(OT) Open source PCL to PDF converters?

[Brian K. White]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob Rasmussen" <ras at anzio.com>
To: "Fairlight" <fairlite at fairlite.com>
Cc: "filePro Mailing List" <Filepro-list at lists.celestial.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 9:05 PM
Subject: Re: (OT) Open source PCL to PDF converters?


> On Mon, 12 Mar 2007, Fairlight wrote:
>
>> Okay, the primary thing I've heard for years is that people use it so the
>> output is guaranteed to be the same on any printer.  So I ask, if someone
>> has a printer that doesn't do 132 columns, just how "portable" is that in
>> the sense of rendering it as intended?  It's either got to scale it or
>> punt.  I thought the major point was that it would make sure it print the
>> same on anything, but that doesn't seem to mesh.
>
> OK, I'll be more accurate. You can choose to a) fit all the data from the
> report onto the page, in a reasonable manner, scaling if necessary; or b)
> print with specified metrics. In the latter case, if the paper (or the
> printable area) is not big enough, you'll lose data.

The question didn't even deserve an answer.
The same thing happens on paper as happens right inside acrobat reader 
itself.

Reader either scales it, or chops it off (with scrollbars). In reader you 
can even, gasp, rotate it!
So to try and make out like scaling the image to fit is "modifying" it and 
thus invalidating the whole supposed point is silly.

Merely scaling a fixed image is in no way similar to what html does in order 
to fit the available container.

Brian K. White    brian at aljex.com    http://www.myspace.com/KEYofR
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