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epson 2200 pixeled text problem

Brandhaus

Brandhaus

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 9, 2003
370
9
I just spent a whole lotta cash on the epson 2200. When I print text from indesign and other adobe programs, the text is pixelated. Printing from word is fine, its just the adobe products. Anyone with similar experiences?

I hate to think I just wasted all this money on a crappy printer.

thanks!
 
Bad script

I believe that´s a PostSript issue. When printing from apps like InDesign and Illustrator non-PostScript printers, like most inkjets are, will have problems interpreting the outlines of vector/object graphics, including fonts. Try exporting to pdf and print from Preview.

Another solution might be a software RIP that translates the PostScript code for the printer. It takes forever, though.
 
Your pixelated problem prolly in'nt the printer at all:

An inkjet (any inkjet) does not raster-image-process (RIP) the image like a Postscript laser printer does. Inkjets just print whatever the Mac streams to it. Therefore, all high-res font rendition must be done in the program or in the print driver before its sent out the cable.

You dont say what the OS you are using is, the machine, or the particular fonts that are pixelated, so it's hard to say specifically what the solution is to your problem.

At a guess Word is working because you are using TrueType fonts in Word, which the OS renders into high res automatically, and the Adobe programs are not because you are using Postscript fonts in them and there is some issue.
Likely your font installation is not correct, such as you have screen versions of Postscript fonts with no Postscript downloadable fonts in the same folder.
And/or the Epson print driver or the Adobe software is not properly installed.

Open a document, choose one of your troublesome fonts (a font other than the ones that came with the Mac and with Office), then set the font to an oddball size, like 43. Zoom in. Does it look pixelated on screen? If so, the font is not scaling/rendering in high res and it's your font installation that's h00ped.

They'll look OK at 72 dpi screen resolution in 10 12 and 14 point because the screen font usually covers those sizes. But on paper 72 dpi is noticeably blocky.

Fix your fonts and fix your software first before concluding the printer is no good.

Thanks
Trevor
CanadaRAM

G4 1.25DP and Epson 2200
 
Thanks for the help.

I am printing from my powerbook g4 with the latest version of OSX. The thing that is confusing me, is that even when i create outlines in illustrator, it still prints pixelated. I will try to print from a pdf tomorrow at work. It is a big possibilty that I have some font issues. I was printing with helvetica bold and also tried some others like times. It pixelated all of them. I will try your suggestions tomorrow.

Thanks!

Don
 
well it seems to print fine from a PDF. I really have no idea how postscript font stuff works. Do i have to get a rip server program?

I wish i figure this out!
 
lazyboy922 said:
well it seems to print fine from a PDF. I really have no idea how postscript font stuff works. Do i have to get a rip server program?

I wish i figure this out!
Click to expand...

The reason it prints fine from Preview is probably because the OS takes care of the output resolution of the vector graphics and fonts. Like it does with Word files, as CanadaRam explained.

I don´t think you have a font problem. Draw a circle or curved object in Illustrator and you should see the same pixel steps on that as you see on type. It´s simply a data interpretation issue between most graphics suites and inkjets.

A software RIP might be a good idea, unfortunately I can´t give you any good advice on which to choose as I don´t have any experience with any current products.
 
More choice

That might be a good choice as it´s for your specific printer model. Mind you, it states:

Printing from complex PostScript-based drawing and publishing applications like Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand, Adobe PageMaker, QuarkXPress, and CorelDRAW
Click to expand...

InDesign is not mentioned, but if it works with Quark and Illustrator I´d expect it to work just fine with ID as well. Still, it might be worth checking up on before forking out more dosh to Epson, after all it is rather expensive. Also, what if you decide to get a new printer in a couple of years, will this software support it? I´d look at all options. Search magazine websites for reviews and tests.
 
would this fix my pixelated text? is that what these programs are for?
 
