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Get a quality PDF on a Mac! (#3352)
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go3d  
#1 Posted : Thursday, September 16, 2010 5:49:46 AM(UTC)
go3d

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Joined: 4/14/2010(UTC)
Posts: 60
Hey Mac Users!

I would like to make a few comments about the lousy PDF Mac users get when printing VC/Shark drawings.
I don't have an explanation why they are so poor, or if VC or Preview is to blame.
I have tried using this free piece of software called Skim which is open source alternative to Preview: http://skim-app.sourceforge.net
So I tried:
ViaCAD Print>Save As PostScript
Open up file with Skim and then >Save As PDF.
PDF is now crisp vector artwork, not jagged. :)

I thought I might have found the answer to my PDF problems but I still can't get anything other than A4 from save as PostScript with either Preview or Skim. Anyone else having more joy with PostScript on Mac and with what software?
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NickB  
#2 Posted : Thursday, September 16, 2010 10:00:58 AM(UTC)
NickB

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Jeremy,
Like you I thought that Print to PostScript was also the answer. It is, if your output is 8.5 X 11 or A4. Preview will then open the .ps file and do a really nice conversion to .pdf.

The problem as you point out, is a bug in the PostScript print driver that makes it useless for anything larger than 8.5 X 11 / A4. I am tired of testing beta's, and submitting bugs that never get fixed so I have not participated in this round of betas, but if you or someone else reading this are involved in the current release, please test this and submit a bug report.
Shark FX 9 build 1143
OS X 9.5
3.6 GHz Core i7, 8GB, GTX 760 2GB

matter.cc
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jdi000  
#3 Posted : Thursday, September 16, 2010 12:38:48 PM(UTC)
jdi000

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Did anyone try the export eps fromfile export menu. I get full size eps when I use the export. For some reason the eps exports scales to view. So goto view zoom scale 1. Then do the export. And the eps should be 1:1.

Regards
Jason
Windows 11, 10
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NickB  
#4 Posted : Thursday, September 16, 2010 6:21:45 PM(UTC)
NickB

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Jason,
Just as the pdf quality issue appears to effect Macs more than PC's, the export as EPS is having the same issues of limited page size on my Mac when I try and output a drawing at 11 X 17 landscape.

Could others please test and confirm.
Shark FX 9 build 1143
OS X 9.5
3.6 GHz Core i7, 8GB, GTX 760 2GB

matter.cc
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go3d  
#5 Posted : Thursday, September 16, 2010 7:52:03 PM(UTC)
go3d

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Jason / Nick

Unfortunately export as EPS gives me the same result as Save as PostScript on a Mac with Apple Preview.
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billbedford  
#6 Posted : Friday, September 17, 2010 2:08:54 AM(UTC)
billbedford

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Joined: 2/19/2007(UTC)
Posts: 186
Originally Posted by: go3d Go to Quoted Post
I thought I might have found the answer to my PDF problems but I still can't get anything other than A4 from save as PostScript with either Preview or Skim. Anyone else having more joy with PostScript on Mac and with what software?

Works for me

But then I set up the paper size in Page Setup before I tried printing to PDF
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go3d  
#7 Posted : Friday, September 17, 2010 4:36:57 AM(UTC)
go3d

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Originally Posted by: billbedford Go to Quoted Post
Works for me

But then I set up the paper size in Page Setup before I tried printing to PDF


Bill, I am talking about PostScript not PDF.
How about giving that a try and let us know how you get on with an image bigger than A4.
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billbedford  
#8 Posted : Saturday, September 18, 2010 7:59:28 AM(UTC)
billbedford

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Originally Posted by: go3d Go to Quoted Post
Bill, I am talking about PostScript not PDF.
How about giving that a try and let us know how you get on with an image bigger than A4.


Yep that works too, either by printing from Acrobat or by typing

lp filename

in the terminal. Of course Acrobat converts .ps to pdf but it still works for me.

However I do have a postscript printer and [URL="http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/MacOSX.php"]GutenPrint[/URL] which provides a RIP and postscript PPDs for non postscript printers. If you don't use either of these all you will get printed is a bitmap at screen resolution.
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NickB  
#9 Posted : Saturday, September 18, 2010 12:12:48 PM(UTC)
NickB

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Bill,

I notice that your machine is running 10.4.11. Most Mac users here are on 10.5 or 10.6 The problem that both Jeremy and I are having is with machines running 10.6.

To quote from the front page of the Gutenprint project:
Gutenprint (and its predecessor, Gimp-Print) is available in source code form under the GPL (GNU General Public License). You are entitled to download the source code. Gutenprint on Mac OS X would not be possible without CUPS, the open-source print spooler built-in for Mac OS X starting with version 10.2 (Jaguar).

CUPS, is open source, and built into 10.5 / 10.6 Gutenprint is therefore redundant.

Nick
Shark FX 9 build 1143
OS X 9.5
3.6 GHz Core i7, 8GB, GTX 760 2GB

matter.cc
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billbedford  
#10 Posted : Sunday, September 19, 2010 1:34:47 AM(UTC)
billbedford

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Joined: 2/19/2007(UTC)
Posts: 186
Originally Posted by: NickB Go to Quoted Post

CUPS, is open source, and built into 10.5 / 10.6 Gutenprint is therefore redundant.


If you don't have you own postscript printer you still need GutenPrint on 10.5 and 10.6 because it provides PPDs for non-postscript printers and a virtual RIP.
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go3d  
#11 Posted : Sunday, September 19, 2010 9:54:53 PM(UTC)
go3d

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Originally Posted by: billbedford Go to Quoted Post
If you don't have you own postscript printer you still need GutenPrint on 10.5 and 10.6 because it provides PPDs for non-postscript printers and a virtual RIP.


But as Nick stated on 10.6 it's already installed.
Downloading a copy from their web site probably keeps you up to date with the latest version a bit quicker. A bit like using XQuartz rather than pre-installed X11, I suppose.

More importantly, it does nothing to fix the problem of a crappy ViaCAD PDF generation via Preview, in my experience. Nor has it got anything to offer in fixing the size limitation of Preview PostScript file generation.

You reckon it works for you Bill, but frankly I think that's BS. I think you're more interested in trying to make yourself sound smart.
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billbedford  
#12 Posted : Monday, September 20, 2010 1:34:53 AM(UTC)
billbedford

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Joined: 2/19/2007(UTC)
Posts: 186
Originally Posted by: go3d Go to Quoted Post
But as Nick stated on 10.6 it's already installed.
GutenPrint is an extension of CUPS. CUPS is the standard printing software on OS X, GutenPrint is not.

Quote:
More importantly, it does nothing to fix the problem of a crappy ViaCAD PDF generation via Preview, in my experience. Nor has it got anything to offer in fixing the size limitation of Preview PostScript file generation.

Have you tried it? Do you have a postscript printer connected? Have you tried printing the ps file with lp?
Quote:

You reckon it works for you Bill, but frankly I think that's BS. I think you're more interested in trying to make yourself sound smart.

If you would rather sit and whinge when you have been offered a solution, then it is no skin off my nose.
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go3d  
#13 Posted : Monday, September 20, 2010 7:00:10 AM(UTC)
go3d

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Nice work there Bill. :rolleyes:
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