alexpgp: (Default)
alexpgp ([personal profile] alexpgp) wrote2006-01-30 10:34 pm

Low-budget lifehacking...

One of the negative aspects of putting the printer on a wireless network connection is the loss of two-way communication between the computer and the printer (though you never know, the capability might be there, I just haven't applied myself). Among other gotchas, this means I get to find out about empty ink cartridges when the printer stops working.

Naturally, I always have spare cartridges on hand (the Epson requires seven of the little suckers - or is that spewers? - but I digress...).

Not!

So what's a person to do when a client sends a five-page fax (with a vertical line running down the right side, through the text) that's not exactly amenable to OCR?

One alternative would be to drive to the store and print it out there, but it's late and I'm tired. Any alternative that involves getting into a car and driving someplace is not acceptable.

On the spur of the moment, I faxed the file to my home number, using my eFax account.

Now, normally I don't have a fax set up at home (that's why I got the eFax account), but I recently had to honest-to-Harvey fax some documents back to a client (scanning would've been a lot more trouble, for basically the same end result) and the machine was just sitting there. It took eFax about a minute to call my number and a couple of minutes later, I had about as good a printout of the pages as could be expected under just about any circumstances.

The job goes out tomorrow, along with a January invoice.

Cheers...