STOP PRESS ! - update on line weights

[lecan]

I exported a PowerCadd file into Photoshop to apply some finishes etc and quite by chance I noticed that the same 'Hairline' line output that was created in Powercadd has outputted from Photoshop near as damm perfect ?

Just what is going on here ??

Do I need to export my Powercadd file through Photoshop to achieve the finesse of output I seek.

has this identified the source of the problem ? - How can Photoshop achieve this level of output ?

Help, Help Please, there must be an easier way here.

[raleighross]

[How Goes It]

For as long as I've been using Adobe Illustrator, I've been astounded with the beautiful fine lines and the many gradations of lines, that the program was able to display on my monitors. It handled the line art of DWG's and PowerCADD files superbly.

If the file you're bringing into Photoshop is a vector file that is not being rasterized (as I understand newer versions of Photoshop can handle vectors without converting to bitmap), I would expect the quality of line displayed, to be as good as Illustrator, PowerCADD, or any other vector program, if not better.

If you're exporting out of PowerCADD in some type of bitmap format such as JPEG, my guess is that what you're seeing, is based upon how many DPI you export out of PowerCADD, and what DPI resolution your file is set for in Photoshop.

Illustrator may have some funky controls, that is, Adobe may do somethings odd --- But no matter how lacking their program is in one area, I would certainly say that Adobe has done an amazing job of displaying line art, whether vector or not.

And generally speaking, I would add that the better the display(speaking of line art - not a monitor), the better the print.

[lecan]

[quote="raleighross"]

Photoshop basically "prints" the file into a bitmap. Which is what a printer driver (and interpreter inside some printers) does. Apparently Photoshop has a better driver


OK in my naive interpretation of this, COULD POWERCADD NOT HAVE A BETTER DRIVER ? I don't fully understand bitmaps, vectors, rasterizing and I thought the only driver I was using was the HP printer driver common to both programmes ?

I do think I am a reasonable Designer........ though not looking for feedback on this !

Mac OS 10.4.11
powercadd Intl 7.0.6 with wildtools
printer HP designjet T610

[huc]

[raleighross]

[lecan]

Hi Huc

I for one was there in the old days.

I was using a Mac for CAD (powercadd) before it was really practical to do so. To inkjet print to a large format printer as opposed to using a pens plotter I had to invest in a standalone print driver from an outside Developer to run with a HP designjet 220 which was not cheap. HOWEVER, the print quality back then was far better than what I have been able to achieve at any time since.

Before anyone suggests I go back to that system (and I still have the 220 in storage) I reiterate something happened along the history of Powercadd that caused a loss in print quality and it is nothing to do with my hardware - that did not change.

Now, I still think POWERCADD IS A FABULOUS AND VERY INTUITIVE PIECE OF CAD SOFTWARE- if not a bit pricey- and I will not stop using it BUT if PC could have a better driver (if that indeed is the root of this problem) I for one would have no gripe about having to load it - or even paying for it.

IF Engineered Software are at least sitting back here and thinking- lets look into this we "might" be able to do something here - I would be a happy man.

[pbacot]

Have you tried printing from an earlier version of PowerCADD with your same system?
I've had a 220 myself and my current large format printer's output from PowerCADD is much finer than the 220, no question.


PC 6.2.1
OSX 10.4.11
Canon iPF 610

[huc]

[Rob C]

Once upon a time, Adobe Illustrator printed to (specifically) Postscript printers much better than PowerDraw, and that made me translate from PowerDraw to Illustrator anything I wanted the very best output for back then. In OSX, however, the display is supposedly Postscript based, and non-postscript inkjet printers have gotten so good that that whole issue went away for me.

I'm puzzled because I either don't understand the problem and/or am not seeing it here. Color management, on the other hand, is a different problem; Adobe apps are color managed and work extremely well with color reproduction, while PowerCADD isn't color managed and, while better now in OSX than previously, the results are still inferior to printing from Adobe apps.