TABLE OF CONTENTS
General
On selecting the 'Print...' button from the program you access the configuration window for the ripping and printing options. Following are described the three processing options, and other options in this window tab.
Process and Send simultaneously
This means that at the same time that the file is being processed, the information that has already been processed is being sent to the printer. This method is the one that makes the printing start faster, because the moment some data has been processed, this is already sent. The problem with this system is that, if the computer is not fast enough or the file to be processed is excessively complex, what can happen is that the printer stops while waiting for new information and, depending on the materials, small bands can appear in the print as a consequence of the ink drying.
Process and Send simultaneously
This means that at the same time that the file is being processed, the information that has already been processed is being sent to the printer. This method is the one that makes the printing start faster, because the moment some data has been processed, this is already sent. The problem with this system is that, if the computer is not fast enough or the file to be processed is excessively complex, what can happen is that the printer stops while waiting for new information and, depending on the materials, small bands can appear in the print as a consequence of the ink drying.
Process only
In this case, the program will only process the file-generating print directories, to be sent later to the device.
The advantage of generating a printing file is that several copies of the same job can be made without the need for additional processing. In the case of the print occupying more than one page, a printing file is generated for each one of them, adding a number to the original name.
Normally, the printer files usually have the extension .pro or .plt. Thus, for example, from a file named mar.tif, a printing file mar.prn can degenerate, or in the case of occupying more than one page, we would produce files like mar_1.prn, mar_2.prn, …
Notice that a printing file may need a lot of space on the hard disk, and therefore we will have to check the available space in the unit. As a reference, printing an image of DIN AO size in a printer of 360 dpi generates a printing file of some 90 Mb. Later, you can send this file directly to the device with hardly any use of the computer's spare memory. For that, use the program's Job queue.
- The 'Start job queue if it's stopped' option makes the job queue start up and immediately begin processing or sending jobs.
- The option 'Keep the job after processed' temporarily saves the processed work, in case you have to re-send the same work again for other copies. Once the job has been erased or the job queue finishes, the work already processed will disappear.
- For printers that supply status information, the 'Check printer status before sending option', allows the program to wait for the printer to be ready to receive information, and the program notifies if there is any problem with the printer. Only some specific connection types and printers supply the printer status information, and this is generally the case with printers connected through network wiring (TCP/IP).
- The 'Print selected objects only separately option', will only print the selected designs at that specific moment, ignoring those which are not.
RIP & Print with Print Server
Selecting the option 'Send to Print Server' will send to print job to the Print Server to print. If the printing queue should not be actively opened, click on the button 'Start Print Server...' and the queue opens. The destination schemes available can be selected and the output path. The job action to activate to job queue when sending the job to the Print Server and send as XJB are available optional options and even export the XJB from this dialog.
Pages and Copies
Next options for pages and copies are offered in the second tab of the RIP window.
When one file is bigger in size than the defined page, the program generates the pagination automatically, that is to say, it divides the design into as many pages as it needs to print it. In the Pages field, you can set if you want all the pages printed at once or just select a few. Notice that letters A, B, C, etc. correspond to the columns and 1, 2, 3, etc. to the lines. So, page A1 would correspond to the bottom left page.
In the box Number of copies, one can specify the number of times that the same work will be automatically repeated, without having to establish the copies manually. The option Pause between copies generates a pause of a few seconds before sending the following copies. With certain printers, if when sending several copies the printer loses data or a transmission error appears, this can be avoided by establishing this value in a few seconds (for instance 5).
Statistics
The option is needed when you want the printout information of a particular design to be seen when it is printed. In 'User Text' you will be able to write any text you wish for every single print job that should be printed. The position of the statistics can be selected. The distance between the image and text can be added in the field 'Distance' next to the button. The contents can be edited in a new dialog when clicking on 'Setup...'.
Print and Cut
The last tab of the printing options window corresponds to the printing options for those printers that allow simultaneous printing and cutting.
Although it is more common to do the printing first and the cutting straight after, we may also be interested in doing it in two separate stages. Thus, for example, if we have to laminate a design first, it will do the printing first, and then, once laminated, we will reintroduce the laminated print into the plotter in order to cut out the outline.
The options for activating or deactivating printing and cutting are found in the above window. If the cutting option is activated, we can adjust the settings of the plotter in cutting modes such as speed, pressure, and acceleration (these last two if the plotter allows it).
The two options Printing and cut size adjustment, allow correcting little deviations between what is printed and what is cropped, generally caused by the printer. Here it is possible to make such correction adjustments.
All the cropping paths created can be exported to be cropped with the CiberCut software, special for vinyl cutting. Clicking on the button Export Paths, the file selection window will be shown and it will allow you to enter a file noun and select where to save it. The generated file has the extension "ct5" and it is only valid to be loaded in the program CiberCut. It contains the cropping path of the design and the exact position so that when cropping it will match the printed image if register marks are used (OPOS).
Related articles:
Print Server as default neoStampa printing queue
Configurations for Contour Cutting
neoStampa's Printing Job Queue