Bitmap Filter Specifications

Number of copies

You are allowed to set multiple copies for the current document.

Print to file

When checked, this option will send the printer data to a file. For output devices set to print to a port, this will force the printer data to be sent to a file instead. For devices already set to FILE:, the Print to file checkbox is redundant.

Image size and position

Filters that translate bitmap file formats (such as TIFF, BMP, GIF, and JPEG) generally offer several common options

Stretch to fit page

Turning Stretch to fit page on causes the filter to size the bitmap until either a maximum height or width printable area boundary is reached. For example, if you are printing a square bitmap on a portrait page, the filter will encounter the maximum horizontal printable area limit before it reaches the vertical limit. The filter will stop scaling when it reaches that horizontal limit. In that instance, the vertical dimension will not fill the page.

If Stretch to fit page is off, there are two possibilities for how the bitmap will print: If the bitmap header contains its own resolution information (thereby setting its size in real-world units of measurement), the filter will print the bitmap at that size. For example, if a bitmap is 450 pixels by 300 pixels, and the header specifies that its resolution is 100 dots per inch, it will print 4.5 inches by 3 inches, regardless of the resolution of the output device. (Many bitmap editing applications allow you to set this “internal” resolution.) If the bitmap header does not contain resolution information, the bitmap pixels are mapped directly to the output device pixels. So, using our 450 by 300 example, on a 300 dpi laser printer, the bitmap would print 1.5 inches by 1 inch.  For output devices with non-square pixels (where the dpi of the horizontal dimension doesn’t match the vertical), the bitmap pixels are directly mapped to the dimension of the smaller dpi number and stretched in the other dimension to accommodate the difference. The aspect ratio of the image is maintained on the page.

Note that Stretch to fit page works in both directions – expanding or shrinking the bitmap as needed. If you turn this option off and your bitmap is larger than the page, you will end up with a clipped image.

Center on page

Center on page forces the image to print in the middle of the printable area of your page. If the device’s margins are not equal in the same dimension (for example, if the left margin is larger than the right), the larger margin is used on both sides. With Center on page off, the bitmap is placed in the upper left corner of the page.

Match page orientation to image

When enabled, this option automatically matches the orientation to the selected image. It then displays either a Portrait icon or a Landscape icon. If you prefer to set the orientation yourself, clear the checkbox and set the orientation you desire in the printer driver.

Minimum margin

Minimum margin lets you set a margin around the image that’s larger than the printer’s hardware requires.  The units you enter into this box are in hundredths of an inch or hundredths of a centimeter (as indicated by the setting immediately below the box). So, for example, if you wanted to force a margin of 1 inch to accommodate a three-hole punch, you would set Minimum margin to 100.  This setting affects the size of your output when Stretch to fit page is on, and increases the amount of clipping when you print a too-large bitmap with Stretch to fit page off. Setting a Minimum margin that’s smaller than the printer’s own margins will accomplish nothing – software cannot override hardware limitations.

Enhancement

If you are working with an 8-bit grayscale or 24-bit color image, the SuperQueue bitmap filters can perform automatic adjustments for both Lightness and Contrast. The filter examines each pixel of your image and creates an internal histogram – adding up the pixels that fall into each lightness value. Once this process is complete, the filter can modify the output settings dynamically to adjust for less-than-perfect images.

You can control whether or not the adjustments take place by checking or clearing the boxes next to Enhance lightness and Enhance contrast. The Preserve shadows and Preserve highlights controls work in conjunction with Enhance contrast. The numbers represent the percentage of color values that are close to the extremities (shadows and highlights) that the filter will preserve in your output. Decreasing either of these numbers increases the contrast of your output by allowing more output range to the mid-level input values and less to the extremities. Decreasing Preserve shadows causes more dark pixels to become black; decreasing Preserve highlights causes more light pixels to merge with white.


If this option is on, the filter stretches (or shrinks) the bitmap until it reaches either a maximum height or width with respect to the printable area of the device. If off, bitmaps use header resolution information, if it is available.


If this option is on, the image is centered within the printable area of the paper. If off, the image prints in the upper left hand corner of the page.


Lets you set a margin around your image larger than the printer hardware requires. This setting affects output size with respect to Stretch to fit page.


Choose inches or centimeters as appropriate.


When this option is on, the orientation of the page is automatically set to the orientation of the image. If you prefer to set the orientation yourself, clear the checkbox, click the Properties button and set the orientation you desire in the printer driver.


If checked, the Properties dialog for this filter will always be presented when you add a document.


If checked, this dialog will no longer be presented when you add a document using the current filter.


Closes dialog and saves any changes made


Closes the dialog without saving any changes made.


Cancels the adding of the document to the queue.


Returns settings to the defaults.


Click the [image] at the top of the dialog and then click the item that you want information about.


Click the Properties button as needed to set printer properties for this print job.


Click this if you want to send the printer data to a file.


Set multiple copies for the current document.


When checked, provides automatic lightness enhancement for 8-bit grayscale and 24-bit color images.


When checked, provides automatic contrast enhancement for 8-bit grayscale and 24-bit color images. The effect can be customized with Preserve shadows and Preserve highlights.


Choose the percentage of shadows that you want to preserve. Available only when Enhance contrast is enabled.


Choose the percentage of highlights that you want to preserve. Available only when Enhance contrast is enabled.


Click the [image] at the top of the dialog and then click the item that you want information about.