Re: [PDF-Basics] Printing Speed for PDF Files

[Simon]

>>Many of our larger 100 page pdf documents take 7 seconds between each print.

1.      Is that 7 seconds per page impression?
2.      Do the pages contain graphics?
3.      What is the page-per-minute rating for your printers?
4.      Colour or black and white?
5.      How were the PDFs generated (software package, procedure, PDF settings etc)?
6.      Are the printers network connected? If so, what sort of network connection?
7.      Are the PDFs processed through a RIP (Raster Imaging Program) or print server?

Your description of the problem needs to be more detailed. Also, you're probably guessing correctly in regard to the printer drivers being a non-issue so we are probably looking at either a problem within the files or some sort of file size bottleneck.

Check the following:
1.      Print a single page from one of the large PDFs and check whether it takes 7 seconds. If it doesn't then you may have a spooling or print queue problem.
2.      Check the original resolution of the source files (prior to them being PDFs). 600 dots per inch should be more than adequate.
3.      Check whether ALL the large files produce the same results or whether there are exceptions to the rule. Find the differences.

At 05:56 PM 22/09/2003 -0700, you wrote:

My company is having a terrible time printing pdf files quickly.  Many of our larger 100 page pdf documents take 7 seconds between each print.

 

Our computer consultant says that its the print drivers for our Gestetner printers, but Ive noticed were having the same delay with our HP printers.

 

Im totally technologically-challenged, so if you have an answer for me, please phrase it in such a way that an English major could understand.

 

Thank you so very much for your assistance.

 

Caroline McKiernan

 

Simon Corderoy
Digital Prepress Coordinator
Publishing & Printing Services
UNSW
http://publish.web.unsw.edu.au