Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with printing

How do I guttenberg my digital?

history is a weapon — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:00:08 -0800

[video/printing filter]I want to take video from Final Cut Pro, export them, and then print them on a grid on paper. I know how to do the first part, but am confused about the printing. How do I do it? So I can export an image sequence from Final Cut Pro and get a sequentially numbered set of image files in a folder. How do I take said folder and print them so the pictures are at full resolution (640x480), but not just a single picture per page, but as many of them as can fit (with maybe a small border) on a piece of paper and have the slides be sequential? I have use of an epson stylus photo 1400 if this is helpful to the answer. I basically want to print up 1,440 frames on less than 1,440 pieces of paper.

Gallery-quality prints from slides.

Sreiny — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:13:07 -0800

What are my options for gallery-quality prints from slide film? I've had an inquiry in showing some of my photographs in a small gallery here in the city. All of the photos were shot with slide film. In the past I've scanned, had printed and framed these on a purely consumer level. I'd like to look into what processes (printing methods, scanning, etc), papers, framing that professional fine art photographers employ when they need to have gallery-quality photographs from transparency film produced.

For now, let's assume that price isn't the biggest factor and that the photos would be around 16x20. I'm in Chicago, if that helps. Your help is much appreciated!

Screenshots into b&w LaTeX Figures

Alterscape — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:30:09 -0800

How do I best prepare color .png screenshots for publication as figures in a LaTeX document that will be printed in b&w conference proceedings? My paper includes several color screenshots from an application I'm building. I've captured the screenshots using OS X's Grab feature (cmd+shift+4) and converted them to EPS3 using ImageMagick's convert commandline tool (convert figure.png eps3:figure.eps) and successfully inserted the figures into my LaTeX document, which renders legibly using pdflatex.

Concerns: I'm fairly certain that the conference proceedings will be printed in b&w; my screenshots are color. I presume I'm going to have to convert them to halftone (probably in Photoshop, since I imagine I'll have to rescale them anyway). Is it safe to assume 300dpi?

Rendering halftones implies that the images will have to be printed actual size; what's the best way to ensure this when marking up an \includefigure{} in LaTeX? I know specifying no height or width will render the image in its native height and width, but is that height and width in pixels or inches? How do I prevent rescaling that will mess up the halftones for the printer?

Right now I'm using the subfigure package and printing two figures side by side on the page with \includefigure[height=.45\textwidth]. How can I cause LaTeX to output this width, so I can manually resize the screenshots before converting them to b&w?

What's the best way to preview this output? I have access to a color laser printer; will it render the halftoned images approximately as they will appear in print or should I try something else?

I'll give you the shirt off my back, if you'll help me put a Half-Life lambda on it first.

jbickers — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:41:03 -0800

What stuff do I need to make fun, cool homemade t-shirts? I'd like to get into making t-shirts, both one-of-a-kinds and designs that more than one person might want. I know there are iron-on transfers that can be fed through an ink-jet printer ... but is there anything better, at the intersection of reasonable price and great quality? How long do the designs on such shirts last? What's the state-of-the-art of printing your own t-shirts at home, short of buying full-on screen printing equipment?

Windows Media 11 question

Daddest — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:59:22 -0800

Greetings, I have burned a audio cd with windows media player 11 and would like to print out the list of songs. In order to do this I need to find and install mpexp.dll. The only site that I can find that has this insists that I enter a security code that states Only enter symbols attached to a cat. Of course it is impossible to determine which symbols to enter because they want you to join the premium service for a fee. Does anyone know where I can find this dll. By the way the site is Rapidshare.com, obviously a site to be avoided. I also find it very frustrating to have to go through all this bunk just to print out a list!

How can I quickly design and print event tickets for my theatre group?

rdauphin — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:20:33 -0800

My community theatre group forgot to have tickets printed for this weekend's show. I'd like to use a template and print them on my office copier to help the group save money. Is there an online program that will help me do this easily? I have MS Office 2000 programs, but the built in templates don't want to cooperate. Guidance would be appreciated.

What's that material that swaps between images as you tilt it called?

paul_smatatoes — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 07:26:22 -0800

What's the proper name for that kind of image-switching material that switches between two pictures as you tilt it? I mostly associate it with novelty baseball cards, toys, children's books, and so forth. That plastic-y corrugated stuff? If I wanted to order a bunch of postcards printed with it, what am I looking for?

