Quick Tip: Make "Print Preview" The Default

I try not to simply post items found on other blogs, but this tip is too good not to share. As you may know, Leopard adds a spiffy new miniaturized Print Preview to its Print dialog.

By default, however, it's not shown and you have to click the "expand" button to make it appear. And you have to expand it in every application in which you want to see it. But by changing a single system preference, we can make every print dialog start out in the "expanded" mode.

Just enter the following text into Terminal and hit return:

defaults write /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences PMPrintingExpandedStateForPrint -bool TRUE

From now on, every app will use the large Print dialog by default, unless you've already been in an application and saved the "small" print dialog. Those you'll have to expand again by hand.

Slick.

It's funny how Apple adds all of these preference settings to its applications, but doesn't provide a way for mere mortals to access them.

[via MacOSXHints]

Comments

[Scott Russell]

I hadn't seen this elsewhere, and I love it! Thanks again.

[zo]

How about Expanded Save Dialogs as default?

Thanks!

[Michael Long]

Ask and ye shall receive:

defaults write -g NSNavPanelExpandedStateForSaveMode -bool TRUE