Our OCAD maps printed on an inkjet look fine but when we use the club's laser printer, the colours are much darker and lines seem to be thicker ( line thickness might just be an illusion?).
To get a decent print quality, we need to use a global correction for colour intensity and line thickness, 10-15% reduction in each case.
I'm thinking there's probably something wrong with the printer.This problem has been going on for some time, but unfortunately nobody seems sure when it started.
Any ideas/comments?
Thanks
Richard
laser printer problem
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Re: laser printer problem
What paper are you using?
- Rosine
- red
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Re: laser printer problem
There are so many settings you can tweak on most printers that will affect the final print.
Paper thickness and type, is it waterproof, smooth, rough etc. as this affects how much toner/ink is applied.
Many have settings for colour density/contrast/vibrance to suit photos, graphics, documents,artwork etc.
In OCAD you also need to change the colour composition (% of CMYK) for every colour to suit each and every printer you have and make sure that you always use the same settings from the above list.
From experience this is a long and painful process. You need to have a reference map printed professionally from a major event so you can compare each individual colour between the two then tweak the % a bit, print again, repeat, repeat, repeat...
Easiest option is to get them printed professionally.
Paper thickness and type, is it waterproof, smooth, rough etc. as this affects how much toner/ink is applied.
Many have settings for colour density/contrast/vibrance to suit photos, graphics, documents,artwork etc.
In OCAD you also need to change the colour composition (% of CMYK) for every colour to suit each and every printer you have and make sure that you always use the same settings from the above list.
From experience this is a long and painful process. You need to have a reference map printed professionally from a major event so you can compare each individual colour between the two then tweak the % a bit, print again, repeat, repeat, repeat...
Easiest option is to get them printed professionally.
- Paul Frost
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Re: laser printer problem
Thanks very much Paul, very useful.
Rosine: I'm trying to find out from the chap who actually does the printing.
Rosine: I'm trying to find out from the chap who actually does the printing.
- RichardE
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Re: laser printer problem
The biggest problem I find is the ink cracking off the paper especially for urban races where there are often many more controls and map folds. At times it has made later control sites unreadable, but as long as the control is correctly placed navigating to the centre of the circle usually works. This has not been a one off problem but the worst I have found is when the map is put out under the box or bag ready and dragging it out from underneath leaves multiple scratches on the print side. I prefer to be able to pick one map out of a box if possible.
- canol
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Re: laser printer problem
Rosine wrote:What paper are you using?
Waterproof of course but unbranded, supplied by another O-map printer, I'll try totrack it down.
Richard
- RichardE
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Re: laser printer problem
The paper is Pretex. I don't think that's the issue, I'm sure it's the sort of thing Paul described.
- RichardE
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Re: laser printer problem
Paul Frost wrote:You need to have a reference map printed professionally ...
It would be good if the Map Group (if it still exists?) had some reference samples professionally printed, and made them available for anyone to request from BOF.
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