 and later versions): 1. Click Tools, Settings. 2. Click Convert. 3. Click the Compatibility tab. 4. In the Options section, enable the "Don't use printer metrics to format document" (or in WordPerfect 10 and later, "Do not format document using printer metrics") check box. Note: If you disable printer metrics, printer fonts will not be visible in your list of fonts. This setting uses a 1200 dpi (dots per inch) 'virtual printer,' and then sends the document to the physical printer formatted to match the screen display pagination. This process effectively removes reformatting / repagination problems." ▸  From the Corel support database: "WordPerfect® is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) application. This means that WordPerfect® will communicate with the currently selected printer to determine the layout/display of the given document. This layout is determined by the information provided to WordPerfect from the printer driver currently installed. In some instances, there are variations between driver manufacturers and even drivers for the same printer but on different operating systems. These subtle variations can cause some pagination/formatting issues when opening documents created on other workstations. WordPerfect has an option ["Do not format document using printer metrics"] which can be enabled if you wish the document to maintain the original formatting no matter what printer is being utilized. This option sets up documents, fonts, and other settings without communicating with a printer." Step 2  Disable the option "Reformat documents for the WP default printer on open" in Tools, Settings, Environment. If this option is not disabled (turned off), WordPerfect will reformat the incoming documents to match the settings of the current (default) printer, which — if it is a different printer — is not what you want here. As explained above (in Table 1), when you disable (un-tick) the "Reformat Documents for the WP default printer on open" check box, WordPerfect looks for the printer driver with which the document was formatted; if that printer driver is not available, WordPerfect reformats the document for the current default printer if necessary. Since the sender of the document (employing Method B here) is using WordPerfect's internal, 1200 dpi virtual printer driver, the document should be reformatted on the recipient's system using that internal 1200dpi driver. Hence the reason to disable this setting when both sender and recipient are using the internal 1200dpi driver. A caveat for WordPerfect 9 (c.1999) through WordPerfect X3 (first release, in 2005): Enabling the "Do not format document using printer metrics" (or "Don't use printer metrics") option can produce a strange result when subsequently using Edit, Convert, Intial Caps: WordPerfect will insert all the words in the file WT10US.ICR, the initial capitals exception list, at the cursor location! This is a bug that was confirmed by Corel, but exists in WP9 through WP12. See http://www.wpuniverse.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7376 at WordPerfect Universe for fixes and workarounds.     [NOTE: This bug has been FIXED in WPX3/sp1.]
Method #3 If all else fails:	In WordPerfect 9 and later you can send the document as a PDF file with File, Publish to PDF. It should print the same on any printer.

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[...continued from '...there might be a problem with the program's Print Engine...' above]

For the method see Corel's Knowledgebase article -
How to re-establish the communication between WordPerfect and your printer
- at https://kb.corel.com/en/127456. [Mirrored on the Printer Problems page here.]

[Continued from "printer fonts" above:]

From Jim Shackleford's 2006 post on WordPerfect Universe here:

"... You may never notice the difference in the appearance of a printed document using printer [hardware] fonts and [Windows] software fonts. Sometimes, however, you can see a small change from the document on screen and the document printed. You can override font mapping in one of two places. You will be able to tell what type of font each one is by the icon by each font. TrueType fonts have sort of a TT icon, printer fonts have a small printer icon, PostScript fonts have a PS icon and a screen font has sort of a dotted V icon.

You can override the font mapping system wide (in all applications) by opening your printer’s properties and looking for a setting for font mapping or font substitution. This will vary from printer to printer and may be in an advanced setting. You may be able to disable all font mapping or edit font mapping for only certain fonts. There is usually a list of software fonts you select and another list of fonts to map to – printer fonts or software fonts.

You can override the settings for WP documents only by clicking on the menu item Format | Fonts and then click the Settings button and select Edit Font Mapping. Click the Document tab. You’ll see a list of document fonts from which to choose and a list of printer fonts you can use as a substitution. To force the printer to download and use the TT Arial Font, simply select the document font TT Arial and then select the printer font TT Arial. If you later want to restore the default font mapping, do so by checking the box in this dialog labeled “Automatic selection.”

You can also change the display font mapping in WP, but there seems to be very little reason for doing so. First, open the Edit Font Mapping dialog as described above. Select the Display tab. Select the printer font you want displayed differently and then select the document font you wish it to appear as. Thus, your document font may be TT Times-New Roman but can be displayed as TT Tahoma. It will be printed as either TT Times-New Roman or the printer font selected for substitution for Times-New Roman. Sometimes, you may want to use a resident printer font but the document will display differently in WP (the same is true for Word). Unfortunately, you cannot select a printer font as the display font.

If you change printers selected for a document, the document may display differently and print differently. Make sure TT fonts are used and that you choose to download the TT fonts. This will cure most problems but different printers may sometimes still interpret and print TT fonts a bit differently from one another. PostScript fonts can be printed more accurately from printer to printer but your printer must support PostScript fonts. Most home printers do not support PS fonts. Network printers may or may not. ..."

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