Belly-laughs said:
You could check these out:

• PowerRIP X from iProof Systems
• StyleScript from Infowave
Click to expand...
Welcome to 1997. Infowave sold out to Strydent some years ago. Strydent is now part of Software Imaging, Inc. StyleScript is no longer in the product line, though it is still supported. PowerScript is still available. However, both support no MacOS more recent than MacOS 9.2.2. StyleScript is not necessary in MacOS X because Apple's lastest OS has CUPS built-in. If your printer is not supported by a bundled print driver, then check the vendor's website. If there is no MacOS X driver there, then check the GIMP-print web site.
 
Well i am using the latest gimp driver v4.25, and I have still having issues
 
Are you talking about printing an Illustrator drawing and text from *within Illustrator*, or saving the illustrator drawing as an EPS and placing it within a Quark or Indesign document?

Printing from within the original program, any native elements should print fine, because they are being rendered by the app.

Problems come in when you export as an EPS (encapsulated Postscript) and place that in another document. Now the EPS is not native and it's Postscript code is not being rendered by the app. To print this, it has to go through a Postscript interpreter, either Acrobat or another PDF conversion, or a software RIP, or a hardware RIP in a laser printer.

Try exporting your art as a TIFF or JPG - this forces it to be rendered into a raster format. How does it print now when you place it in another document?
Disadvantage to this is that you are limiting the resolution to what you exported it as.

Thanks
Trevor
CanadaRAM.com
 
lazyboy922 said:
Well i am using the latest gimp driver v4.25, and I have still having issues
Click to expand...
GIMP-print 4.2.5 is not the latest version and has not been for quite some time. Since July 14, 2004, the official release has been 4.2.7.
 
I am having trouble updating to 4.2.7. when i try to add the printer, gimp 4.2.5 is the only driver that shows up. Do i need to uninstall 4.2.5 somehow?

Also, the text is pixelating in all programs, and I am not printing an eps.
 
lazyboy922 said:
I am having trouble updating to 4.2.7. when i try to add the printer, gimp 4.2.5 is the only driver that shows up. Do i need to uninstall 4.2.5 somehow?

Also, the text is pixelating in all programs, and I am not printing an eps.
Click to expand...
There is an uninstaller right there on your distribution disk image if you want to use it. My guess is that if you are printing even pixelated files, then your problem is not the lack of a print driver or the version of GIMP-print that you are using. I cannot even fathom a cause for pixelated text. Pixelated graphics maybe, but not pixelated text. My guess is that you screwed-up something somewhere. Your best bet is to recall what you did immediately before this problem cropped up and then undo it.
 
the 2200 should print fine. we have one here in our labs running on the latest version of osx. all text and images print fine from illustrator, indesign, etc... i would recommend that you try reinstalling stuff or try printing from the ox print menus vs using adobe's print menus.
 
THis problem happend right away out of the box. I just installed the software and printed and thats it. It even prints the text pixelated when i create outlines around it in illustrator.

I returend a canon i9900 right before this one because it was doing the same exact thing.
 
it is also printing the same pixelization out of illustrator with simple art like the pen tool, so i am gussing it is not a font issue.
 
are you specifying the printer in the printer box? select the printer option in the adobe print window to verify that the correct printer is set for the application.

also, what versions of adobe products are you using?

Have you altered any of the default print settings in any of the adobe applications?
 
Yes I am specifying the printer in the box. I am using all the highest settings as well. I am printing out of CS, but have also tried illustrator 10 and indesign 2.0

This is really frustrating me! I know this is a great printer, and I have used a 2200 before, which is why i dont know why im having these problems.
 
Yep did that too. maybe i am just being super pickey, but I would think for a $700 printer, it would print better. I also think that this becasue when i print from a pdf, it looks great and not pixelated, its only when printing right from the program like illustrator or indesign.
 
Plus its printing from microsoft word perfectly, so I know that it can print better than what it is doing.
 
lazyboy922 said:
Plus its printing from microsoft word perfectly, so I know that it can print better than what it is doing.
Click to expand...

So this leads me to think that it is something to do with the instillation of CS and not the printer or driver. Have you tried reinstalling CS?
 
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