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Make 12x18" signs at home on 8.5x11" B&W laser printer



 
 
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  #51  
Old January 14th 18, 07:49 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10,rec.photo.digital,alt.comp.freeware
Eco Clean
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Posts: 61
Default Make 12x18" signs at home on 8.5x11" B&W laser printer

- Jonathan N. Little wrote:

LibreOffice's "PowerPoint" is Impress not Draw. If you were making a
graphic then PowerPoint was the wrong too to start with. PowerPoint is
for presentations...multiple "slides". I would try exporting PowerPoint
slide as PDF then import PDF into LibreOffice Draw.


It's hard to say PowerPoint was wrong because PowerPoint was and is
absoloutely *perfect* for making the signs which are almost all text with
graphics around the border) as shown here.
[http://www.fileconvoy.com/dfl.php?id...064faba 60af]

PowerPoint just stinks at printing to four tiles to scale a page by 1.4.

I tried a few methods, all of which failed:
http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00538_Print...le-tiling-.htm
http://posterprinter.sourceforge.net
Installing an old HP Deskjet 6940 printer driver (which does tiling)

Then I found this suggestion to use "rasterbator".
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/print-yo...giant-posters/

I am currently testing Rasterbator which is showing great promise.

1) Download & install "Rasterbator" freeware from https://rasterbator.net
https://rasterbator.net/Download

2. Note that Rasterbator is in metric, where the math is that 1.4 is the
ratio of a US letter 8.5x11" paper to a US sign 12"x18", where the metric
equivalents are US Letter is 216mm x 279mm & US sign is 30.48cm x 45.72cm.

216mm times "X" is 304.8mm, hence, (X) = 1.4

3. Run Rasterbator with a ratio of 1.4 sheets wide
Rasterbator: English newt.bmp US Letter 1.4 sheets wide
Output image size: 30.2 x 45.4cm
paper consumption 2x2=4sheets
Dot size = 1mm

4. This quickly results in a perfectly tiled PDF file of 4 pages that can
be taped together to create a stencil.

Actually, the tiles are a bit too perfectly tiled, in that there is no
overlap, and those ghastly unprintable margins get in the way. Luckily that
magical "1.4" ratio can be tweaked to any number you need it to be, and
there are a few other options I'm playing with at the moment such as the
dot size and whether I tile by width or by length.

It's not a perfectly honed sequence yet, but Rasterbator shows promise
because it *matches* the desired ratio, which is a 1.4 ratio of US letter
to US sign sizes.
  #52  
Old January 14th 18, 10:26 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10,rec.photo.digital,alt.comp.freeware
Eco Clean
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Posts: 61
Default Make 12x18" signs at home on 8.5x11" B&W laser printer

- Eco Clean wrote:

Plan is to spray paint once I tape the life-sized paper templates over
12x18" plastic stock white boards.


I finally solved the problem, at least one method, although I'm sure
there are plenty of ways to solve the problem set of printing on
a home printer, poster-sized output.

Here are the sample files so anyone can reproduce the effort below.
http://www.fileconvoy.com/dfl.php?id...268090b3 2a7f

Here is one free Windows software method I documented so that others
could try it, and perhaps improve upon it, for the use of everyone who
wants to make a perfectly aligned and matched up poster, without any
guessing, that is larger than what their printer can handle.

There is no guessing in this method, and no editing software is needed.
It seems to work only with image files, but I didn't test anything
other than BMP and JPG image files.

This method takes into account the fact that most printers leave 1/4
inch at the edges.

And advantage of this Rasterbator method is that there is no GUI, per se.
And that it seems to input any desired image file format.

Rasterbator is essentially a printer wizard, where you can print to *any*
sized poster as long as you can calculate the ratio of the actual printer
paper size to the desired final poster size.

A) Download & install "Rasterbator" freeware
https://rasterbator.net & https://rasterbator.net/Download
Described at https://www.cnet.com/how-to/print-yo...giant-posters/

B) Note that Rasterbator units are in metric where I need a 1.4 ratio.
a. US Letter is 8.5x11" which is 216mm x 279mm (Rasterbator uses mm)
b. US sign is 12x18" which is 30.48cm x 45.72cm (Rasterbator uses cm)
c. The ratio is 1.411 sized by width or 1.639 sized by height
(practically, it doesn't seem to make a difference which you use)

C) That means if we let Rasterbator tile by width, we use a 1.411 ratio.
(304.8mm divided by 216mm is a ratio of 1.4111)
If we let Rasterbator tile by length, we use a 1.64 ratio.
(457.2mm divided by 279mm is a ratio of 1.639)

D) Start Rasterbator, choose "English", & press "Continue".

