Notes on Plotting with PageMaker (Macintosh)

Tips on Including Images in Your File

When importing images, use TIFF images. If you use PICT images, you are likely to have problems when it comes time to print the file. (You'll get a very unhelpful error message about "error writing temporary file.")

Note that printing problems can occur if you have transparency in images. (Transparency is also sometimes called an "alpha channel.") Although it often works, sometimes an image with transparency will work fine everywhere *except* when it comes time to print.

Tips on Printing

After you select the Print... menu item, the dialog box that appears allows you to select from several different panels. You can switch between the panels by clicking on the buttons down the right-hand side of the dialog box. There are many options you can set; below are a few of the most important things to set for successful plotting.

  1. In the Print Document panel, the second line on the left-hand side indicates which "PPD:" file you will be using. Make sure this is set to "HP DesignJet 1055CM". If it isn't, click on whatever it is set to, and you'll get a pop-up menu to change the PPD file to HP DesignJet 1055CM. (It should be near the top of the pop-up list).

  2. In the Paper panel, make sure that you select a paper "Size" such that the blue-outline (which indicates what you are printing) is smaller than the piece of paper that you see in the "Fit" window.

  3. In the Options panel, you will get the best results if you set "Send Image Data" to "Optimized", and set "Data Encoding:" to be "Send ACSII image data". The "Send Binary Image data" sometimes works, but other times it results in no output at all (and no error messages).

    4. At the bottom of the Options panel, there is a checkbox labeled "Query printer for font and memory configuration". Make sure that checkbox is *not* checked. It should be off.

  4. In the Features panel, you can set "Print color as Gray", which will cost less to plot, assuming you don't mind your plot being done in shades of gray. You can also set "Print Quality". Higher quality increases both the cost of the plot and the time it takes for the plot to be completed.

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