Homebrew PCBs

I was wondering if anyone had a better way of "printing" PCB outlines 
for reproduction.

I use Ultiboard as my design, routing program.  It allows saving the 
document to Adobe through Distiller.  When I open the document (in 
Acrobat) and magnify it, however, it looks as if the doc has been 
saved as a somewhat rough bit-mapped file.  If I just print the 
diagram to my laserjet, everything looks great.

For now, I have been fixing up the jaggies in a drawing program.  
Time consuming.

Anyone have a better way -- scanning in hi-res produces too big a 
file btw.

At 05:43 PM 2/26/02 +0000, caveteursus wrote:
>I was wondering if anyone had a better way of "printing" PCB outlines
>for reproduction.
>
>I use Ultiboard as my design, routing program.  It allows saving the
>document to Adobe through Distiller.  When I open the document (in
>Acrobat) and magnify it, however, it looks as if the doc has been
>saved as a somewhat rough bit-mapped file.  If I just print the
>diagram to my laserjet, everything looks great.

PrintGL from Cary Ravitz.  <http://www.concentric.net/~ravitz/>

dwayne


Dwayne Reid   <dwayner@...>
Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd    Edmonton, AB, CANADA
(780) 489-3199 voice          (780) 487-6397 fax

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Maybe you are using incorrect settings for Distiller? IIRC there was
something about resolution (DPI).
KPL

> I was wondering if anyone had a better way of "printing" PCB outlines
> for reproduction.
>
> I use Ultiboard as my design, routing program.  It allows saving the
> document to Adobe through Distiller.  When I open the document (in
> Acrobat) and magnify it, however, it looks as if the doc has been
> saved as a somewhat rough bit-mapped file.  If I just print the
> diagram to my laserjet, everything looks great.
>
> For now, I have been fixing up the jaggies in a drawing program.
> Time consuming.
>
> Anyone have a better way -- scanning in hi-res produces too big a
> file btw.
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

> Maybe you are using incorrect settings for Distiller? IIRC there was
> something about resolution (DPI).
> KPL

Distiller does have a resolution setting, but this may not help you.

Distiller keeps vector objects in the PostScript as vector objects in the
PDF. It has the ability to resample raster objects, so if the underlying
image in the PostScript has more resolution, then you can improve things by
turning off resampling. Turn it off for all image types (under the
Compression Tab in Job Options). I would set Compression to ZIP, so that
you're using lossless compression.

Otherwise, the resolution setting is for PostScript that queries to
determine what raster resolution is being used. I would set it to a number
like 1200 or 2400, and only set it smaller if you're experiencing file
size/display speed issues.

In Acrobat, if you crank up the magnification and you see the pixels getting
bigger, then you're looking at raster objects. If the pixels stay at screen
resolution, then you're looking at vector objects.

Acrobat normally displays at around 75 dpi, so at the maximum zoom setting
of 1600%, you're one screen pixel corresponds to approximately 1200 dpi.

Most newer laser printers are 600 or 1200 dpi.

Dave Hylands

I'm saving the file to Distiller from Ultiboard, not scanning it.  I 
like the suggestion of using an HP G/L translator.  The main thing I 
want to do is save the files so that I can upload them to the web 
for others to use.


--- In Homebrew_PCBs@y..., "Dave Hylands" <dhylands@b...> wrote:
> > Maybe you are using incorrect settings for Distiller? IIRC there 
was
> > something about resolution (DPI).
> > KPL
> 
> Distiller does have a resolution setting, but this may not help 
you.
> 
> Distiller keeps vector objects in the PostScript as vector objects 
in the
> PDF. It has the ability to resample raster objects, so if the 
underlying
> image in the PostScript has more resolution, then you can improve 
things by
> turning off resampling. Turn it off for all image types (under the
> Compression Tab in Job Options). I would set Compression to ZIP, 
so that
> you're using lossless compression.
> 
> Otherwise, the resolution setting is for PostScript that queries to
> determine what raster resolution is being used. I would set it to 
a number
> like 1200 or 2400, and only set it smaller if you're experiencing 
file
> size/display speed issues.
> 
> In Acrobat, if you crank up the magnification and you see the 
pixels getting
> bigger, then you're looking at raster objects. If the pixels stay 
at screen
> resolution, then you're looking at vector objects.
> 
> Acrobat normally displays at around 75 dpi, so at the maximum zoom 
setting
> of 1600%, you're one screen pixel corresponds to approximately 
1200 dpi.

> 
> Most newer laser printers are 600 or 1200 dpi.
> 
> Dave Hylands