From: Susan Korgen (skorgen@intersystems.com)
Date: Wed Nov 05 2003 - 09:48:28 PST
After I converted all the GIF illustrations to PNG, printing on the HP 8100
worked.
Thank you!
Susan
At 01:17 PM 11/5/2003 +0300, Nikolai Grigoriev wrote:
>Susan,
>
> > Today for the first time one of my users reported that he could not print
> > one of my PDF files. He was using an HP 8100 printer.
>
>First of all, I would like to remind that PDF files are not printed
>directly: an application must read them and send commands
>down the printer cable. It is therefore important to understand
>which application is used: I presume it is Acrobat.
>
>So, Acrobat is capable of reading the PDF and gives no errors, right?
>For me, it means that the PDF is OK. Whether Acrobat is capable to
>issue the correct HP 8100 instructions is the problem of interaction
>between Acrobat and the printer - to be presented to Adobe or HP, not us.
>
>The real problem with Acrobat printing PDF files to PostScript printers
>is its tendency to generate PostScript itself, avoiding use of GDI
>machinery. In some cases, it produces output that cannot be accepted
>by the printer. The problem can usually be fixed by printing to a
>non-PostScript device (e.g.switching the printer to PCL mode),
>or specifying "Print as Image" option for the printer. Also, different
>versions of Acrobat behave differently in this respect.
>
> > The same files printed fine when I tried them again on the
> > HP LaserJet 4 and HP LaserJet 4M. Is XEP incompatible with the more
> > modern HP 8100? That doesn't make sense!
>
>A more modern printer has a non-Adobe PostScript RIP (HP's own
>production); looks like Adobe software does not interoperate well with it.
>The other two printers are pure PCL devices: it makes a huge difference
>when printing from Acrobat.
>
>If you have a PostScript generator in XEP, I suggest to generate
>PostScript by XEP and send to the printer directly. If there is
>a problem there, we will be glad to examine it.
>
> > ERROR: typecheck
> > OFFENDING COMMAND: filter
> >
> > STACK:
> >
> > /LZWDecode
> > -dictionary-
>
>The fragment of the PostScript code makes me believe that the error
>indeed appears when Acrobat tries to process GIF files. I suggest to convert
>images to PNG and retry. PNG images are packed differently (using
>/FlateDecode filters instead of /LZWDecode): there is hope that LJ 8100
>will treat them in a more friendly way.
>
>Best regards,
>Nikolai Grigoriev
>RenderX
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Susan Korgen" <skorgen@intersystems.com>
>To: <xep-support@renderx.com>
>Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2003 11:42 PM
>Subject: [xep-support] Can't print XEP output PDF files on HP 8100
>
>
> > I have been using the XEP tool for about 6 months.
> >
> > There are about 400 pages of PDF documentation that I have
> > created using XEP from XML source files that we also process
> > with DocBook to create online documentation.
> >
> > All has been quite well until today.
> >
> > Today for the first time one of my users reported that he could not print
> > one of my PDF files. He was using an HP 8100 printer. I normally test
> > on the HP LaserJet 4 and HP LaserJet 4M that are near my desk, and the
> > PDF prints beautifully there. Others have successfully printed this
>output,
> > although not very many different printer models have been tried.
> >
> > In general I have assumed that the XEP tool created valid, printable PDF
> > that I could
> > give to customers without fear, as long as it didn't issue me any errors
> > when I ran it.
> > (And it didn't)
> >
> > However, when I tried to print to this HP 8100 that my user also tried,
> > my PDF file blew up just like his did. I tried 3 of my PDF files from XEP
> > and all of them blew up after about 10-15 pages (approximate depending
> > on the file). The same files printed fine when I tried them again on the
> > HP LaserJet 4 and HP LaserJet 4M. Is XEP incompatible with the more
> > modern HP 8100? That doesn't make sense!
> >
> > After that I took one of my PDF file from XEP, one of those that blew up
> > after 10 pages on the HP 8100, and I printed it to the Acrobat Distiller
> > instead
> > of to a physical printer. The result was a PDF file that looked "grainy"
> > onscreen
> > but that printed beautifully on the HP 8100. This is just an observation,
>and
> > not a workaround for us, because customers need our PDF output to look
>good
> > onscreen as well as when printed.
> >
> > I now have 3 PDF files created by XEP that reliably "blow up" on the HP
>8100.
> > Maybe it is coincidence, but regardless of exactly on which page the files
> > "blow up" it is at a place immediately after the title of a figure that
> > consists
> > of a GIF file, coincidentally the first GIF file that is referenced by the
> > XML document.
> > (I have tested this by deleting some figures from XML, running XEP, and
>then
> > printing the PDF output on the HP 8100 again.) The figure title prints but
>the
> > figure does not and then the following message appears (in each case, 3
> > different
> > files, slightly different numbers for the dimensions but the message
> > template is
> > always the same; here is what it always tells me):
> >
> > ERROR: typecheck
> > OFFENDING COMMAND: filter
> >
> > STACK:
> >
> > /LZWDecode
> > -dictionary-
> > -filestream-
> > -filestream-
> > -mark-
> > /_Filters
> > [0 255 ]
> > /Decode
> > 8
> > /BitsPerComponent
> > [527 0 0 -450 0 450 ]
> > /ImageMatrix
> > 450
> > /Height
> > 527
> > /Width
> > 1
> > /ImageType
> > -mark-
> > -savelevel-
> >
> >
> > The error message appears at the top of a sheet of paper that
> > comes out following the page on which the illustration was supposed
> > to be printed, but wasn't. The last thing on the failure page
> > (the page just before the error message) is the title of the figure.
> >
> > Am I reading too much into this connection to figures? Or does this
> > error message (shown above) have something to do with GIF format?
> >
> > The XEP tool never complains while generating this PDF file,
> > and many printers do work in successfully printing this PDF file.
> >
> > We are basing customer deliveries on this technology, so I need
> > an explanation and a solution ASAP. Thanks very much,
> > Susan
> >
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