Plot Publisher-file on HP DesignJet 800

[Thomas Hansen]

Hi Everybody.

I'm having problems plotting A0 and A1 sized (ISO standard) Publisher files
from within Publisher to a HP DesignJet 800 plotter with a 42 inch roll.

I am printing through a Windows 2003 printserver and the only thing that
happens when I try to plot the publication is that a print job of 134 KB is
generated, the print server says that the document was printed, the
plotter's front panel says 'processing' for about 10 seconds and nothing
else happens.

If I try to print directly to the plotter without going through the print
server (by adding a TCP/IP port to the plotter on the local WinXP machine),
then publisher is indeed rendering the print job and it's final size size
will be anywhere from 300 to 500 MB. Then this print job is sent to the
plotter (feels like forever, but I guess that's normal) and the plotter
begins preparing to print. However, it stops after an inch of printing, so I
can then cancel the job and then I have nothing again.

I have read suggestions that imply that Publisher really can't plot and you
should print the Publisher file to af PDF and the plot the PDF. That works,
but unfortunately some details in the publisher looks bad when converted to
PDF.

There is no problems plotting from AutoCAD, Adobe Acrobat Viewer and even
Microsoft Word.

So I guess that my question really is: Can Publisher be used to plot these
big sized plots? Is it a driver problem, or is Publisher just not made to do
this job?

Anyone got some ideas?

Regards

Thomas

Below is posted the details about the driver I use for the plotter:

ReadMe File for the Hewlett-Packard HP-GL/2 Raster Driver
for Windows 2000, Windows 2003 Server and Windows XP

Product name: HP Designjet HP-GL/2 Raster Driver
for Windows 2000, Windows 2003 Server,
and Windows XP

Version number: 6.11

Languages supported: English, French, Italian, German,
Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Korean,
Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese

Products supported: HP Designjet 500 24" + HP-GL/2 card
HP Designjet 500ps 24" + HP-GL/2 card
HP Designjet 500 42" + HP-GL/2 card
HP Designjet 500ps 42" + HP-GL/2 card
HP Designjet 800 24"
HP Designjet 800ps 24"
HP Designjet 800 42"
HP Designjet 800ps 42"

Installation instructions: see detailed instructions at the end
of this file

Platform requirements: Windows 2000, Windows 2003 Server
or Windows XP

 

[Ed Bennett]

I have read suggestions that imply that Publisher really can't plot and you
should print the Publisher file to af PDF and the plot the PDF. That works,
but unfortunately some details in the publisher looks bad when converted to
PDF.

What sorts of details are those?

Do you have the latest drivers for your plotter?

 

[Thomas Hansen]

The details i lose i the conversion from pub to pdf are for example som
vertical lines in an image that, in the original publication, are placed
very close to each other. These are placed wrong the pdf. Also, some pixels
are greyish in the publication so they blend in with the background, but
they turn op all white in the PDF-file.

I don't know if it is the latest driver for my plotter, but I believe so due
to the fact, that I downloaded it 3 months ago. It is version 6.11

Regards Thomas

 

[Mary Sauer]

This article is old, it addresses older DesignJet's. It could however give you
insight.
PUB2002: Large Banners and Posters Printed in Separate Sections
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/288201/en-us

HP has support documents
http://h41186.www4.hp.com/country/uk/en/support/800.html?pageseq=414771