Create PDF Letterhead Template

cmherskovic — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:00:31 -0800

Hi, How do I create a PDF Letterhead Template? or in other words: Does any one how to print to a pdf letterhead template? Thanks! I want to create PDF docs that would look like the printed version that I print on preprinted letterhead paper.

Thanks!

PrinterFilter

LSK — Wed, 21 May 2008 10:25:40 -0800

I have pages of cardstock that are perforated such that one can print on them and rip them apart to produce 10 business cards. What software on these? To be a bit more precise, I'm designing a card game and wish to rapidly prototype the cards. I have a particular layout in mind that I'd like to test, but my first priority is printing these.

Access + Avery = crap. HELP!

remthewanderer — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:27:58 -0800

So I created an Access database in order to manage the printing of postcards. I need to send out postcards to people on a monthly basis to remind them about an upcoming meeting. I used the Label wizard in Access to create a report that I can use over and over. I am also using the Avery 5389 postcard paper stock. This stock should print two postcards per 8.5x11 sheet. When I look at the print preview the first page looks correct, with 2 sets of data top and bottom. When I print preview (or print) from the second page on, only one postcard, the top one, is printing per page. WTF is going on with Access? Or what am I doing wrong?

I am also noticing that the placement of my Text on this report is shifting. The text on page 2 is not printing in the same exact layout as page 1. It is shifted down by a few rows. What is causing this? Going into DESIGN in access only shows one postcard so I am not sure how I would change this.

HELP! please

Where can I have a PDF printed as a poster?

eisenkr — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:15:43 -0800

I want to get a poster-sized art print of a PDF (all vector graphics). Since it seems like there are a thousand companies promising high quality prints online, I'd love to hear anybody's recommendations about who I should go to for this sort of job.

Good offset printer in SF?

hihowareyou — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:23:52 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good offset printer in San Francisco for a small run of business cards? I've got a business card design, already formatted in Adobe Illustrator by a friend of a friend who is a graphic designer, now I just need a local printer. I contacted a letterpress shop, but because it is 4 color, two-sided, and a small run (250 cards) the shop owner told me that letterpress would not be a good option. He recommended offset printing instead. I have no idea what offset printing is or how to evaluate a good printer, so, any recommendations?

My priorities (in order of importance):
1. Quality (I want these to be really nice looking)
2. Price (<$100 for 250 cards)
3. Local (I'd rather not order online without being able to see some examples of their work, talk to a real person about the design, etc.)
4. Speed (Not in a rush, don't really need them for a few weeks)

Thanks in advance!

I can haz printjob? Wirelessly?

FlyingMonkey — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:19:53 -0800

We have two Mac laptops, an older Compaq laptop running some flavor of Linux, an HP inkjet printer, and a wireless router. Please help me set up the Linux laptop to play (semi-) wireless printserver for the Macs. I have a MacBook Pro, and my fiancée a MacBook. Both are from 2006, running Tiger.
I also have a Compaq laptop, from about 2003, now ostensibly running Linux but mostly taking up space on a spare desk. (It's been a year and change since the Linux---some form of Ubuntu, I believe---was installed, so an upgrade is probably in order here.)
Finally, I have an HP Photosmart C3180 inkjet printer, which runs via USB; a wireless router (a Linksys, if it matters); and a wireless card for the Compaq.

I'd like to set things up so that the printer can be plugged into the Compaq, through which I can print wirelessly from the Macs. Can this be done?

(Among the potential complicating factors: We have no outside network service. This thing would be completely isolated. Also, while I used to be fairly decent with Linux, it's been several years since I used it on a regular basis, and I was never great with networking.)

Printing a large poster on multiple small sheets of paper?

nixxon — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:23:56 -0800

I need to print a 3x4-foot poster onto multiple sheets of regular sized paper, so that I can assemble the pieces to recreate the full-sized poster on a poster-board. Is there any (preferably free) software that will do this for me? The poster is currently in a powerpoint file, but I could easily transfer it to or recreate it in another program if necessary. The poster contains mostly text and a few color graphs.

Big screen for sale!!

Brandon1600 — Wed, 07 May 2008 04:17:49 -0800

I need to print an ad but I don't know how to arrange it so the little tear off strips appear sideways on the bottom. I need to print an add to sell my television. I want to post it on the cafeteria bulletin board at work with the tear -off strips at the bottom that would have my contact information, but I don't know what program to use or how to go about arranging that. I rarely ever use word processors for anything other than normal typing and printing. I suppose I could just write it in , but it looks kind of silly. Anyone ever done this before?

