Before you can assemble your American Miniature Theater, you first have to print out its plates.

Each plate is exactly the same size so it will produce uniform results with most graphics programs. Before running any of the plates, run the Test Plate through first to make sure all your settings are correct. (Using plain paper instead of card stock for the Test Plate is fine.) The Test Plate has a series of inch markings with which you can compare dimensions with a ruler you have at home. If your Test Plate's width and length dimensions are the same with your ruler's, you are fine. With some graphic programs, the length is stretched a little. If you hold your ruler to the zero (0) line and your ten (10) is off by about 1/32 or less (about the thickness of two playing cards), don't worry about it. I've already equated such a variance into the design.

Since most printers will not print to the very edge of the paper by 1/4" to 3/8", I have situated my designs with at least that much space around to eliminate that problem. The markings around the sides of the Test Plate will give you an idea of where your printer does not print with that graphics program.

NOTE: Any adjustments you do to you printer settings will NOT affect the printer settings you have for other programs such as spread sheets, text documents or copying off of the Internet. In fact, if you have more than one graphics program on your computer, changing the settings for one will not affect any of the other graphics programs.

Adjusting Your Printer

Off The Internet - Internet Explorer & Netscape

Try as I might, I cannot figure out how to directly print out these Plates directly from the Internet. They always come out at 75% of their designed size... but with no stretching.

Of course, you can print it out that way but The American Miniatue Theater would be only 9 5/16 inches tall instead of 12 1/2 inches tall. It is also much harder to assemble and you would have to widen the scenery slots because, while the theater may be smaller, the card stock would remain the same thickness.

I recommend downloading the Plates instead.

Paint Shop Pro - No Stretch
My favorite graphics program is Paint Shop Pro 5. Using it employs minimum effort to get excellent results. PSP is what I used to create The American Miniature Theater. Other expensive graphic programs are similar.

Click on File, then Open, then open "test.gif"
Click on File, then Page Setup
In Page Setup (many will already be at these default settings):
Size - Letter 8.5 x 11 in (default setting)
Source - Automatic Feeder (default setting)
Orientation - Portrait (default setting)
Print Output - Greyscale (for black & white plates)
Color (if doing color plates)
Position - Center on Page
(Left margin and Top margin boxes will gray out)
Scale - 100 (for 100%)
In Options, click on the Background button
If the background is white, leave it alone.
Press OK. (default setting)
If the background is not white, select the color white.
Press OK.
Leave the Negative Square empty (default setting)
Press OK to close Print Setup

Click on File, then Print
Print Options - Remove the checkmarks from all the boxes
Print to file box - empty (default setting)
Number of copies - 1 (default setting)
Press Properties
Press Paper
Paper Size - Letter (8.5 x 11 in) (default setting)
Copies - 1 and Collate (default setting)
Orientation - Portrait (default setting)
Under Document/Quality
Document Types - Automatic
(usually the only one listed)
Paper Type - Greeting Card Stock
(default usually Plain Paper)
Print Quality - 600 dpi (default setting)
Web Smoothing - remove the checkmark
(default usually checked)
(otherwise the images will not have
sharp lines & edges)
Press OK to return to Print box

Printing the Test Plate by pressing OK.

NOTE: PSP will remember your Page Setup setting but not your Print Properties settings. If you have to restart PSP, in Print Properties reset Paper Type to Greeting Card Stock and remove the checkmark from Web Smoothing.

Microsoft Photo Editor - Minor Stretch
Click on File, then Open, then open "test.gif"
Click on File, then Print
Copies - 1
Size - Fit to page
Position boxes will gray out
(both should say "0.00")
Size boxes will gray out
(Width 8.00 in 133%)
(Height 10.41 in 133%)
Leave the Allow Distortion box blank Press Properties
Press Paper
Paper Size - Letter (8.5 x 11 in) (default setting)
Copies - 1 and Collate (default setting)
Orientation - Portrait (default setting)
Under Document/Quality
Document Types - Automatic (usually the only one listed)
Paper Type - Greeting Card Stock (default usually Plain Paper)
Print Quality - 600 dpi (default setting)
Web Smoothing - remove the checkmark
(default usually checked)
(otherwise the images will not have
sharp lines & edges)
Press OK to return to Print box

Press OK to print.

NOTE: The problem with the Microsoft Photo Editor is that you'll have to reset those options every time you print a plate but, following these directions, you will get perfect plates.

Kodak Imaging for Windows - Minor Stretch
Click on File, then Open, then open "test.gif"
Click on File, then Print
Print range - All
Number of copies - 1
Click on Options
Print displayed annotations - empty box
Print format - Fit to page
Press Properties
Press Paper
Paper Size - Letter (8.5 x 11 in) (default setting)
Copies - 1 and Collate (default setting)
Orientation - Portrait (default setting)
Under Document/Quality
Document Types - Automatic (usually the only one listed)
Paper Type - Greeting Card Stock (default usually Plain Paper)
Print Quality - 600 dpi (default setting)
Web Smoothing - remove the checkmark
(default usually checked)
(otherwise the images will not have
sharp lines & edges)
Press OK to return to Print box

Press OK to print.

Printing the Test Plate by pressing OK.

NOTE: You will have to Click on Options and empty the Print displayed annotations box every time you print a new plate.

If you have a different computer graphics program, experiment with the Test Plate. The above examples should give you an idea what to look for.

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