Terminal Tips: Make extended print dialog show by default

When you print something in Mac OS X, the standard print dialog window will pop up. However, if you always use the extended options (such as landscape/portrait orientation, number of copies, etc.) then you might have to click the blue arrow constantly. With this Terminal hack, the print dialog will open with the extended options already shown by default. Just open Terminal.app (/Applications/Utilities/) and type in the following command:

defaults write -g PMPrintingExpandedStateForPrint -bool TRUE

If changing back to the original settings makes you happy, then replace "TRUE" with "FALSE" in the command above.

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Terminal Tips

When you print something in Mac OS X, the standard print dialog window will pop up. However, if you always use the extended options (such...

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Drew

This is a great tip. Do you know if there's a similar toggle for making the "save" dialogue open with its folder view instead of fully collapsed as in the print dialogue?

September 16 2008 at 2:13 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Moose

Awesome tip. Its these simple things that make life sweet.

A similar tip request: Is there a way to make the column view's column width default to being equal to the longest filename (a la the option + dbl click on the column handle)? I would love that...

September 15 2008 at 12:37 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

totoro

Wow, this is a great tip. I can't tell you how often I've had to explain that stupid blue arrow to users in order to access all the print features.

September 15 2008 at 12:27 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Big John

Do I have to log out and back in for this to work? Doesn't seem to be working straight away.

September 15 2008 at 11:01 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply