HP DesignJet 1050 prints too short

Helge Blischke h.blischke at srz.de
Mon Sep 11 07:05:05 PDT 2006


Noam wrote:
> Oh boy... I think I saw some PERL script months ago...
> 

Thanks for the sample files.

Well, I think there is a design flaw in the pdftops filter your CUPS installation uses.
I'll try to give a short explanation:

(1) the PDF defines the root of the pages tree as follows:
	4 0 obj
	<< /Type /Pages
	   /Resources 21 0 R
	   /MediaBox [ 0 0 595 842 ]
	   /Kids [ 1 0 R
	           ]
	   /Count 1
	>>
	endobj
      The media box entry in this object defines as the default
      media size an A4 portrait page.

(2)  The (only) real page (pointed to by the Kids array above defines the page as follows
	1 0 obj
	<< /Type /Page
	   /Parent 4 0 R
	   /Resources 21 0 R
	   /MediaBox [ 0 0 3370 2384 ]
	   /Trans << /D 0.8
	             /S /Dissolve
	   >>
	   /Group << /S /Transparency /CS /DeviceRGB /I true >>
	   /Contents 2 0 R
	>>
	endobj
      which is a (nearly) A0 landscape page.

Obviously this combination is not handled properly by the pdftops filter - the latest
original one I have at hand (from 1.1.19) spits out an A4 portrait page and rotates and
scales the page down to that A4, but I think there have been some changes made up to your
CUPS version.

OTOH, if you use the "alternate pdftops filter" (the Perl script) as described on the cups.org
links section, the resulting PS job IS a (nearly) A0 landscape page and gets printed properly.
Rendering *this* page with Ghostscript shows the very same image as Adobe Reader with the
original PDF.

Despite of Michael Sweet complaining repeatedly on this, I'd suggest to set up the pdftops
filter as described under "alternate pdftops filter".

Helge




-- 
Helge Blischke
Softwareentwicklung
SRZ Berlin | Firmengruppe besscom




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