The GeoMedia Professional Postscript Funzone
How to generate large-format Postscript files for distilling with Adobe Acrobat ver 5.0
I have found that for some reason, you can't use the Adobe Acrobat Distiller printer driver to print large-format files from within the GeoMedia Professional layout window.
To solve this problem I developed the following workflow. I've tested this workflow on both Windows NT 4.0 6a & Windows 2000 Professional, but there's no reason it shouldn't work on Windows XP.
1. Download a Postscript plotter driver from the HP website (we have used both the HP 5000 PS3 60" and the HP 5500 PS 60" with mostly the same results). I suppose a driver that creates more "vanilla" Postscript would work better, but I haven't found a good driver that will print on sizes as large as the HP plotter drivers.
2. Using the Control Panel -> Printers -> Add New Printer command, create a new printer using the HP DesignJet 5000PS3 plotter driver files you just downloaded and assign the port to FILE.
3. From the GeoMedia Layout window, print to the HP 5000 PS3. You will need to select a paper size using one of the DEFAULT paper sizes (do NOT use a custom postscript paper size, it doesn't work for our application). If you like, you can create additional paper sizes for your printer by using the "Server Properties" selection from the File menu of the Control Panel -> Printers menu.
4. If you are using any True Type fonts in the layout window, then you need to use the "download true type as soft fonts" option from the advanced options tab of the plotter. Even if you aren't using True Type fonts, it shouldn't hurt to choose this option.
5. Don't change any other options and choose "ok" or "print". You do NOT have to check the "print to file" check box.
6. You are prompted to select a path and filename. (Example - d:\test.ps)
7. Open Adobe Acrobat Distiller -> Settings -> Job Options and create a new "Job Options" setting by changing the default paper size. Make sure the distiller paper size matches or is LARGER than the paper size you selected in the GeoMedia layout window. Save the job option with a new name for the paper size you are printing to: 24"x 36" or 42" x 42" for example.
8. In Distiller, select this new job option setting you just created and open the Postscript file to you created earlier. Distiller should process this .ps file without errors.
9. In Adobe Acrobat, you can crop and/or rotate the resulting PDF file to the right size and orientation.
We have used this printing method for a while and it seems to work for us. I'd be interested in hearing from others if they are doing something similar or if they have a different method.
I have found that for some reason, you can't use the Adobe Acrobat Distiller printer driver to print large-format files from within the GeoMedia Professional layout window.
To solve this problem I developed the following workflow. I've tested this workflow on both Windows NT 4.0 6a & Windows 2000 Professional, but there's no reason it shouldn't work on Windows XP.
1. Download a Postscript plotter driver from the HP website (we have used both the HP 5000 PS3 60" and the HP 5500 PS 60" with mostly the same results). I suppose a driver that creates more "vanilla" Postscript would work better, but I haven't found a good driver that will print on sizes as large as the HP plotter drivers.
2. Using the Control Panel -> Printers -> Add New Printer command, create a new printer using the HP DesignJet 5000PS3 plotter driver files you just downloaded and assign the port to FILE.
3. From the GeoMedia Layout window, print to the HP 5000 PS3. You will need to select a paper size using one of the DEFAULT paper sizes (do NOT use a custom postscript paper size, it doesn't work for our application). If you like, you can create additional paper sizes for your printer by using the "Server Properties" selection from the File menu of the Control Panel -> Printers menu.
4. If you are using any True Type fonts in the layout window, then you need to use the "download true type as soft fonts" option from the advanced options tab of the plotter. Even if you aren't using True Type fonts, it shouldn't hurt to choose this option.
5. Don't change any other options and choose "ok" or "print". You do NOT have to check the "print to file" check box.
6. You are prompted to select a path and filename. (Example - d:\test.ps)
7. Open Adobe Acrobat Distiller -> Settings -> Job Options and create a new "Job Options" setting by changing the default paper size. Make sure the distiller paper size matches or is LARGER than the paper size you selected in the GeoMedia layout window. Save the job option with a new name for the paper size you are printing to: 24"x 36" or 42" x 42" for example.
8. In Distiller, select this new job option setting you just created and open the Postscript file to you created earlier. Distiller should process this .ps file without errors.
9. In Adobe Acrobat, you can crop and/or rotate the resulting PDF file to the right size and orientation.
We have used this printing method for a while and it seems to work for us. I'd be interested in hearing from others if they are doing something similar or if they have a different method.
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