PCF options

[jweaver]

We are having an issue when printing to a specific printer the prints are pushed all the was to the bottom right and it is cutting off some of the information for the drawing. Is there an option in the PCF file for the printer where it would force it to center on the page? This is an OCE TDS600 plotter. Using Creo 2.0 M160.

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[MartinHanak]

Justin,

there are options for defining x-offset and y-offset, only.

Martin Hanak

[jweaver]

I feel like you shouldn't have to use offsets and the printer should realize that it should be printing all the information on the drawing. We aren't having any issues with any of the other printers and they don't have offset settings either. Below is what is in the PCF file now.

plotter OCE9600

button_name TDS600

button_help TDS600 on PrintServer

delete_after_plotting yes

plot_drawing_format YES default

plot_segmented NO default

plot_roll_media YES default

plot_label NO default

plot_handshake software default

create_separate_files NO default

plot_with_panzoom yes default

rotate_plotting NO default

allow_file_naming YES

plot_name NO

interface_quality 3 default

plot_destination printer default

plotter_command windows_print_manager \\PrintServer\Oce TDS600

plot_file_dir C:\temp\

pen_table_file table.pnt

plot_sheets current default

!paper_size d default

paper_size_allowed c d e f

paper_outline NO default

plot_clip NO default

plot_area NO default

plot_stroke_text YES

[MartinHanak]

Justin,

I guess that:

1.]

if you print C size drawing to C size paper then the problem appears

2.]

if you print C size drawing to D size paper then the problem disappears

If the above guess is correct then you have to use plot_translate option inside pcf file, eg.:

plot_translate 20 20 MM default

Note: I had to use plot_translate option in the past for plotter DESIGNJET

Martin Hanák

[TomU]

I noticed you have plot_with_panzoom yes default.  Realize that this will cause Creo to print based on the current zoom of the window.  We have this option set to NO.

Something else to consider, when the sheet size matches the paper size, Creo will simply output the full sheet with no regard to printable area.  When the sheet size is larger than the paper size, Creo will automatically shrink it to fit within the printable area.  By default the printable area is defined as being 10mm in from each edge.  You can manually override this with the hidden PCF option "plotter_hardclip_is".  For example:

plotter_hardclip_is top  0.000 bottom  0.000 left  0.000 right  0.000 in

[jskraba]

We are using OCE TDS-700 plotter and this is our PCF config file:

plotter DESIGNJET755CM

button_name OCE_TDS-700

button_help Print using OCE_TDS-700.

allow_file_naming YES

create_separate_files NO

interface_quality 2

paper_outline NO

paper_size_allowed A0 A1 A2 A3 A4

pen_table_file plot.pnt

plot_area NO

plot_clip NO

plot_destination file

plot_drawing_format YES

plot_file_dir $userprofile

plot_label NO

plot_names NO

plot_roll_media YES

plot_segmented NO

plot_sheets current

plot_stroke_text YES

plot_with_panzoom YES

plot_handshake software

rotate_plotting NO

Note that Creo does not use second option word anymore, e.g. plot_segmented NO default, so you may omit that to avoid any missreadings in Creo.

Also note, that when you use rolls of paper with exact width of the standard paper size e.g. 594mm for A1, you need to check the Creo formats for the outer limit of the format being equal or less than 594mm otherwise plot origin will be shifted and/or plotfile rotated on the plotter to try to fit the paper size, thus part of plots will be cropped.

Anyway, we have found out that plots are made as good as directly plotted to plotfile when we export to PDF and plot them on the same plotter. The advantage is that you can open and review PDF before plotting whereas plotfile is useless in that respect.

[jweaver]

I have come to find out that the issue is only happening when using Windows Print Manager. If you select the plotter right from the Creo print manager it is fine. I believe that means that the PCF file is OK and the setting needs adjusted in Windows. Am I correct on that?

[TomU]

Not necessarily.  Each printer will generally have it's own PCF file.

[jweaver]

Yes, but if you select the MS print manager from the list in Creo, then select the printer as if your printing from any Windows application, doesn't that use whatever settings you have set in the Windows properties, and doesn't use the PCF for that printer?

[TomU]

The PCF defines the default values for how Creo is configured for printing.  Most of the PCF values can be changed directly from the print dialog.  The sum of theses (PCF values + manual changes from the dialog) are what is sent to the Windows printer dialog.  Some of the Creo settings may get passed through to the Windows printer, but generally you can change the Windows settings to whatever you want (or something completely different).  For example, you can configure Creo to output a 11x17 print, but tell the Windows printer to use 8-1/2x11 paper scaled to fit.  Think of the PCF as telling Creo what to output to the printer and the Windows printer dialog as deciding how to handle that data.

[jweaver]

Since it prints fine from Creo manager than the PCF is correct. Correct? I just want to verify that the issue is with a setting when printing from MS manager.

[jweaver · Accepted solution]

User began using Creo print manager and that seems to resolve the issue. Might be a problem with Windows settings for the printer.

[MikeLockwood]

I spent considerable time / effort on this with multiple companies.  Came to the conclusion that in general, it's better to get Print to PDF working from Creo, then have all users print from PDF.  There are some legitimate reasons to print directly from Creo but they are getting fewer all the time.