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Topic: I Cant Print To File in NWC! (Read 3566 times) previous topic - next topic

I Cant Print To File in NWC!

I'm trying to use the hints on NWC Forum for printing a Postscript file in print-to-file. But my computer does not display the check box option for print to file while running NWC.

I am using (at home) Win98, and in MS Word, Excel, etc. I do get the print-to-file checkbox presented to me in the print window. But not with NWC. I have all 4 of the NWC service packs installed, but am stumped why I can't print to a file.

Re: I Cant Print To File in NWC!

Reply #1 –
The trick is to set your "virtual printer" (i.e. the Postscript driver) to "Print to File" rather than use an actual output port. When you then "print" to that device, you'll get the save as... dialog box. In other words, it's done by Windows itself, not by the application running under it.

Start --> Settings --> Printers --> right click on your "virtual printer" e.g. Applewrite, Generic PostScript printer, etc. --> Properties --> Details tab -- "Print to following port:" --> select "File: Creates a file on disk". Done!

Re: I Cant Print To File in NWC!

Reply #2 –
Fred is correct. Also, if you have a "real" PostScript printer that you use for printing, consider making a second "phantom" printer that is set up within Windows as "print to file." Then, to make a PostScript file, simply choose the phantom printer. If you do it often enough, it saves the hassle of checking or unchecking the print-to-file box in the printer control panel.

Re: I Cant Print To File in NWC!

Reply #3 –
Likewise I was trying to follow Fred's published tps, but could not locate the Print to File box.  Many thanks for the explanation above - a bit of searching in this forum usually yields results.

A separate question though - is there any way to modify the size (and I guess that implies resolution) of the output .pdf file?  Using this method they're about 5 times the size of equivalent files which I create using ABC notation.  (For those familiar with this stuff I use a clunky but effective version of abcm2ps to create the PostScript File before converting to .pdf - melody line and lyrics only).

Best Regards,
John

Re: I Cant Print To File in NWC!

Reply #4 –
The print resolution of a Postscript File (intermediary to a PDF file) is determined by the print driver selected at time of "print." Older print drivers might be 300 dpi, most modern ones are 600 dpi. Some allow a selection, particularly the driver that comes with Acrobat (the full product).

Most information in the "printed" Postscript output from NWC is in the form of text-like information, rather than bitmaps. Whether you "print" to Postscript at 300 dpi or dpi ought not to make much difference in the Postscript or PDF file size.

Be aware that Ghostscript, a free program, is often used to convert Postscript files to PDF. Ghostscript does not make files as compact as the ones created by the (expensive) Adobe Acrobat full product. So, if your PDF file is not as small as you would like, it may be due to the conversion software rather than to anything created directly by NWC.

Re: I Cant Print To File in NWC!

Reply #5 –
Back to Print to File... How do you print to file if you do not have access privaledges to create another printer.

Re: I Cant Print To File in NWC!

Reply #6 –
Simply stated, you'd need to get access priviledges, or have someone do it who does have them. (I guess that's a good argument for having a Print-to-File option in the File menu.)

Fred