edit /etc/apsfilterrc & set the print option to 1n - default is 2n.
Thanks - found the article (GDI printers) after I posted the question (of course). Followed the instructions & it worked like a charm. Well, almost. When I print a text file (like from kedit in KDE), it prints in very tiny print and in landscape format. I remembered seeing this in the list previously so I searched the mail list archives and found the answer :-). I haven't tried it yet but it looks like the right stuff - at least for the landscape vs portrait problem anyway.
I am still not sure why it prints with such a tiny font though...? I noticed that if I opened a KFM window and then chose file/print from the menu, it printed the contents of the window (folder icons) in portrait orientation, and with normal- looking font size. Curious.
Anyway, in case someone else runs into the same orientation problem, the reference to the subject archived mail is: