| ImagePRINT Techniques
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Choosing a File Format
Creating Exact Copies of Printed Documents
To emulate your printer:
Converting CAD Drawings
Setup Instructions:
To create custom paper sizes:
Choosing a File Format
What file format best meets your requirements?
- For black and white images, select the ImagePRINT TIFF driver
- For grey or color images, select the ImagePRINT JPEG driver
- For PDF black and white, grey or color images, select the ImagePRINT PDF driver
Note: The higher the bit count, the more the size of the image file increases. Image files generated using the ImagePRINT TIFF driver (black and white) are usually smaller than image files generated by the JPEG driver (color).
The following table lists the file formats available and their various characteristics.
| Format |
B&W |
Color |
Compression |
Multiple Pages |
ImagePRINT Driver |
| BMP Windows |
Y |
N |
Uncompressed |
N |
TIFF |
| BMP Windows 24-bit color |
N |
Y |
Uncompressed |
N |
JPEG |
| DCX Intel |
Y |
N |
Run Length |
Y |
TIFF |
| PCX ZSoft |
Y |
N |
Run Length |
N |
TIFF |
| JPEG 24-bit color |
N |
Y |
Lossy (configurable) |
N |
JPEG |
| PDF Adobe 1-bit b/w |
Y |
N |
Modified Modified Read (MMR) |
Y |
PDF |
| PDF Adobe 8-bit grey |
N |
Y |
Flate |
Y |
PDF |
| PDF Adobe 8-bit color |
N |
Y |
Flate |
Y |
PDF |
| PDF Adobe 24-bit color |
N |
Y |
Lossy (configurable) |
Y |
PDF |
| PNG 1-bit |
Y |
N |
Flate |
N |
TIFF |
| PNG - grey scale |
N |
Y |
Flate |
N |
JPEG |
| PNG 8-bit color |
N |
Y |
Flate |
N |
JPEG |
| TIFF Group 3 1-bit |
Y |
N |
Modified Huffman (MH) - reverse and normal order |
Y |
TIFF |
| TIFF Group 3 (2D) 1-bit |
Y |
N |
Modified Read (MR) - reverse and normal order |
Y |
TIFF |
| TIFF Group 4 1-bit |
Y |
N |
Modified Read (MR) - reverse and normal order |
Y |
TIFF |
| TIFF Pack Bits 24-bit |
N |
Y |
Run Length |
Y |
JPEG |
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Creating Exact Copies of Printed Documents
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To create images with the same number of pages and positioning of text and graphics generated by your printer, ImagePRINT can emulate your printer at a higher resolution. ImagePRINT emulates a 300x300 or 600x600 dpi setting while compressing the resulting TIFF to 200 dpi. Use this option to replicate text-intensive documents and reports from applications such as Word and Adobe Acrobat.
Printing is slower, but for legal, insurance, real estate and mortgage documents that need to be identical to printed copies, use this option.
Note the following:
- Speed – Rendering an image takes more time, up to 4 times as long.
- Memory – Rendering an image takes more memory. To emulate a 600x600 printer, the driver may need access to 34 megabytes of memory for a standard letter-sized page. (Minimum machine memory is 64 Megabytes).
- Font Appearance – The rendered fonts are not quite as crisp as when printed with Exact Printing turned off.
- Custom Printer Fonts - If your application uses a font provided by the printer hardware, ImagePRINT substitutes the equivalent Windows font in its place.
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To emulate your printer:
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- From the Windows Start menu, select Settings>Control Panel, then select Printers.
- Right-click an ImagePRINT driver and select Properties.
- Click the Device Settings tab.
- Under Printer Operation, click the Emulate Printer drop-down list, then select the printer to emulate.
ImagePRINT fills in the Unprintable Regions settings with the settings for your printer. The image will be printed only within those margins, so that page numbering and exact text positioning is maintained.
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Converting CAD Drawings
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You can use the ImagePRINT drivers to convert AutoCAD drawings to TIFF or JPEG.
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Setup Instructions:
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- From the Start menu, select Settings>Printers. From the File menu, select Set as Default Printer.
- In the Cad/Cam application, set the Windows Printer as the default and check printer settings.
- Preview the file and confirm that the image is properly scaled.
- Rotate the image as required.
- Adjust the print resolution and dithering options to get the best effect.
Error Diffusion dithering creates the largest file size, but gives the best shades. Suggested optimal resolutions are 200x200 or 300x300.
To reduce the image to only five shades, select Dither from 256 colors. To force all colors to black, select Color - All Colors to Black.
If the image is not properly scaled, or the correct paper size is not selected, use with the Forms options to create a custom paper size, as described below.
For some paper sizes, you need to define a Custom size that is a few mm larger than the default paper size - otherwise AutoCAD switches to a smaller paper size.
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To create custom paper sizes:
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- From the Start menu, select Settings>Printers.
- From the File menu, select Server Properties.
- On the Forms tab, click Create a New Form.
- Select the units (Metric or English), then enter the paper size dimensions and the printer area margin settings.
- Click Save Form.
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