Printing > Setting PostScript prepress options > Setting imaging and output options |
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Setting imaging and output options
Use the Imaging tab to add printing labels and marks to your document and set options that control how film is printed. To set these options, you use the Labels & Marks and Imaging Options areas of the Imaging tab.
Use the Output Options area of the Imaging tab or the Output Options dialog box to control Output options. You can set options to control printing of hidden layers and to control the printing of complex paths. You can also set options to control how bitmap image data is exported, and how RGB colors are converted.
Output options also let you control whether RGB colors are converted to process colors when color-separating a file. For information on converting colors when exporting the file, see Saving and exporting files overview.
To improve printing performance, you can control the number of blend steps in printing gradient fills, and set a flatness for curved lines.
To set Imaging Options:
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Choose File > Print or click the Print button in the Main toolbar and select a PostScript printer from the Printer pop-up menu. |
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On the Macintosh, select FreeHand from the pop-up menu. |
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In Windows or on the Macintosh, click Setup. |
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In the Print Setup dialog box, click the Imaging tab
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Select any of the following options to print labels and marks outside the boundaries of the document page: |
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Separation Names adds a label with the name of the ink to each plate in a color separation. |
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File Name and Date prints the document file name and date on the output. |
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Crop Marks prints crop marks to indicate where a document should be trimmed after printing. |
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Registration Marks adds marks to indicate where color plates should be aligned to register separated colors. |
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For Imaging Options, choose from the following settings: |
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Select either Emulsion Up or Emulsion Down to control whether the emulsion is on the top or the bottom when looking at the right-reading side of your film. |
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Select either Positive or Negative Image to print the document as a positive or negative image on film. |
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To set output options:
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Do one of the following: |
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Choose File > Print. On the Macintosh, select FreeHand from the pop-up menu. In Windows or on the Macintosh, click Setup. In the Print Setup dialog box, click the Imaging tab. |
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Choose File > Output Options. |
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For Output Options, select Include Invisible Layers to print and export objects on all foreground layers. |
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Select Split Complex Paths to split paths into smaller sections as they are printed and exported, to reduce the likelihood of memory-related PostScript errors. |
Note: To avoid printing problems, deselect this option if a document contains an EPS or bitmap image pasted inside a complex path. |
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Choose an Images option to determine how bitmap image data is sent to the printer or included in an exported file: |
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None prints the exported file from an application capable of reading OPI (Open Pre-Press Interface) comments, for relinking to a higher-resolution image for final output. |
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ASCII encodes image data as ASCII characters that are readable across platforms. This option create a larger file that prints slower than other options. |
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Binary (Cross Platform) encodes images as binary data for either Windows or the Macintosh. |
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On the Macintosh, Binary encodes images as binary data. Files with binary encoded data are smaller and print faster on the Macintosh, but cause PostScript errors when printed from Windows. |
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Select Include OPI Comments to include Open Pre-Press Interface comments that an application will relink to a higher-resolution image for final output. |
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Choose whether to convert RGB colors to process colors: |
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Select Convert RGB to Process to process colors on output when creating an EPS or a composite or if you plan to print a bitmap image file to a printer that does not color-separate RGB images. |
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Deselect Convert RGB to Process to print RGB image colors as RGB colors, and not reliably color-separate documents to CMYK. If you print separations, the RGB image colors convert to CMYK or CMYKOG colors. |
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To specify the number of colors in graduated and radial fills, choose an option or enter a value for Maximum Color Steps. |
Note: If an EPS file generates more than the maximum number of colors in the prepress system's line-work format, enter a number smaller than 256 until the file converts successfully. Adjust values with cautionreducing the number of colors may also reduce the smoothness of color transitions. |
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For Flatness, enter a value to determine the number of straight segments used to define a curved path. A larger number creates a flatter curve; values above 10 may result in visibly flattened curves, especially at low resolutions. |
Note: You can set a flatness value for selected curves in the Object inspector. Flatness values set for selected objects override the value set for the entire document. |
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