From: soft-logik@cup.portal.com (Kevin W Davidson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.applications
Subject: Re: PageStream problems
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 92 16:31:53 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

>I have some questions about PageStream 2.2 HL:
>
>1) How can I scale bitmap graphics objects so that they "match" printer
>resolution? In PPage this is achieved very easily, because when scaling of
>a picture is set to 1.0x (both horizontally and vertically), it equals 75
>dpi on the page. So, it is easy to calculate that e.g. when scaling is set
>to 0.25, each pixel of the picture is printed as one dot in a 300 dpi
>laser printer. But how is this achieved in PageStream? When scaled to 25 %
>(or 50, 75, 100...) the pictures do _not_ match laser resolution, but are
>unevenly scaled. Also the aspect ratio of imported bitmaps seems to be
>distorted, so that the pictures are streched vertically, even if the
>scaling is set to 100% both vertically and horizontally.


I've done lots of scanning at 300 dpi and importing the .tif files into
PageStream at 100% and get perfect results in PageStream on a 300 DPI
laser printer. What's different from what you are doing is that the .TIF
format has the dpi number as part of the file, while IFF does not. 

Get out your PageStream manual (2.2) and look on page 3.5 in the section
Working with Graphics. It details how you can specify the dpi size of an
IFF graphic when you import it. Once PageStream knows the dpi, it will be
able to scale it to exact percentages and you should have good results.

>2) Why does PageStream 'modify' by itself x and y coordinates of objects,
>page sizes etc, which have been entered manually to the requesters? This
>can be seen immediately after entering the coordinates, by reselecting
>"change coordinats" item from menus (so there is no question of moving
>an object accidentally; I have also checked that I endeed deleted all
>'hidden' decimals). If I enter e.g. 0.6 cm (or 0.600000 cm, it doesn't
>make any difference), it may be changed to some peculiar decimal monster
>slighthly larger or smaller than 0.6 cm. This 'rounding error' also
>happens when I just change the default measuring system from cm to mm.
>(And millimeter should be _exactly_ 1/10 of centimeter, as far as I
>know!;-)

PageStream uses integer arithmetic for everything. I guess this is the
excuse. Sigh.

>
>What is even worse, PageStream seems also have similar problems with grid
>spacing. If I e.g. choose the 0.5 cm grid spacing (preset), and then
>immediately check it, it has been changed to peculiar decimal number
>smaller than 0.5 cm! But if I enter the 0.5 cm as a custom grid, it is
>not changed. On the contrary, if I try values like 0.4, 0.3, 0.2 or
>0.1 cm, they are again changed to a inaccurate decimal numbers. This has
>the effect that objects are not placed correctly on the page (the error
>is naturally larger the further the object is placed from the top left
>corner). Another problem is that when you check and adjust placement
>and aligning of objects manually, you have to deal with complicated
>decimal numbers which are difficult to figure, remember, and edit,
>instead of neat integers or short decimal values.
>(BTW, this problem I have not noticed in PPage so far)
>
Sigh, also.

>If anyone knows a solution to the problems above, I would be most
>grateful for your answer! I am in middle of making a poster and really
>in trouble... (deadline, you know;-).
>
>3) Then a few less urgent questions...:-)  PageStream seems to understand
>CG-fonts of PPage just by including the right path with font manager, and
>also prints them to non-postscript printers. But how can I use them with
>a postscript laser, so that they are replaced with the respective PS-fonts
>(like is the case in PageStream's own CG-fonts)? In manual there is
>mentioned "a PSF header file", which is needed for 'internal' PS-fonts.
>Is it needed also for PPage fonts, and how can it be created?

If the PostScript font is resident in your printer, then you should be
able to get PageStream to use it through an entry in the fontequivv2 file.
Following is a example of stuff in there. It should handle all the CG fonts
resident in a PostScript printer. Your CG font names may be different. I do
NOT have, use or know anything about Gold Disk fonts.

%PageStreamFontEquivalents 2.0
%
% Font number equivalents & replacements
%
%    FontEquiv;Font#;Font#
%
% Times
FontEquiv;CG(Times);PS(Times)
%
% New Century Schoolbook
FontEquiv;CG(Century Schoolbook);PS(New Century Schoolbook)
%
% Palatino
FontEquiv;CG(CS Palacio);PS(Palatino)
%
% ITC Bookman
FontEquiv;CG(CS ITC Bookman);PS(ITC Bookman)
%
% Helvetica
FontEquiv;CG(Triumvirate);PS(Helvetica)
FontSymbol;CG(Triumvirate);CS
%
% ITC Avant Garde Gothic
FontEquiv;CG(Avant Garde Gothic);PS(ITC Avant Garde Gothic)
%
% Courier
FontEquiv;CG(CSCourier);PS(Courier)
%
% ITC Zapf Chancery
FontEquiv;CG(CS ITC Zapf Chancery);PS(ITC Zapf Chancery)
%
% ITC Zapf Dingbats
FontEquiv;CG(Zapf Dingbats);PS(ITC Zapf Dingbats)
%
% Symbol
FontEquiv;CG(Symbol);PS(Symbol)
%

Basically, you equate the CG(font) to the PS(font). If you DON'T have
the font resident in your printer, you must get a PostScript version
of the font for download to the printer. PageStream will not create
outlines for CompuGraphic fonts for download to the printer.

An older style alternative to using the fontequivv2 file are special
font files with .PSF suffixes. You can buy these on Soft-Logik font
disks or create them with a program called Font Designer (commercial)
which also does all kinds of other neat stuff.

>
>4) I have not been able to get PageStream to recognize type 3 postscript
>fonts (included with PPage), even if I have set the right path. What's
>the problem? It is said in the manual (p. 1.32) that PageStream IS able
>to use type 3 fonts...
>

If you figure out how to make these work, let me know too! ;-) I always
convert type 3 to type 1 with a program on the Mac.

>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Reijo Ronkko     University of Helsinki, Dept. of General Microbiology,
>                   Mannerheimintie 172, 00300 Helsinki, FINLAND
>                   Fax +358-0-4735426     Ronkko@cc.helsinki.fi
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>


Kevin Davidson, Asst. Moderator AmigaZone Vendor Support - PORTAL
               <soft-logik@cup.portal.com>
        SOFT-LOGIK BBS (PCP MOSLO) (314) 894-0057