TITLE
    Color LaserWriter 12/600 PS, 12/660 PS: Linescreen in Transparency Mode
Article ID:
Created:
Modified:
18709
10/9/95
7/6/99

TOPIC

    I have a Color LaserWriter 12/600 PS and have the following questions:

    What is the effective Linescreen of the Color LaserWriter 12/600? I have read that it changes from 200 to 141 depending upon the image type. Can you override these settings?

    Are there any changes made when printing in Transparency mode? There are certain applications that do not give you the option to print in Transparency mode (such as PageMaker) is there a way around this?

    I have also heard that although the options for different color matching are available, they are ignored by most applications. Is this true of the Transparency mode as well?

    I know that the Transparency mode changes the speed of the overall throughput, I have not seen any other changes as I have tested it.


DISCUSSION

    The linescreen on the Color LaserWriter 12/600 PS and the Color LaserWriter 12/660 PS printers is 200 lpi (lines per inch), and it CANNOT be changed; the firmware in these printers ignores any PostScript commands to change the linescreen. Depending on the area being imaged, the linescreen will change to an effective 141 lpi -- mostly in the lighter areas of an image. These settings, unfortunately, cannot be changed because they have been set to provide the optimum results from the print engine.

    With transparencies, the only change (other than print engine speed) is that the halftoning structure is changed to allow for a lighter image, and in turn better "transparency" when viewed through an overhead. You may be able to notice the individual halftone cells due to the lower lpi, but this effect is only seen when the transparency is viewed without an overhead projector -- it is not present when viewed through a projector.

    To answer your other questions, we are unable to determine how to print in "transparency mode" through PageMaker; this is a function of the Apple print driver, and PageMaker uses their own driver. Customers should contact Adobe for this information. With regard to color matching being ignored by most applications, this also holds true in transparency mode.

Document Information
Product Area: Printers
Category: LaserWriters
Sub Category: Color LaserWriter 12/600 PS

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