How can I turn my old Windows XP desktop into a print server for a wired network with Vista and XP machines?

abkadefgee — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:07:01 -0800

How can I turn my old Windows XP desktop into a print server for a wired network with Vista and XP machines? I've tried plugging in an old machine, installing two USB printers, and sharing the printers, but the other machines on the network can't seem to connect. I'm running everything through an old Linksys router. Even with the firewall down on the machines, I still can't seem to connect. Are there compatibility issues with XP print sharing with Vista and should I just install some flavor of linux? And if so, how should I do that? I really appreciate your help!

Are there any online tshirt vendors that provide printing on sleeves?

bostonhill — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:33:25 -0800

Are there any online tshirt/merchandise vendors that provide printing on sleeves? I know Cafepress/Zazzle and Prinfection do not so I am wondering if there are any ones that possibly do?

Best options for digital art prints?

mehum — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:01:24 -0800

What are the best options (paper types, inks, etc.) for making prints of digital art? I'm a fledgling in the digital art world (with no formal training) and would like to get a few prints of some of my pieces made (just for experience/personal use at the moment). I have no experience in this area so I am bringing it to the hive mind to help me understand the various printing options and what I should be looking for when getting a print made.

For some background, the pieces I am interested in printing are in vector graphic format (.svg files made in Inkscape), and I am looking for color prints that are 8x10 (or 8.5x11 with excess white boarder) in size. And while these are just for personal use, I'd like something on par with a print that could be sold.

I've seen terms before like "acid-free ink", "archival paper", and "70# text" used by digital artists, but that's the extent of my knowledge in this area. So any help regarding types of paper, paper weights, inks, etc. would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!

Will asking for 22 spot colors get me run out of the print shop?

wreckingball — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:06:49 -0800

HaplessArtistFilter: I have a very particular, somewhat odd project that I'd like to have offset printed. Can anyone tell me a: if I'm communicating what I want correctly, and b: if this is something that any printer would even consider doing? (It's a small run involving 22 individual spot colors) I have a digital photograph, seen here.

I've taken it into Photoshop and converted it to duotone (black + one color).

I would like to have sets of 22 prints made from that single duotone image. Each of these 22 prints would be identical except for the “background” color, which would be different in each one. Ideally, I would walk into the print shop, photo in hand; they would hand me a Pantone swatch book (or one for some analogous color system), and I would pick out 22 colors similar to those in the original image, and we'd proceed from there.

This a JPEG mockup of what the 22 images might look like.

I know I'd like to have the prints made as near to 12 x 18” as possible, full bleed, on acid-free, uncoated stock (I have no particular sense for weight, but something sufficiently sturdy).

Ideally, there would five sets that I would reserve as prints, and an additional 100 sets (or 200, or 50, or however many—I just don't want to be saddled with hundreds, so as small a run as I can get away with), which I was thinking I would have perfect-bound (self-cover with black text, nothing fancy).

Now, I know that having 22 different spot colors in one project is absurd. But the point of the piece has more to do with the specific process by which the images are made and less with how they look. It's important to me that the plates be identical for all of them (assuming they can't just use a single set of plates and print them in different colors, which would be ideal), so, though I know it would be infinitely more cost-effective, four-color or digital printing is out.

My university printmaking lab is set up for doing positive plate lithography, but, first off, I suck like something terrible at printmaking, and, secondly, I'm really fixed on this color matching system thing, so do-it-yourself routes are not especially attractive.

---
So, question one: does the above make sense? I've never worked with a printer (as I may have inadvertently made obvious, already), so I'm not even sure if I have the terminology down. If there are certain aspects of the project that I've left unclear (or, you know, aspects of the process that I seem to have misunderstood completely), please do let me know. I don't want to look like any more of a ninny than I have to, when it comes time to execute.

Question two: is this something that any printer, anywhere would be at all willing to do? I know the 22-spot-color thing falls outside the realm of “normal,” but I don't know by how much. I sent in an email request for a quote at one company, and I never heard back (leading me to worry that the whole idea sounds even crazier than I'd assumed it did).

And, yeah, any helpful advice at all would be appreciated. For what it's worth, I live in Windsor, Ontario, so if people know of a particularly good place anywhere from Toronto to Cincinnati (where I'll be for most of next month), or anywhere else in North America, I'm all over it.

