[Desktop_printing] PPD settings vs IPP options

Craig Bradney cbradney at zip.com.au
Fri Feb 10 05:14:39 PST 2006


On Friday 10 February 2006 13:59, Hin-Tak Leung wrote:
> --- Till Kamppeter <till.kamppeter at gmx.net> wrote:
> <snipped>
>
> > > The biggest problem in the applications is that they don't
> > > produce clean PostScript.
> > > With "clean PostScript" I mean
> > > - printer independent PostScript
> > > - scalable/translatable PostScript
> > > - DSC conforming PostScript
> > > - by default only up to PostScript level 2
> > >   special fonts (e.g. CJK) may require level 3 but even this
> > >   is actually possible (but complicated) with level 1.
> >
> > Hope the switchover to PDF will eliminate this problem or at least make
> > at least bad print data from applications occur less often.
>
> I don't know about the other issues, but there are actually 4-5 PDF specs
> out there (the latest is 1.6?), and there are only 3 PS levels; and either
> with various level of compliance and the CJK font issue is actually
> getting worse with pdf's, compared with postscript.

Apart from CJK, the fact that there are multiple PDF versions doesn't really 
matter apart from a decision from the app writer. A basic app that wants to 
print can print at PDF 1.3 level, one that needs transparency needs 1.4+ 
(without a flattener). If you want PDF layers support, 1.5+. Various level 
support different encryption methods etc. Of course, the various PDF/X-n ISO 
standard PDF formats need to be considered too.

With PS you need a whole number of workarounds for things like transparencies 
and gradients, and many of the newer high end printers handle PDF natively.

Craig



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