(1/5) Select source image "C:\files\newt.bmp" & press "Continue"
[http://www.flileconvoy.com/dfl.php?i...064faba 60af]
(2/5) Select paper size of "US Letter (216x279mm)" & "portrait"
and press "Continue"
(3/5) Define output size either of
1.4 sheets wide (which shows an "Output image size" of 30.2x45.4cm)
or
1.6 sheets high (which shows an "Output image size" of 30.5x45.8cm)
and a "Paper consumption" of 2x2=4 sheets
Press "Continue"
You may need to click "Yes" on a small-dots-take-longer popup warning.
(4/5) Set rasterbation options
[x]Draw cutout line around rasterbated area
Dot size = 1mm (0.1mm works ok also - but the default of 10mm is too big)
Color mode = (o)Multi-color
Press "Continue"
Note: Best results are when you click the color to choose your
text color and then you set the Multi-color option.
(5/5) Save rasterbation as "C:\files\newt.pdf"
Press "Rasterbate"
Note the advice for printing from Adobe Reader:
"When printing the image in Adobe Reader, choose Page scaling: Fit to
paper at the options window that comes up. If you choose horizontal
paper alignment, also make sure Auto-Rotate and Center is selected.
Most printers cannot print to the margins of the paper - these settings
ensure that all the images will be completely printed."
E) Press "Close application"
[x]Open rasticulate file

F) The file will come up in Adobe Reader as a PDF.

G) In Adobe Reader, press "File Print"

H) In the Print options form, press "(o)Fit" & print it.

I) Tape the 4 sheets of paper together & trim to fit the sign round edges.
Notice that there are trim lines by default, which are accurate.

Caveat: The printing is *exact* so there is zero overlap when you trim.
It's not perfect, but it easily extends to any size poster.
  #53  
Old January 14th 18, 10:38 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10,rec.photo.digital,alt.comp.freeware
Eco Clean
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Posts: 61
Default Make 12x18" signs at home on 8.5x11" B&W laser printer

- Mayayana wrote:

It's just an example. The R2880 here defaults to
1440, but it doesn't have to be used that way.
You should have read the rest of what I wrote....


Just for the record, I found a bunch of web pages which said that the HP
Deskjet 6940 printer driver had tiling features, but it didn't work for me.

Here is the procedure if others want to try it.

Open the Control Panel and select Devices and Printers.
Click Add Printer.
Press "The printer that I want isn't listed".
Select a Local printer or a network printer with manual configuration.
Select an existing port, keep it as LPT and press Next.
Select HP, then select the HP Deskjet 6940 model from the list.
Note: if it isn't listed press Windows Update and wait severa minutes, then
it will be added.
Follow the steps to complete the wizard and add the printer.
Right click the 8710, select Pritner Properties and open the ports tab.
take a note of the used port and close this dialog.
Right click the 6940, select Pritner Properties and open the ports tab.
check the same port as used by the 8710 and press OK.
Now try printing, within Printing Preferences select the Finishing tab and
set "Pages per sheet and Posters" as you would like.
  #54  
Old January 14th 18, 10:38 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10,rec.photo.digital,alt.comp.freeware
Eco Clean
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 61
Default Make 12x18" signs at home on 8.5x11" B&W laser printer

- Zaidy036 wrote:

Plan is to spray paint once I tape the life-sized paper templates over
12x18" plastic stock white boards.

maybe this site will help: http://www.blockposters.com/


Thanks. I had run a bunch of searches where this web page gave me the
solution that I will be using going forward.

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/print-yo...giant-posters/
  #55  
Old January 14th 18, 10:38 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10,rec.photo.digital,alt.comp.freeware
Eco Clean
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 61
Default Make 12x18" signs at home on 8.5x11" B&W laser printer

- Jonathan N. Little wrote:

Simple with drawing software. I use CorelDraw where it and do tile
printing and n-ups, but not free. A quick look and what you want can be
done in LibreOffice Draw. The function is Tile printing:

https://help.libreoffice.org/Common/Print_2


Each complex graphic suite has its own set of GUI-based problems, from the
margins that are enforced to the innuendo in the tiling.

