Printing PRN files
Nizam
Hi everyone!
Every month that I turn out this newsletter, I always find formatting
problems with the Lino output versus my HP Laserjet II output.
Stuff gets moved around, boxes don't line up anymore and it becomes
a real pain to correct it. To halfway solve it, I've used the Lino
printer driver supplied by the Lino service themselves. This still
hasn't completely solved the problem since I think he hadn't properly
set up his machine. Anyway, someone mentioned that I could print out
.PRN files.
How do I do this out of Pagemaker 4.0/Win 3.1? And can I test this
.PRN file by printing it out myself (do I use the PRINT command) ?
Thanks !
-Nizam
Carl Aron
I run a service bureau and what you describe is a constant headache for
us. Windows still does not have adequate drivers to print to
imagesetters, and I assure you, your service bureau has set up their
machine just fine. It's just that Different printers (Like your HO and
their Lino use different fonts, that have different character spacing, and
when you set the target printer to Lino, Windows reformats that file using
real PostScript fonts in place of the HP fonts, and things move. If your
service bureau is willing to try to do PC files, count yourself as lucky,
because I can tell you from expereince that it is very nearly more of a
pain than it is worth. LaserWriter Drivers and Imagesetter Drivers on the
Mac do not have these differences, so we get what we expect much more often.
There are three solutions:
One is to tell Windows to use the spacing of your HP
fonts with the PostScript fonts. You do this by settingthe target printer as
your HP, then when printing to the lino, you must NOT let it recompose the
file for the Lino. This only works if the fonts you use exist for both
printers. Dutch and Swiss are HP imitations of the real fonts Times and
Helvetica, but they are not the same, so throw them away. The kerning of
fonts will not be ideal with this method, since you will be using one
font's character width values with the actual shapes of another font, but
it is usually close.
Another is to change over to the Lino PostScript fonts, then go over the
file once more to put things back where they were. If you set the
printer as Lino, and try to print, it will recompose for the lino.
then edit the file to put things back.
Finally, you could just set the file up for a Lino from the start, and then
things won't move, because you won't be changing printers between your
proofs and the final output. When you want to print proofs, DON'T let
Windows recompose the file for your HP. Then it will be your proofs that
use Lino character spacing with HP printer fonts, but the final prints
ought to have better kerning.
PRN files can be nice, because they can eliminate some problems if your
service bureau doesn't have all the fonts you have. We only have a few
basic fonts on the PC, becaues after spending $20,000 on fonts for the
Mac, we didn't want to spend another $20,000 to buy the same fonts again
for our PC. If you can master the PRN file, you will make
your service bureau much happier, assuming they know what to do with it.
The problem with PRN files is that ALL OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SETTING
UP THE FILE IS IN YOUR HANDS. THE SERVICE BUREAU CAN DO NOTHING WITH A PRN
FILE EXCEPT SEND IT TO THE PRINTER AND SEE WHAT COMES OUT. THEY CAN"T EVEN
TELL IF IT WILL WORK UNTIL IT PRINTS. If your service bureau is willing to
share the cost of your learning curve, they may let you get away with a
few mistakes, but in general, if the file doesn;t print right, it's your
fault and you should pay for it. You will have to set things you never
think about when printing proofs on a laser printer, that would normally
be set by the service bureau people, who do it all day every day, so they
have an advantage over you. For example, The Lino will offer Paper sizes
like "LetterXtra" this is a 9.5 x 12 paper size needed to print an 8.5 x
11 page with crop marks. YOU must set this "EXTRA" paper size (do not
confuse paper size with page size). YOU must check the crp marks box. You
must set up the separations if necessary. YOU must set the line screen of
tints and halftones.
The general idea is that you pretend you have their Lino hooked up to your
computer. In the printer control panel, set the connect port of the Lino,
or whatever printer they have (We use an AGFA) as on "FILE", rather than
on LPT1: or whatever. Then when you print, the information will be printed
to a file, then your service bureau can copy that file directly to their
Imagesetter.
DO NOT choose the option "print to Encapsulated PostScript File" This is
something different. Since your printer control panel is set up as a
PostScript printer, connected to FILE, you will get a PostScript file if
you print "to the printer".
Some programs (Corel Draw for one) have an option that specifies that "all
fonts are resident" DO NOT use this. You want your computer to include the
fonts, especially if you use ones that your service bureau doesn't have.
DO NOT use HP fonts like Swiss or Dutch. The fonts tha work for us are
Adobe Type 1 PostScript fonts, and the TrueType fonts. If you use TrueType
fonts, be sure to go into the printer options, nad tell Windows to "send
TrueType fonts to the printer as Adobe Type 1 fonts". DO NOT send fonts as
bitmaps. DO NOT use substitution tables.
Good Luck.
Carl
J. Robert Burgoyne
made extensive use of numerous service bureaus.
I found one I like in NYC, and they've never made any errors or sent
me artwork that wasn't what I expected.
There's an easy way to avoid all the problems mentioned: Set the target
printer to lino, and print your output to a desktop PS device.
First, do use Adobe Type Manager with Adobe PS fonts. After you make your
final proof on your 300 dpi device, generate your lino PRN file.
Before you shoot this file to your service bureau, copy it to your 300 dpi
device. The output will be as it will appear on your lino artwork.
If you get tricky and use fountain fills and other stuff, there may be
minor differences, but really, I don't have the problems you mention.
Since you're telling PageMaker to compose for a lino printer, characters
are generally spaced more tightly than when the same document is composed
for a 300 dpi PS device.
I can see where you'd have all those problems if you're using a PCL device,
so hey, get a 300 dpi PS device (I've got an IBM 4019).
J. Robert Burgoyne Maryland FYI Laurel, Maryland
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Carl Aron
deal. I have several clients who make flawless PRN files for me every
time, or even just give me the PM4 files, and it works out great, but a
greater portion of PC clients have exactly the sort of problem you
described, and I think it can all be solved by throwing out the HP
printers and fonts.
An the other hand, I have had great success with Windows TrueType fonts,
as long as they get downloaded to to the PRN file as PostScript fonts, and
as long as the client's proofing printer is a PostScript laser printer, not
something else. This really surprised me, but it works, which is great,
because Corel Draw, which i don't really like ,but which almost everyone
has, comes with a few million TrueType fonts. They claim to be equivalent
to certain adobe ones, but they are not, so don't try Font Substitution,
just download then to the PRN as Type 1 PostScript.
Tony Thomas
I would suggest that you print your files to PRN files formatted for
the Lino and use Ghostscript (a freeware Postscript interpreter) to
preview the PRN files and to produce printed proofs. That way, you
can be sure of what you are going to get.
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