Printing ISO12233 chart on z3100

[peter.s.]

I'd like to print a ISO12233 resolution chart (for cameras) on my z3100 (standard 24" version). The chart is a pdf consisting of lines and curves so the printer should easily be able to print it.
http://www.graphics.cornell.edu/~westin/misc/res-chart.html

I want is as big as possible but when I printed it directly from acrobat the print doesn't look good at all (jagged) and I'm not sure if it's the printer driver/settings or acrobat or both. Any ideas how to get the best print on something like this?

Thanks,
Peter

[Wayne Fox]

I want is as big as possible but when I printed it directly from acrobat the print doesn't look good at all (jagged) and I'm not sure if it's the printer driver/settings or acrobat or both. Any ideas how to get the best print on something like this?

Thanks,
Peter
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=168018\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I was able to download the PDF file and print it at the native size. Most edges were quite sharp, but a touch of moire can be seen in some of the patterns.  Used OS X using Apple's Preview program, although I can't imagine why the same result wouldn't be had with Acrobat.  I also printed it at 150% letting the OS scale it up and it looked pretty good as well ... I could see some softness on some edges, but that may be just enlarged softness.

Wondering if an inkjet printer can really print the chart out at enough quality ... ?  Don't know, but I'm not sure how I would eliminate the moire without compromising the chart.

It seems that printing it at any size other than intended could invalidate the chart?  I haven't read on how it's used, so perhaps as long as you use it right, it doesn't matter the size.

[Geoff Wittig]

I could be wrong on this, but as I understand it, a PDF file has its print size "baked in". You can try enlarging it, but it's like enlarging a low resolution JPEG; the image quality turns to oatmeal as soon as you try.

[peter.s.]

I've got some more info trying to solve this problem. I can print the chart when I print in the "normal" quality setting in the printer driver (looks like crap) but when I set it to "best" I get a good print but only a partial one. I've tried printing from acrobat as well as illustrator cs.

Looks like this in HPs preview window and it prints the same:
[attachment=4726:attachment]

Is there a workaround for this? Print size was set at 610x1050mm (24"x41").

Peter

[Ernst Dinkla]

I've got some more info trying to solve this problem. I can print the chart when I print in the "normal" quality setting in the printer driver (looks like crap) but when I set it to "best" I get a good print but only a partial one. I've tried printing from acrobat as well as illustrator cs.

Looks like this in HPs preview window and it prints the same:
[attachment=4726:attachment]

Is there a workaround for this? Print size was set at 610x1050mm (24"x41").

Peter
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Drop the file in Photoshop and set at the input request menu the resolution at 300 or 600 or 1200 PPI, greyscale, anti-aliasing on and at the size you want to print it. If that PDF contains the original vector design you can not get better information. Yes, at 2400 PPI input on Photoshop and the printer driver asking 1200 PPI (Optimal etc setting) native resolution there might be a slight gain but a terribly big file.


Ernst Dinkla

try: [a href=\"http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/]http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/[/url]

[peter.s.]

Drop the file in Photoshop and set at the input request menu the resolution at 300 or 600 or 1200 PPI, greyscale, anti-aliasing on and at the size you want to print it. If that PDF contains the original vector design you can not get better information. Yes, at 2400 PPI input on Photoshop and the printer driver asking 1200 PPI (Optimal etc setting) native resolution there might be a slight gain but a terribly big file.
Ernst Dinkla

try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=168131\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thanks Ernst. Unfortunately the problem seems to be that the z3100 PCL3 driver can't print a 24"x42" at 1200 ppi no matter what. Not even at 600 ppi. How can this even be possible - it is after all a large format printer?

The problem with pdf's in PS CS2 is that you can't import a pdf that becomes bigger than 32000 pixels in any dimension (24x42" is about 28800 x 50400 pixels @1200ppi). Just for testing I tried importing it smaller and then upsize it to the correct 1200 ppi dimension but then printing is disabled...not that it would help with the resolution anyway.

Regarding file size the pdf is about 210kb - at 1200 ppi an uncompressed gray scale is 1500Mb. Application doesn't seems to matter - tried PS CS3, Illustrator CS, Acrobat 6 pro. I also have qimage but I doubt it will work if the printer driver is the problem. I also need to convert the pdf into a large tiff which I can't do with PS or Illustrator due to the pixel limit.

Any suggestions?

Peter

[Ernst Dinkla]

Thanks Ernst. Unfortunately the problem seems to be that the z3100 PCL3 driver can't print a 24"x42" at 1200 ppi no matter what. Not even at 600 ppi. How can this even be possible - it is after all a large format printer?

The problem with pdf's in PS CS2 is that you can't import a pdf that becomes bigger than 32000 pixels in any dimension (24x42" is about 28800 x 50400 pixels @1200ppi). Just for testing I tried importing it smaller and then upsize it to the correct 1200 ppi dimension but then printing is disabled...not that it would help with the resolution anyway.

Regarding file size the pdf is about 210kb - at 1200 ppi an uncompressed gray scale is 1500Mb. Application doesn't seems to matter - tried PS CS3, Illustrator CS, Acrobat 6 pro. I also have qimage but I doubt it will work if the printer driver is the problem. I also need to convert the pdf into a large tiff which I can't do with PS or Illustrator due to the pixel limit.

Any suggestions?

Peter
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

It looks like size limitations come in several grades then. I can not make prints longer than about 9 feet on my Z3100 44", input resolution didn't make a difference, output resolution either if I recall it correctly. Others do not have that problem, PS model or not.
Qimage at least can handle larger Tiffs than Photoshop but you still need that conversion from the PDF first.

Given all the above a Postscript interpreting RIP may be the only answer right now.


Ernst Dinkla

try: [a href=\"http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/]http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/[/url]

[dajaka]

Try opening the pdf directly into Illustrator and printing from that app. I've found that illustrator (at least CS 2 and 3) seems to act as its own RIP when printing to my z3100 (not ps version).

There are a lot of layers in this file and most are locked. You can unlock all layers and see that illustrator treats this as a vector file so you should be able to print any size you like.

[peter.s.]

Thanks guys. Due to downloading the service manual I think I found the problem which results in clipped images when printing large high resolution images.

Description of the problem on page 176 in the service manual. Basically software related - internal 16-bit coordinates used for printing in older versions of Acrobat, Illustrator, CorelDraw etc. Now I'm just waiting for paper to try it (I ran out).

Peter