[time-nuts] HP E1938 Web Page

[SAIDJACK at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/28/2007 20:46:14 Pacific Daylight Time,  
jgd at johngsbbq.com writes:

>Whythahell would anyone convert a nice compact and effectively  infinite 
resolution
>vector file into raster?  The file size blows  up to something huge and the 
resolution
>is then fixed at whatever DPI  was chosen.  If the file needs to be 
rasterized for
>printing then  the proper place for that to be done is in the printer  
driver.
>Presumably the printer driver writer knew how to optimize the  conversion 
for his
>hardware.



Hi John,
 
ok, I guess my comment about 600dpi PDF files being sufficient for the job  
is not resonating here. Case in point:
 
At a previous employer, our boss insisted "vector is the only way to  go" for 
schematics and other images. So when we did documentation in Framemaker  
(under Linux I must add) we added DXF vector files for the schematics as  required.

The result was a disaster: Framemaker 6 totally butchered our  schematics. 
The DXF files themselves were not the issue.
 
I attached an example of the "index" page from that document to this email.  
The font size and position was totally off as you can see. While I  cannot 
send out schematic pages, you can imagine how horrible the  rest of the pages 
look.
 
Attached also find the same page rendered in 600dpi PDF. Perfect.
 
All images rendered in 600dpi are pefect in that doc, the vector files are  
at a minimum questionable in quality.
 
>Presumably the printer driver writer knew how to optimize the  conversion 
for his
>hardware.

While there are obvious applications for vector files, they can create huge  
headaches due to bad printer drivers or renderers that "don't know" or don't  
have the right font etc. Again there is no holy grail, just different 
advantages  for different situations.
 
Since we don't plan to re-build the E1938A PCB's here (or do we?) I don't  
think vector files for simple PCB silkscreen images that are probably ok in  
150dpi are an absolute must and raster files are "junk".
 
Some folks commenting here about the absolute need for vector files don't  
even seem to have an E1938A or a need for it's documentation.
 

I personally would prefer some "low tech" JPEG pictures of the E1983A  hookup 
rather than "infinite" resolution HPGL files of silkscreens etc that are  not 
very helpful in using the unit.
 

bye,
Said
 



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