print settings not correct

[Susan]

In Publisher, the settings are not the same as what I set in the Printer Settings in my Windows XP. It's like Publisher is using the wrong PPD. For example, I set my Postscript Printer to Level 2 and my resolution to 2400 in Printer Settings, but it reads Level 1 and 600 in Publisher. Taking the time to change all of my advanced settings for each print job is too time-consuming. Also, not all of my page sizes are available. I have Letter.Extra available in non-Microsoft products (like InDesign, Quark), but it is not available in Publisher. This means it won't print crop marks for me, which is a problem
Am I supposed to set up the ppd somehow? This applies to both the Windows driver for my specific imagesetter, and also the Generic Imagesetter printers
Thanks
Sue

 

[mac townsend]

You must have different printers setup/configured. Look in the printers
control panel and compare to the names you get in the printing dialogs in
the different apps.

The resolution setting in the PS driver for an imagesetter is meaningless.
Don't bother trying to set it. For a laser printer, it isn't meaningless so
setting it is important.

I'll guess that the MS generic imagesetter was installed and this is the one
MSPub seeks out. It's a fine driver/ppd. But you can change printers as you
wish in the print dialog under "Printer Name".

The PS level has some meaning and PS level 2 ought to produce a more compact
file. Again, the printer can be selected in the print dialogs.

In Publisher, the settings are not the same as what I set in the Printer

Settings in my Windows XP. It's like Publisher is using the wrong PPD. For
example, I set my Postscript Printer to Level 2 and my resolution to 2400 in
Printer Settings, but it reads Level 1 and 600 in Publisher. Taking the
time to change all of my advanced settings for each print job is too
time-consuming. Also, not all of my page sizes are available. I have
Letter.Extra available in non-Microsoft products (like InDesign, Quark), but
it is not available in Publisher. This means it won't print crop marks for
me, which is a problem.

Am I supposed to set up the ppd somehow? This applies to both the Windows

driver for my specific imagesetter, and also the Generic Imagesetter
printers.

 

[Susan]

In my Printers Settings in Control Panel, I only have HP Laser Jet, Agfa Accuset Imagesetter, and MS Publisher Imagesetter installed, so I don't have a lot to choose from. I am not looking at a long list and picking the wrong one by mistake. Could Publisher be finding a different printer other than what is in the Control Panel
I'm mainly concerned with the postscript level, because in Publisher it defaults to Level 1 (even though in Control Panel I have it as level 2), and therefore won't print separations. I realize I can go in a change it, but I shouldn't have to every time I print. Is there a Print Style as in Adobe Products so I could at least assign it in general and don't have to change EVERY setting EVERY time I print? I am also confused why it is not giving me the Letter Extra option for paper so I can print crop marks. I didn't have this problem in Publisher 2002
I'd appricate any help
Thanks
Su

 

[mac townsend]

"> In my Printers Settings in Control Panel, I only have HP Laser Jet, Agfa
Accuset Imagesetter, and MS Publisher Imagesetter installed, so I don't have
a lot to choose from. I am not looking at a long list and picking the wrong
one by mistake. Could Publisher be finding a different printer other than
what is in the Control Panel?>>>

You should be able to tell what printer Pub is trying to use just by looking
at the print dialog. there's a window displaying the printer and you can
change it there if it is not what you want.

I'm mainly concerned with the postscript level, because in Publisher it

defaults to Level 1 (even though in Control Panel I have it as level 2), and
therefore won't print separations. >>>

You MUST tell us what printer Publisher is trying to use. If it is trying to
use the MS Imagesetter then perhaps you should not use that one.


OR (and this is up to you) locate the PPD (in the System32 folder) and open
it with notepad.

You will see, near the top, something like this:

""*% ----- Basic Capabilities -----
*FormatVersion: "4.3"
*FileVersion: "1.2"
*LanguageEncoding: ISOLatin1
*LanguageVersion: English
*PSVersion: "(2013.114) 9"
*Product: "(Linotype)"""

See the line starting *PSVersion? If it says "52.3" that's PS Level 1. If it
says "201xxxx" that's 2, if "301xxxx" that's 3.

The only copy of the MS Imagesetter PPD I have is on a WIn98 box and I think
it installed with Publisher 2000. It is a level 1 PPD. I've not been able to
find the MS Imagsetter PPD/driver on my later machines and so don't know
what level it it.

<<<I realize I can go in a change it, but I shouldn't have to every time I
print. Is there a Print Style as in Adobe Products so I could at least
assign it in general and don't have to change EVERY setting EVERY time I
print? >>

My business is output. I do it all day every day. I do not trust "printer
styles" (especially PageMaker's). My prescription is to check everything
twice before hitting the print button. Kind of like the carpenter's rule
"Measure Twice, Cut once" and Yes, I do go thru all the settings every time
all the time. Saves having to use bad words later on.


<<<I am also confused why it is not giving me the Letter Extra option for
paper so I can print crop marks. I didn't have this problem in Publisher
2002.>>>

The paper sizes are a function of the PPD. Not Publisher.


What operating system are you using? It might be possible to add paper sizes
and have them available but it depends on the OS.

Try this. Open the printer control panel. Select (but do not open) the
printer you want. Then go to File menu, and select Server Properties (this
is for W2K...I guess it's the same for XP, it won't work for 98 or ME). On
the first tab you will see a list of "Forms"--this is what it is calling
paper sizes. You will also see a checkbox for "create new form"...follow
that procedure. give it a name that won't conflict with the standard names
in any other. Save it.

You may need to reboot to cement the new form in place. But it should now be
accessible from that AND other PS printers.

Give it a whirl.

 

[mac townsend]

In my earlier postng I described how to open a PPD and determine the PS
level using NotePad (or any editor, for that matter...)

