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altypeplans
United Kingdom
2 Posts |
 Posted - 20/12/2011 : 11:11:43
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Looking for suggestions for pdf printing software that works with translucent dra files over bmp tiles.
We have tried pdfcreator and cutepdf, both outputed solid colour. |
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mapmaker
470 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2011 : 15:56:19
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I am not aware of any PDF writer that works correctly. PDF is based on PostScript and there seems to be a fundamental flaw in PostScript regarding interpreting translucency in Windows (PostScript not being a native Windows format).
However, there is workaround. If you close Map Maker and then in Windows Explorer find the Map Maker directory - the one containing MMM.exe - and create a file called "compose.txt". This can simply be a copy of any other file, all that matters is the name of the file. Then start Map Maker. Now, when you print (or "print" to a PDF file) Map Maker first prints to a bitmap and then prints that bitmap - rather than printing directly to the printer or the PDF printer driver. This will result in translucent polygons being shown correctly.
The disadvantages with this approach is that it can result (not always) in considerably larger PDF files and that if your computer is short on memory it can slow down the printing and print preview process. With large format images (e.g. A1 or A0) it might fall over unless there is plenty of memory. |
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johnnew
United Kingdom
75 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2012 : 21:39:32
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Thinking laterally could you not export the project from MM as a TIF file (as that is a lossless CMYK graphic format so ideal for print jobs) and then make the pdf from the saved TIF file?
John New - Transport historian/researcher and Stephenson Locomotive Society Publicity Officer. |
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altypeplans
United Kingdom
2 Posts |
Posted - 05/01/2012 : 15:00:37
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| Thank you very much, really helpful, will give both comments a try. |
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Marketal
United Kingdom
24 Posts |
Posted - 03/02/2012 : 16:43:56
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I did this successfully with PrimoPDF.
Cheers
Mark |
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Piers
United Kingdom
2 Posts |
Posted - 15/06/2012 : 11:04:52
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Still a problem that tif seems to print very vivid colours where a dra layer colour overlays a bmp colour, e.g. woodland on the OS map; so again, the colours are not true to what I want. Also still the problem that the tif, as with jpg does not print true to scale, even when then printing to pdf with Primopdf.
Looks as though I will still need to use hatched colours rather than solid colours if I want to print straight to pdf.
Piers |
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Antoine
France
31 Posts |
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pdf printing
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