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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think printers are obsolete? And to be IRRITATED!

42 replies

VioletBam · 10/08/2016 04:30

I've just tried to fill in an "Interactive Form" sent to me by a school I want one of the DC to attend next year.

We're not in the UK.

The form is PDF which can't be filled in and saved...there's no submit button and I don't have a printer! On the form, there's no way to save as....so I can't fill it in, save it as a document or image...and then send it...I'd have to print and scan it.

I never use a printer! I don't own or generally need a printer!

WHY are things still done this way? It seems so old fashioned to print things out and then scan them back.

Like a bloody fax or something!

OP posts:

badg3r · 10/08/2016 11:00

If I need to read something properly I always print it off too. I am 30 obviously paper is then recycled as pads for taking notes before going into the blue recycling

TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince · 10/08/2016 11:03

What gets me is retuning items, and you have to print out the postage retuns document with the bar code on.

It drives me mad, I have to email everything to dh

Balletgirlmum · 10/08/2016 11:05

I print lots off. However I don't have access to a printer at home so I always ask places like school for hard copies of forms if I not at work.
Only this week I printed off registration/permission forms for activities/residentials which have to be handed in on the day.

Andrewofgg · 10/08/2016 11:07

Not rude at all and I am 64!

Sootica · 10/08/2016 11:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PurplePidjin · 10/08/2016 11:19

Library. 10p a page.

Original poster

VioletBam · 10/08/2016 11:24

Andrew but it seems from some other posters that it's not to do with age!

Anyway I understand that....it's large organisations sending "Interactive" PDF forms out which are then impossible to send back without a printer that gets me annoyed.

OP posts:

WeAllHaveWings · 10/08/2016 11:30

I have a printer/scanner/photocopier thingy at home (as well as a desktop pc) specifically for these kind of things for school, household stuff (return labels, vouchers etc), clubs etc.

I don't print off at work unless I have permission (as it is stealing and not worth the hassle of printing and running to the central printer before anyone else sees it).

The world isn't 100% paper free yet. It will be great when it gets there, but until it does its up to you to either have access to print as/when required or have the technical ability to work around it.

RiverTam · 10/08/2016 11:32

I'm a proofreader and there's no way I'm proofreading 300+ pages on screen, my neck and my eyes would pack up in no time! I'm aged under 50.

I use our printer at home a fair amount, I print colouring pages off for DD and other bits and bobs.

Cockblocktopus · 10/08/2016 11:34

I really recommend PDF expert and its sister app scanner pro for this sort of thing.

We don't use the scanner at all any more and most stuff is signed via pdf expert. It's great.

sportinguista · 10/08/2016 11:36

I am a graphic designer and I often print out things to proof. On screen it is possible to miss things. In Acrobat Reader there should be a button to export which might work. That can save it as versions which work in word and excel. There is also the fill and sign option. You need the latest version which is Acrobat DC. Many forms are designed for this version so it may be that if you have an earlier version you won't have these options. It is free off the Adobe website and easy to install for both mac and windows. By the way I am under 50 too!

summerainbow · 10/08/2016 13:37

We had to send my son to library the other day to print off a boarding pass cos you can't do it on your phone anymore.

TheRealKimmySchmidt63 · 10/08/2016 13:53

Another one under 50 and need to print to proofread - however my boss is over 50 and prefers to proofread on screen ..........

Cindy34 · 10/08/2016 14:02

Hardly print at home - when I last tried it refused as the colour cartridge was too dried up to function. Do lots at work but tends to just be documents that have to be printed, and cover letters for those documents. Paper-free office has yet to become reality, though it is getting a bit better. HMRC are a pain though in wanting forms physically signed. Though only some forms, I did my tax return and didn't have to print that out.

LurkingHusband · 10/08/2016 14:07

Print to an image file, and then overlay text on that ?

But then given email has been around since the 1980s, and most people still prefer to phone, expecting electronic data entry as standard is hoping.

I'm of an age when one of the tropes of computers was "paperless office" (hollow laugh).

PepsiPenguins · 10/08/2016 14:11

Late 30's here have been obbsesed with technology since the age of 5 and would print out things if they require careful proofreading - you can miss things on screen.

But in your case it is ridiculous that your required to print out a form that could easily be created in a format that you could type in your responses :) would drive me nuts too

NicknameUsed · 10/08/2016 19:39

I work in publications. You can't proof read a catalogue page properly onscreen, nor can the graphic designer see all the amends. We always proofread hard copies.

Most people I work with are well under 50.

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