If you get errors when trying to print on transparencies, you may not be orienting the sheets properly. Many ink-jet printers use an optical sensor to determine the leading edge of a paper sheet so that it can be fed into the paper handling mechanism. The printer tries to feed a sheet, but cannot find the edge of the paper, and this causes the error. Most transparency sheets have a white strip at the top edge, which the printer's paper sensor uses to "locate" the page. So make sure to insert transparency sheets so that the edge with the white strip feeds into the printer first. With good-quality transparency sheets, you can remove this white strip after the transparency has been printed. If you don't see a white strip on your transparencies, you'll probably want to try another brand.

Formerly part of Computer Currents, Stephen J. Bigelow's Computer Advisor column has been resurrected on computeruser.com as a daily tech tip column. Find Stephen at www.dlspubs.com.