Oh, and if anyone could give me even a vague idea of what kind of a pricetag I'm should be expecting, I'd appreciate that a great deal (assume and ideal run of either 55 or 105 copies, for a total of 1310 or 2510 pages, including covers). I've been assuming “thousands,” but two-thousand is pretty far removed from five-thousand, which is quite distinct from ten-thousand.

Thanks so much.

The search for the right perforated vinyl printer

dnthomps — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:53:54 -0800

If I wanted to do a lot of perforated window vinyl prints, like so, what type of printer would I be looking into purchasing? Said printer would have to print large enough to print on just about any vehicle's rear windshield. And where do the major players in this industry get their materials (vinyl, ink, anything else?)? Do you have experience with perforated vinyl printing? If so, what else should I know if I am going to get into it?

Not including the printer, what would be the cost (estimate/guess) to print a 35"x55", full color, vinyl sticker?

Any other materials about perforated vinyl printing are more than welcome.

Help me find the right print server device for my small office setup.

abbyladybug — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:34:01 -0800

I just started working in a small office (there are 3 of us). We have wired internet (I know, I know!), and an HP OfficeJet 5610 All-in-One Printer/Fax/Copier in a tiny closet. We all work different hours and use laptops. There is no dedicated computer that is there and always on. I know from working with a friend that we need a small printer server to plug into the printer and connect to the switch in the closet. One side needs to have a USB plug, the other side needs to accomodate the internet cable. I think I'm talking about option #4 in this Wikipedia article. I need to make a recommendation to my boss for what exactly she needs to buy to make this work. Is something like this what I'm looking for? Is it likely to be compatible with the HP OfficeJet 5610? I need it to be!

Free crosswords for small newsletters?

thecjm — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:06:18 -0800

I'm putting together a company newsletter and am looking for freely licensed and printable crossword and sudoku puzzles that I could put in the newsletter. I've seen plenty of links here and elsewhere to good web-based crosswords and even crossword generation software, but I'm looking for something freely available to use (my budget on this is $0), printable (or even better, something I can copy&paste so I can drop it right in my publishing software), and premade (I don't want to spend valuable time working these things up, and the thought of a company-themed crossword makes me cringe). Any leads or ideas? Also, the same but for Sudoku?

Best home office graphics printer?

bbranden1 — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 11:06:36 -0800

What printer/printer output will please an art director? An artist is shopping for a new inkjet printer. It will be used to print graphics and photographs for submission to art directors, so she would like to know if there are industry standards or preferences for the output. The printer should be Windows XP compatible, but does not need to be networked. It will not be under a heavy workload, perhaps 2-10 prints per week and not in use every day or even every week, so there is a concern about ink drying and clogging up the nozzle works. Print quality is more important than print speed. It would be helpful, not mandatory, if the printer were capable of high quality text output also. Retail price: under $1000.

A handful of printer and print questions:

1. Is there a dot size and dpi requirement? Would 8x10" output be ok, or are there occasions when up to 13x19 is required?

2. Is one brand/model of inkjet printer the standard? (Epson printers have been moved to the bottom of the list because of their reputation for repeated and difficult to clean nozzle clogging.) Are any HP printers in the running?

3. Should she consider dye sub printers or high quality laser printers?

4. Do the output requirements change if these prints might end up being camera ready art for publication?

5. In her work situation would there be significant advantage in converting an inkjet printer to continuous ink printing?

6. Is there a website for graphic artists that includes forums for discussing these issues?

Thanks.

Why does Chinese printing of Latin characters always use the same font?

tomwheeler — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:06:02 -0800

Why does Chinese writing, when including a few English words, always seem to use the same font? If you look at instructions written in Chinese for some gadget, you'll often see bits of text in the Latin alphabet mixed in with the typical Chinese characters. They always seem to use the same font, which looks like the console font from old Sun workstations. I've seen this not just on a variety of printed material, but also on computers. You can see what I am talking about by looking at this screenshot of Google's Chinese site.

Why is this font so popular for Chinese writing but relatively uncommon in English?

How would I go about printing high-quality greeting cards at home?

damn dirty ape — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 21:18:56 -0800

How would I go about printing high-quality greeting cards at home? Lets say I wanted to do a 50 or 100 card run of a design I like. Can I just buy special paper and run it through a color laser printer? Will this look like a professional card? If so what kind of paper should I get?

Ideally the quality should be nice enough to sell, but it doesnt have to be as nice as the stuff in the stores. Alternatively, where can I do small runs of greeting cards by a pro? Say I wanted to do 10 different cards of 100 each. Do normal print shops do this kind of thing? Do I need a specialist?