What I forgot to say is that after you've looked, abandon it. Close and DO
NOT save. This is especially true if using something like Word or WordPad as
the editor. Saving will functionlly destroy the PPD.

 

[Budget Print Center]

good to know...I will store that one for future bad word avoidance. ;-)

 

[mac townsend]

<<The other one "\\LaserWriter\Agfa Accuset 1000", which is what I use to
print from all other applications, shows as a level 2 in notepad (which I
alredy knew from the guy who installed our imagesetter), but in Publisher
defaults to a Level 1.>>

Are you saying (I need to understand so I can try to wrestle up an
answer--what's obvious to someone else isn't always so to me<G>)

When you go to print and the Accuset is listed in the Publisher "print to"
window that you MUST go to Properties>Layout>Advanced>PostScript Options and
when you do you always see it listed as PS level 1 and that you must change
it to 2?

BUT that if you do the same thing from Indy or Corel Draw or whatever, the
level always shows as 2?

(i.e. somehow Pub is diddling with the Advanced settings)

OR...is it that UNLESS you go and reafirm, as it were, the L2 status,
Publisher reacts as though it was L1 *regardless* of the L2 setting on the
Advanced tab?

(i.e. Pub is not properly registering the Advanced settings unless you bonk
it on the head to get its attention)


<<Imagesetter did indicate it was a level 1. So I will just forget that one
entirely. >>

Good choice<G> In general W2K > PS driver gets a bad taste from L1 devices
and PPDs. I had tons of problems with the "safe" Lino 330/530 "drivers" when
I went to W2K and how they "sleep with the fishes" and I use either
distiller ppd or Harlequin.


<< I guess I assumed a new one would come with Publisher 2003.>>

It didn't. I'm researching it now to see if there is an option here. Because
once in awhile the generic imagesetter WAS useful!

So I guess you are saying there are no printer styles in Publisher. I

guess that is a preference thing - I, and many other service providers do
use them (it's highly recommended in the Adobe forums). I always double
check everything that is a variable, but they are very helpful to me.>>

I have one customer who's been sending me PS files for about 15 years. About
20% of the time when he used PM the file was wrong, no crops, no something.
And it was always "the same style...". I'm getting not quite the same ratio
with PS files from ID...so ...I don't trust them. (besides, touring the
print dialogs for customer files often turns up tiling optins, multiple
copies, and a hoard of other nasties and styles will simply swallow those
settings and run with them, not?<G>

 

[mac townsend]

Get yourself a good text editor (like TextEdit...google it)

Useful for lots of things. Wanna know what version AI file this one happens
to be (so you can open it in 8 instead of 10 or 11? open it in a text
editor. it'll tell you.

Wanna know what fonts the Word doc file expects? (same answer, variable
results)

Trouble ripping a PDF. Open in text editor. Maybe it's been saved as a PDF
1.5. AND MAYBE it;ll work if you change the version to 1.3 or 1.4 and save
it. If the file doesn;t make specific calls to 1.5 functions, chances are
it'll run. if it doesn't, you're out 30 seconds.

 

[Susan]

I mean the first option
{{{When you go to print and the Accuset is listed in the Publisher "print to
window that you MUST go to Properties>Layout>Advanced>PostScript Options an
when you do you always see it listed as PS level 1 and that you must chang
it to 2

BUT that if you do the same thing from Indy or Corel Draw or whatever, th
level always shows as 2

(i.e. somehow Pub is diddling with the Advanced settings)}}

I can see why you wouldn't use your customer's print styles. I never assume anything from a customer is correct - I've wasted too much film on that lesson. I meant I can set up my own print styles that I know are correct and use them.
Thanks again
Su

 

[mac townsend]

I just tried to duplicate this issue with my installed driver instances and
could not.

Are you using the standard Windows XP install of the Accuset ppd? (printer
control panel>add printer>Agfa>Accuset 1000 etc). Or are you using a
different PPD and installed via the Adobe driver?

(wish I had the guts to quickly slap XP on a machine, but I'm too happy with
W2K to want to risk it...I think<G>)

--
Mac Townsend
Adcom Graphics
Electronic Prepress & Digital Imaging
www.adcomgraphics.com

I mean the first option:
{{{When you go to print and the Accuset is listed in the Publisher "print to"
window that you MUST go to Properties>Layout>Advanced>PostScript Options and
when you do you always see it listed as PS level 1 and that you must change
it to 2?

BUT that if you do the same thing from Indy or Corel Draw or whatever, the
level always shows as 2?

(i.e. somehow Pub is diddling with the Advanced settings)}}}

I can see why you wouldn't use your customer's print styles. I never

assume anything from a customer is correct - I've wasted too much film on
that lesson. I meant I can set up my own print styles that I know are
correct and use them.

 

[Susan]

THANK YOU! I had not set up the Accuset, so I did not know the answer to your question. I decided to make a new printer of my own through add printer, and that one worked. I'll just keep that one as my Publisher Printer

I made the jump to XP because I needed to in order to run needed programs, but so far I have not been as impressed as I had hoped to be. The transition was not as smooth as I had hoped
Oh Well - that's "progress"
Thanks again for your help - It has saved me a lot of time and frustration
Sue

 

[mact]

<< had not set up the Accuset, so >>

?? How did it get setup...someone else? Could you find out how they did it?

I ask because this might prove useful knowledge in resolving similar issues
in the future.

If you can't...well, ....<G>

The new installation ought to work just fine with your other apps.

Please let me know if it doesn't.

FWIW, I tried to put XP on one of my boxes and it wouldn't go...the hardware
was too old, I guess. Now I'm trying to backdate it back to W2K, hopefully
w/o loosing the whole mess on the drive. That goes with the totally failed
install of OSX a couple weeks ago that has left THAT box brain dead. Stuff
Happens!