[comp.sys.mac.misc] Color/Grayscale Print, Does it work?

pablo@b11.ingr.com (Pablo Fernicola) (07/25/90)

We are using system 6.0.5, with the LaserWriter driver 6.0.1 and printing
to a LaserWriter Plus.  When we sent color PICTs to the printer, with the
Color/Grayscale option set, the printout is in black and white, no grayscale.

Is anybody out there having the same problem?  What's the deal?

We tried printing from several applications (ResEdit, Word, PictViewer).  Is
this feature application dependent?

And yes, 32-bit Color Quickdraw was installed and we tried from an SE and aSE30.


Thanks!

Pablo
-- 
	Pablo F. Fernicola		|	b11!pablo!pff@ingr.com
Ferni~Cola - the real thing		|
			The statements above reflect only
		my personal opinions, and for a limited time.		

meuchen@grad2.cis.upenn.edu (Paul Eric Menchen) (07/29/90)

In article <8372@b11.ingr.com> pablo@b11.UUCP (Pablo Fernicola) writes:
>
>We are using system 6.0.5, with the LaserWriter driver 6.0.1 and printing
>to a LaserWriter Plus.  When we sent color PICTs to the printer, with the
>Color/Grayscale option set, the printout is in black and white, no grayscale.
>
>Is anybody out there having the same problem?  What's the deal?
>
>We tried printing from several applications (ResEdit, Word, PictViewer).  Is
>this feature application dependent?
...
A LaserWriter is still black and white. There is no way to change
this except get a new printer. B/W refers to any printer that has just
black print capability, including the laserwriters that render greys
by halftoning. You will never get continuous tone greys out of the
LaserWriter series.

Color/Grey is used for color printers and continuous tone greyscale
printers. The difference is that halftone processing is not done on
the Mac, but instead allowed to pass to the printer. With B/W checked,
the Mac does simple halftone preprocessing of solid regions. Bitmap
images are still halftoned in the PostScript engine, which is why
printing bitmaps takes longer than you would think it should.

You should only check the Color/Grey option if you have a color
printer or a printer capable of continous tone printing. Currently,
the only printers capable of continuous tone greyscale printing that I
know of are Dupont's 4cast, one by Mitsubishi, and two by Kodak. The
Kodak ones can only be printed to from Adobe PhotoShop via a plug-in
module, so the LaserWriter driver is not a concern. Kodak is writing
their own chooser driver and PostScript RIP which should be out at the
end of the year.

If any PostScript gurus (Amanda, Woody?) want to correct me, or if
anyone knows of other continuous tone printers, please e-mail or post.

Paul Eric Menchen
menchen@grad1.cis.upenn.edu

kehr@felix.UUCP (Shirley Kehr) (08/09/90)

"You should only check the Color/Grey option if you have a color
"printer or a printer capable of continous tone printing. Currently,
"the only printers capable of continuous tone greyscale printing that I
"know of are Dupont's 4cast, one by Mitsubishi, and two by Kodak. The
"Kodak ones can only be printed to from Adobe PhotoShop via a plug-in
"module, so the LaserWriter driver is not a concern. Kodak is writing
"their own chooser driver and PostScript RIP which should be out at the
"end of the year.
"
"If any PostScript gurus (Amanda, Woody?) want to correct me, or if
"anyone knows of other continuous tone printers, please e-mail or post.

Well I'm not a PostScript guru; I just print photos using the color/gray
option on an ordinary 300 dpi QMS laser printer. The difference between
black/white and color/gray options is close to the difference between a
monochrome and grayscale monitor. I can now print photos from Word 
instead of having to use PageMaker.

Shirley Kehr