I did try LibreOffice for a few hours but gave up on it, in favor of the
rasterbator method.

Had I originally edited the files in LibreOffice, it would have been more
viable most likely - but I edited in PowerPoint, which doesn't seem to have
a tiling feature.

One caveat with tiling that if the results depend on trial and error,
they're not as good as those that depend on the sheer math, which is how
the rasterbator method works.
  #56  
Old January 14th 18, 10:38 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10,rec.photo.digital,alt.comp.freeware
Eco Clean
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 61
Default Make 12x18" signs at home on 8.5x11" B&W laser printer

- Susan Bugher wrote:

Dunno if this ancient program will work in Win10 (web page says it does
work in Win7):

Program: Printmaster Express
Company: Broderbund
Wa (Freeware) LFW (v 2.1)
http://www.topfreeware.net/favprogra....htm#pmexpress

You can create banners with the app and it sounds like that's what you
want to do If memory serves me correctly it's pretty easy to use. .


Thanks for that suggestion, as I know you're a long timer on a.d.f.

I ended up using the rasterbator freeware, but I did try to use other
freeware, such as "posterprinter" freeware, but it failed to install on
Windows so I gave up on that approach.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/posterprinter/files/
https://sourceforge.net/projects/pos...d?source=files
Downloads poster_printer_beta_1_0.exe
  #57  
Old January 14th 18, 10:46 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10,rec.photo.digital,alt.comp.freeware
Eco Clean
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 61
Default Make 12x18" signs at home on 8.5x11" B&W laser printer

- Paul wrote:

Using the usual scroll wheel and control key trick, zoom
out the Calc spreadsheet window, until you can see the 8.5x11
page delimiter lines.


Thanks for the help with Libre Office.
Since I had started with PowerPoint, I ended up using that instead.

1. I set it up in PPT.
2. I save a BMP (or GIF or whatever) file.
3. I use Rasterbator to tile that perfectly mathematically to any size
[http://www.fileconvoy.com/dfl.php?id...68090b3 2a7f]

I did try an older copy of Fineprint printer driver that I had in my
software archives, but my Windows 2K and Win95 Fineprint, at version 3, was
too old and wouldn't install on Windows 10, which is up to version 9.
  #58  
Old January 14th 18, 11:11 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10,rec.photo.digital,alt.comp.freeware
Eco Clean
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 61
Default Make 12x18" signs at home on 8.5x11" B&W laser printer

- Big Al wrote:

If you have a photo editing program of any sort that will crop then just
take your 12x18 photo and:
crop the top left quadrant to 8.5x11 and print.
Then crop the top right to 8.5x11 and print.
etc for the 4 quadrants.
They'll overlap but I think you said you didn't mind and would just tape
them together.

At least if I'm reading what you want to do right!


I got the job done nicely with Rasterbator freeware so now I only have to
make the stencil.
[http://www.fileconvoy.com/dfl.php?id...68090b3 2a7f]

Does anyone know where to get clear plastic sheets that a laser printer can
print directly onto without melting them?

Do they exist?
  #59  
Old January 14th 18, 02:35 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10,rec.photo.digital,alt.comp.freeware
nospam
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Posts: 24,165
Default Make 12x18" signs at home on 8.5x11" B&W laser printer

In article , Eco Clean
wrote:


LibreOffice's "PowerPoint" is Impress not Draw. If you were making a
graphic then PowerPoint was the wrong too to start with. PowerPoint is
for presentations...multiple "slides". I would try exporting PowerPoint
slide as PDF then import PDF into LibreOffice Draw.


It's hard to say PowerPoint was wrong because PowerPoint was and is
absoloutely *perfect* for making the signs which are almost all text with
graphics around the border) as shown here.


powerpoint is anything but perfect for making signs.



PowerPoint just stinks at printing to four tiles to scale a page by 1.4.

I tried a few methods, all of which failed:


that's because you don't know what you're doing and refuse to learn.
  #60  
Old January 14th 18, 02:35 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10,rec.photo.digital,alt.comp.freeware
nospam
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 24,165
Default Make 12x18" signs at home on 8.5x11" B&W laser printer

In article , Eco Clean
wrote:

This method takes into account the fact that most printers leave 1/4
inch at the edges.


not if you tell them not to, they don't.
 




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