I like to use different presets when printing documents from Mac OS X. As noted below, there is a distinct change in the print dialog screen in Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard). It’s not obvious where the optional menus are by looking at the initial screen. To access the various print options, click the blue arrow next to the Printer selection.
Here is the print window in Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger).
Well, while not “obvious”, this blue arrow is not a new thing. It’s been used throughout OS X for quite some time now for getting options. If anything, the reason some people never noticed it before is because it was not being used in more places where it should have been. The most common use was file selection popups, where the blue arrow gives you a more “Finder”-like interface. I like the change. Once your presets are setup, you don’t have to be bothered with the additional clutter. Just cleaner, IMHO.
By: Alex on November 20, 2007
at 1:16 pm
Thank you for your post. “Not obvious” you say! I spent more time trying to find the options than I want to admit, thinking that Leopard had a bug, but not seeing more people complaining. (I thought that the arrow in the dialog would bring up the printer list).
Thanks again!!
By: David Smart on March 1, 2008
at 4:21 pm
I agree with David, this was an odd and not-obvious change. My boss just upgraded to Leopard (I’m a Win user) and he was freaking out that he lost all of his printer options. I searched the Goog for “leopard print dialogue” and came to this blog post for the solution. A little blue button with a triangle could mean anything, Apple had a lot of faith assuming that users would eventually figure it out by randomly clicking unknown buttons (or assuming users would read the documentation. Pfft!). This is Mystery Meat Navigation, plain and simple, and an unfortunate err in the UI design of Leopard.
By: KurtMac on December 11, 2008
at 12:06 pm
Wow!
Thanks. I was an Art Director and designer for over 35 years before I ever touched a computer. Learning this stuff was not easy for me, but I prevailed. I was so frustrated that I had lost all my print options with the Leopard print dialoq window. I would have NEVER thought to try that blue button.
Thanks again.
Tom
By: Tom Kliegl on March 26, 2009
at 3:06 pm