Printing Grey Scale PDF's

Hello, this is my first post in BE.

 What I am having issues with is printing my documents to A1 greyscale PDF's.  I have modified the pdf.plt file to use only two pens

pen (1)=(0,2,4,6,7,8-54,56-95,97-151,153-252,255)/RGB=(0,0,0)
pen (2)=(1,3,5,54,96,152,254)/RGB=(180,180,180) ;medium grey

But when I print to PDF the file looks great on the computer but when I print it to our laser printer the grey lines print out with little dots.  I have no problem printing from Solid Edge, or AutoCAD

Is there a way to fix this?

What method do you use to create PDF's

 

Thank you,

John Matthews

  • Sounds like a resolution thing.. check the sytem printer windows printer resolution settings is at least 600 dpi..

    check inside the pd.plt what is the resolution set at  here..?

    If still a problem then its the line type settings  in the printer driver does yor printer.plt print the same dgns in grey scale mode to the laser? if it printsd ok then compare the pen settings of the line types..

    Lorys

    Lorys

    Started msnt work 1990 - Retired  Nov 2022 ( oh boy am I old )

    But was long time user V8iss10 (8.11.09.919) dabbler CE  update 16 (10.16.00.80) 

    MicroStation user since 1990 Melbourne Australia.
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  • I realize this is an old thread, sorry for bringing it back up again.  I am actually having the same problem John was having and am wondering if there was ever a resolution to this? 

    I can print a drawing w/ grey color right to a printer using 300 dpi, the color is defined in a pen table, this comes out the best. 

    Printing to PDF using the same printer.plt to a 3rd party PDF writer, using the same pen table, when the PDF is printer to the same printer, the grey lines come out lighter and more "dotted" looking.  The same is when I use the pdf.plt file (which has the same resolution setting, line weight settings, and the same pen table.

     The only way I have gotten a PDF to print out acceptable to the client is if I use the same printer.plt and use the Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro distiller to create the PDF.

    All the above was done using V8 2004.  I had also tried PDF out put out of XM, and was getting results a little better with the grey color, but not much.

     I would think printing to paper and priting from a PDF would /should have the same output, but it seems there is something in the process adjusting the grey color somehow.

     Any direction would be appreciated.

     Thanks,

     

  • Have you tried one of the pdf "plt" files instead of using a 3rd party program to create the pdf ?
  • Yes, it had the same result as the third party driver did.
  • When I print to PDF - I can get almost identical results as when I print directly to a device. We use mm as our units for style and weight records. With that, you can use the same records in PDF.plt as in printer.plt.

    using dots - the default is prone to DPI related issues.


    Charles (Chuck) Rheault
    CADD Manager

    MDOT State Highway Administration

    • MicroStation user since IGDS, InRoads user since TDP.
    • AutoCAD, Land Desktop and Civil 3D, off and on since 1996