[Scribus] Setting linescreen when printing pdf file

Louis Desjardins louisdesjardins
Mon Jul 19 00:49:52 CEST 2004


? (At) 11h57 -1000 18/07/04, Wayne Maeda ?crivait (wrote) :

Hi Wayne,

Using Illustrator 10+ you should be able to open the PDF without any 
problem. Then, with the proper PPD (some are included with the 
program) you will be able to set the linescreen you need in the print 
dialog. I haven't done it before since we do have a different 
workflow but I see no reason why it shouldn't work.

I don't know if Corel can import a PDF but if the program has a print 
engine sophisticated enough to handle linescreen options, you could 
give it a try also.

Please note linescreen will affect any element on your page that has 
not a 100% color value. No matter if it is an image or a text. If you 
have a title that is set to color>black and is greyed at, say, 50%, 
this particular title will be screened. At linescreen of 75 lpi, I 
surely wouldn't recommend greying body text. Bold titles, no problem. 
Drop cap, as well. Any tiny detail containing a thin line such as 
12-point type (or below), especially with a serif font, will be 
really affected by a low linescreen. Also, if you are sure your type 
is set to 100% black and it still doesn't come out "crisp", then it's 
because of the color space not being set to CMYK. It means your Black 
is not made of Black only. An RGB black will be transposed in CMYK as 
maybe 93% value of Black PLUS a mix of Cyan, Magenta and Yellow. When 
you print only the black plate, it will give you this 93% black (this 
value is just an example) and will be screened at that value. At 75 
lpi, it will be noticeable. At higher linescreen, it is still 
noticeable but since the dots are smaller and more numerous, it takes 
a good eye. Anyway, if you need further explanation, don't hesitate 
to write.

Also, there is no need to determine the linescreen at PDF creation if 
you are going to print that file through Illustrator. The linescreen 
will be set in Illustrator, in the printing process. Newspapers that 
ask for PDF for their ads don't want their customers to deal with 
linescreen. This occurs at the very end of the prepress process.

PDF is widely used in prepress and maybe you can discuss that with 
your printer.

HTH

Best regards,

Louis

>Is it possible to print out a pdf document (with text and graphics) in Windows
>so that the graphics print out at 75 lpi while the text remains crisp and
>dark black? I was under the assumption that it could be done. Most of the
>newspapers that I deal with request their ads to be in pdf format. They must
>be printing them out at a certain linescreen somehow someway.
>
>Unfortunately, the printer that I'm dealing with currently, does not take pdf
>files. They want it camera ready. Which means I have to take it to another
>place to have it printed out at the specified linescreen. Except that this
>other place does not have the software that sets the linescreen. End result:
>I have this pdf document with no way to print it out properly. Hmm.
>
>My solution: recreate the entire document in Corel Draw; I know the printer
>has Corel installed on its computer. It's tough doing it this way but I know
>it will work since I've done it before.
>
>Thanks,
>Wayne





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