Re: Maximum size print from Mac
Re: Maximum size print from Mac
- Subject: Re: Maximum size print from Mac
- From: Stephen Lawrence <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 19:35:46 +0000
Mark wrote:
Hello all - I know this is a bit off subject, but I am wondering what
the maximum inch dimension of a print is that can be printed through
a Mac? I have some vinyl banner material that I have been running
from a Mac (10.4.3) that has been profiled and is working well. I was
told that to print something longer than 94", I would have to print
from PC. Can anybody tell me how to print long banners from a Mac?
Hi Mark, a reasonable question but I don't have a straightforward
answer. The problem is that limitations can be imposed at any point
in the imaging chain, in the software, OS, printer driver/RIP or the
printer itself. My advice would be to go to the vendors of the
components in your chain and ask what if any limitations exist. If
it's a good vendor you ought to be able to get a straight answer and
I know some printer vendors have solutions to specific cases that can
offer regardless of whether they are at fault. For Mac OS X I would
ask the question on the printer development list.
Did you actually try printing at greater lengths? Is your job vector
or raster?
Where limitations exist it often occurs around the limits of what can
be stored in the signed and unsigned 32-bit values that are commonly
used in programming. For example a well known alternative OS at one
time had a print limitation due to its coordinates being stored as 32-
bit values. I've also seen limitations occur in software due to 32-
bit values being used for memory pointers (used in programming to
point at/address blocks of memory), which has the effect of imposing
a limit on image or spool file sizes to 4GB. That's just two
examples. In the latter case the catalyst is the much higher
resolutions used today compared to just a few years ago.
The nature of the problem can change depending on whether you're
sending vector or raster data and which of those the limit applies
to. If you are unfortunate to hit such a limit, how it manifests
itself can depend on the nature of the limit. For example in the 32-
bit file size case its going over 4GB that causes the issue. So
you're print size limit would vary depending on what resolution you
were using.
So sorry I can't give you a simple answer, but hopefully the above
helps you understand the kind of things that can cause the pain. If
its any consolation, as a developer of x-platform print technology I
can say that such limitations certainly exist on the PC side as well!
Of course if you can identify the culprit in the chain then hammer
the vendor to change it!
Regards
Steve Lawrence
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