--- loncom/interface/printout.pl	2016/01/28 19:37:42	1.161
+++ loncom/interface/printout.pl	2016/05/21 21:15:36	1.162
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/perl
 # CGI-script to run LaTeX, dvips, ps2ps, ps2pdf etc.
 #
-# $Id: printout.pl,v 1.161 2016/01/28 19:37:42 damieng Exp $
+# $Id: printout.pl,v 1.162 2016/05/21 21:15:36 raeburn Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -440,8 +440,13 @@ foreach $texfile (@texfile) {
 	  $name_file =~ s/\.tex/\.dvi/;
 	  my $new_name_file = $name_file;
 	  $new_name_file =~ s/\.dvi/\.ps/;
+# Explicitly include a switch for papertype, otherwise dvips will default
+# to whatever is listed first in config.ps (which in most cases is a4).
+# Historically (since 2004) LON-CAPA printing expected to use the default,
+# i.e., a papertype of a4, when the user selected letter [8 1/2 x 11 in] 
+# in the Layout options, so I follow that convention if $papera is letter.  
 	  my $papera=$paper;
-	  if ($papera eq 'letter') {$papera='';}
+	  if ($papera eq 'letter') {$papera=' a4';}
 	  if ($papera ne '') {$papera='-t'.$papera;}
 	  my $extra_ps_header = $perlvar{'lonLib'} .'/includepsheader.ps';
 	  my $comma = "dvips $papera -h $extra_ps_header -Ppdf -G0 -o  $new_name_file";