Help on printing (pcxview.dll)

[Stemonte]

Hi,
I use pcxview.dll for silent print a lot of documents; All ok; But now I have noted that on a Epson laser printer (old), if I print the document with Acrobat Reader (9) it print immediately and fast; if I print with pcxview, the printer print one page every 3 minutes...; The Acrobat reader spool file is 0,99 mb; the pcxview.dll is 3,4 mb;
After investigate I found that Acrobat print vectors (for lines and chars), instead pcxview rasterize as images. I have set the flag for print vectors, but the result is the same (I print on PDF995 demo for test result); How I can solve this problem? I have a lot of customers with old laser printers....
Another question, how is possible draw pages on printer with vectors and grayscales toghether?
(I use Delphi)
Thanks in advance for help.
Stefano Monterisi
(sorry for english)

[Lzcat - Tracker Supp]

Can you provide sample file which print as image? If all documents prints as images you have missed something in your code and we will need code example.

[Stemonte]

Hi,
thanks for help,
You can use your Delphi example PXCViewDelphi; There is the flag pxvrpf_UseVectorRenderer active but, If I print on Acrobat virtual printer for create a Pdf, I obtain a pdf where texts (and others, I thinks) are converted to image, instead to remain text, etc..
Please try and tell me. My code is identic to your PXCViewdelphi project.
Thanks in advance,
Stefano

[Lzcat - Tracker Supp]

I have tested and cannot reproduce this. Of cource some embedded fonts was printed as curves, but have no mass conversion text/drawings to raster images. This is why I'm asking for a sample file.

[Stemonte]

Hi, Victor,
there was a my mistake on my previus message....
I don't talk about mass conversion ot text/drawing to raster images (this is a very loooong print process with a lot of resources); I use the pxvrpf_UseVectorRenderer flag; I have noted that the problem is, as you tell me, that text was printed as curves and not as fonts. This is the only difference on the result PDF (print spool); The Acrobat one contain always fonts (40 kb); the pcxview one contain curves (1,5 Mb). I think this is the problem for slowness on the Epson printer. How I can obtain fonts and not curves?
Thanks in advance for help!
Stefano

[John - Tracker Supp]

Please do send a file as an example - I dont think we are going to be able to help you without a file to analyse and advise.

Thanks.

[Stemonte]

Hi,
I have send a Pdf example to ivan email address.
Please tell me news..
Any news on PDF/a ?
Thanks,
Stefano Monterisi

[Lzcat - Tracker Supp]

Got your file, thanks. Problem is that file contain text using built-in Type1 fonts, which now we translate to curves. This will be fixed in one of the next builds (build 42 or later, not 41.4 released soon).

[Stemonte]

Hi, Victor,
there is a time for this fix (approssimatevely)?
Instead, for avoid curves, what fonts the Pdf must have for consider text instead curves, in current release? I can substitute fonts in original doc, in the meantime you fix the problem....I have to distribuite my application into next 4-5 day.
Please tell me also on PDF/A status; in Italy now it is mandatory, so we need to convert generic Pdf to PDF/A (but this is the case opposite to the print problem; Infact I think that curves are perfect for PDF/A instead font, or not )
My problem with your libraries now is only this (printer optimization) I am very happy with them (if you solve this performance problem, of course:-)).
Thanks in advance,
Good Job,
Stefano Monterisi

[Lzcat - Tracker Supp]

For now all fonts may be printed as curves if using vector renderer (raster renderer will rasterize everything).

If the font is not embedded within the PDF but it is a system font for substitution we try to print it as text.

If this fails - it will print as curves.

If the font is embedded TrueType we will try to use it for printing. Again if it fails (system cannot install this font as a temporary font) - then it will print as curves.

All other fonts will be printed as curves.

We will add ability to use embedded Type1 fonts for printing, but that availability date is not estimated for now.

About PDF/A - The Viewer and/or PDF-Tools do not support conversion to PDF/A format at this time(and this is not planned for nearest future - task is complex enough).

For now we can only create PDF/A compatible files using Driver - though we do hope to add in the short term to our libraries and then subsequently to the Viewer - but this is still some way off and I cannot approximate a date until its first embedded in our core DLL functions etc.

[Stemonte]

Hi Victor,
thank you....
but i don't understand if "will" mean that the actual release already have the functionality (if yes, it don't works) or if those are features to implement in upcoming release...
Thanks for help,
Stefano Monterisi

[Lzcat - Tracker Supp]

The current release tries to print text which use embedded as TrueType fonts or one of system fonts for substitution as text.

If this faila or the font is embedded and not TrueType - text will be printed as curves.

In a future realease (cannot promise which, but not more than two or three major updates) we will also use embedded Type1 fonts for printing,
if possible.

But anyway if embedded font cannot be used for printing for some reason - text will be printed as curves.


HTH

[Stemonte]

Hi Victor,
I have tested a simple document with embedded Truetype fonts; It convert always to curves, so now it don't works.
Thanks,
Stefano Monterisi

[Lzcat - Tracker Supp]

Are you sure that document use embedded TrueType fonts and you are using latest version of pxcview.dll (old versions always convert text to curves)? If yes - please provide a sample document plus information about operating system and printer.

Also you may check this with end-user version of Viewer - pxcview.dll should work same as Viewer. If not - please check version of pxcview.dll and Viewer and inform us if same versions work in different manner.

[Stemonte]

Hi, Victor,
any news?
I have sent to you a demo pdf....
Thanks in advance,
Stefano

[Lzcat - Tracker Supp]

Hi Stefano.

Got your file and have reproduced problem, but for now have no acceptable solution - some printers use substitute fonts instead of those embedded (and thus we must print text as curves - until we can solve this problem).

Thanks for your patience.

[Stemonte]

Hi Victor,
thanks for help;
I am constrain to rewrite my (already perfect) forms with a report tool that print fast instead of using your pdf-printing solution; This because my customers have a lot of those forms to print (100.000~) that last year have printed very fast.
This year they can decide to change the application with a concurrent solution if I don't provide the same result of last year in term of speedy. So I must rewrite forms with metafiles as backgrounds and a reporting tool;
I hope to use your printing solution when you have solved this problem.
In the minetime I am ready to use the activex in one (more modern) document management application.
Thanks for help,
Regards,
Stefano Monterisi