== UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The HP 800ps plotter in the Par Lab bike area just off the kitchen currently at the end of the Par Lab Hallway can be accessed via the departmental print server – print.eecs.berkeley.edu – as 'pls562p' from both Windows and unix-ish systems. Instructions on how to add pls562p as a printer to your system are available on the IRIS page on printing.
The plotter currently has 42” wide paper loaded, so you can print documents that are 41” or so wide and some large amount 'long', so try to get documents to use the full width.
Note: For some reason, printing from Adobe Acrobat prints blue using black ink. We don't know why.
Make sure that you have properly added pls562p via System Preferences
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Add content
Go to the File→Print from the menu bar
Click Format for … and set that to be the plotter (pls562p)
paper size: click “Manage Custom sizes”
Click the plus sign to add a new paper size.
Set that size to be 30” wide, and 36” tall.
That's right, 30” _wide_ and 36” _tall_
Set all the margins to 0 inches
Hit “OK” until you get back to the main print dialog box
Unclick “scale to fit paper”
Where it says “Copies & Pages”, change that to be “Image quality”
under this menu, set the print quality to be “Fast”
Do not set it to “Best” and/or “Maximum Detail” unless you want to make everyone wait hours for your poster to print
Others might decide to cancel your poster if it's taking unreasonably long.
Ignore this advice at your own peril
Where it said “Copies & Pages” and now should say “Image Quality”, Select “Finishing”
Leave Scaling alone.
Check the box for “Rotate by 90 degrees”
Press Print
Go to the Par Lab
If the first 6 inches or so do not look “wrong” - wrong orientation, image cut off, press the cancel button and try again.
If the first 6 inches or so look “right”, wait patiently.
Do not cancel other posters just to get ahead in line. Jon _will_ find out.
If other posters are coming out “wrong” or taking inordinately long, then consider finding the owner of the poster currently printing
Open your poster in PowerPoint
Click Design tab and check the size of the slide
Standard templates are 36×30, if you need bigger size, make some adjustment to the following instructions
Click File – Print
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Click ‘Printer Properties ’-Paper/Quality and ‘Custom…’ button in Paper Option area
Enter the dimensions of the paper. Keep in mind the paper is same size or bigger than the poster size. For best results, use +1 inch bigger paper size. Also, maximum paper size cannot go over 42 inches – with maximum printable area of 41.3 inches. Thus, maximum poster width should be 40”.
Print quality should be Normal – Optimized for Drawing/Text
Click on Finishing tab – only if you need to change the orientation. Landscape printing is usually alongside the paper roll. However, posters are usually landscape size, but can fit as portrait orientation in the paper roll. Use this controls ONLY if your poster is bigger than 40” on both dimensions and you must print landscape to achieve the large size.
Before ‘PRINT’ make sure the preview pane shows your poster in correct orientation and all poster is in the borders. If there is a part of the poster clipped, then go to properties again and adjust paper size to make all poster fit in.
PRINT..and you are done.
By trial and error, we found some settings which work well when printing from Windows XP+PowerPoint.
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Go to the File/Print menu and select “Page Setup…”
On the Page Setup popup, set Slides sized for: “Custom”
If the plotter has 42 inch paper loaded and you want an extra-large poster, set Width: 35 inches, Height: 42 inches
Otherwise, set Width: 30 inches, Height: 36 inches
Set Orientation: Slides: “Landscape”
Click OK
Go to the File/Print menu and select “Print…”
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Set Print what: Slides
Set Color/grayscale: Color
Click Properties
Select the Layout tab
Set Orientation: Landscape
Set Pages Per Sheet: 1
Click Advanced
Set the Paper Size: PostScript Custom Page Size
Set Paper Feed Direction: Long Edge First
If the plotter has 42 inch paper loaded and you want an extra-large poster, set Width: 35, Height: 42, Unit: Inch
Otherwise, set Width: 30, Height: 36, Unit: Inch
Set Paper Type: Cut Sheet
Click OK (twice)
Under the Paper/Quality tab, Click Color
Under the Page Layout tab, select Rotate.
You should see an icon of a plotter with a landscape image that has an HP logo on its side. If not, deselect Rotate.
Do not select Enable Scaling.
Click OK to return back to the main Print popup.
On the Print popup, select Preview.
If your preview shows your full poster in Landscape mode and everything appears OK, click “Print…”, otherwise click “Cancel” and ask for help.
(note, instructions were copy and pasted from the page for pls440, the older HP 650c)
If your computer is not running Windows, log into hermes.eecs.berkeley.edu using Microsoft remote desktop (or rdesktop, etc)
Load up your slide in Powerpoint
Go to “File… Print”
Select the “\\print\\pls465” printer
DO NOT click “scale to fit paper”
Click “Properties”
Select “Landscape” under the Layout menu
Under the “Paper/Quality” menu, select Color
Click “Advanced…”
Under “Paper size” select “E size sheet”
Under “Quick poster mode”, select NO
Click OK until you get back to the main Print menu, then click “OK” to print
Go to the Bike Racks and make sure that as the poster comes out.
Use a plain white background and vector-graphics. Don't use images or fancy templates (e.g., the
Poster Template ).
Make sure to select the “fast” option in the Device Options menu (Windows) – otherwise printing may be very slow.
You might also try converting to bitmap locally on your computer – your laptop is likely much faster at rasterizing PostScript than the plotter is.
The HP Designjet 500 and 800 series printers have a fix that has been implemented in firmware version A.02.08 and higher. (Note: We are already at A.03.03) This fix provides additional media profiles that prevent the blue to purple shift in color output. Follow the steps below to make the appropriate changes through the printers front panel menu:
Highlight Paper menu icon on the printer's front panel display and press Enter
Scroll to paper type and press Enter
Scroll to Enhanced colors and press Enter
Select the applicable paper type, and then press Enter
Press the Menu key to return to the normal front panel display
