Today, TIFF is a standard file format found in most paint, imaging, and desktop publishing programs and is a format native to the Microsoft Windows GUI. TIFF's extensible nature, allowing storage of multiple bitmap images of any pixel depth, makes it ideal for most image storage needs.
TIFF has garnered a reputation for power and flexibility, but it is considered complicated and mysterious as well. In its design, TIFF attempts to be very extensible and provide many features that a programmer might need in a file format. Because TIFF is so extensible and has many capabilities beyond all other image file formats, this format is probably the most confusing format to understand and use.
ELP does come with a "as is" TIFF2PS converter, which is a little enhanced by the software developer. Like the PDFtoPS this converter is by default active. The job is controlled by those two ini-file keys:
TIFF2PS_Enable=ON turn ON (default) or OFF it not needed, and
TIFF2PS_Arguments: (see below)
The available arguments are explained below, but please note: The Command optiosn are case sensitive and there must be a blank between each argument and its operand. # means a digit, $ a name.
| -1 | generate PostScript Level I |
| -2 | generate PostScript Level II (default) |
| -8 | disable use of ASCII 85 encoding with PostScript Level II |
| -a | convert all directories in file (default is first) This command it a must in the command line! |
| -d# | convert directory number # |
| -D | enable duplex printing (two pages per sheet of paper) |
| -e | generate Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) |
| -h#.## | assume printed page height is # inches (default 11 (Letter)) |
| -i# | enable/disable (Nz/0) pixel interpolation (default: enable) |
| -m | use "imagemask" operator instead of "image" |
| -o# | convert directory at file offset # |
| -O | file write PostScript to file instead of standard output |
| -p | generate regular PostScript |
| -P# | Page Orientation: 1 Landscape, 0 Portrait (default), 2 best fit, the software will rotate the page if the image is wider compared to its height |
| -rx#.## | Definition of the X Resolution of the TIFF file, which will be used if no X Resolution is defined in the data stream. See notes for further details |
| -ry#.## | Same thing, but for Y Resolution. |
| -s | generate PostScript for a single image |
| -S$ | Page size Letter Legal A3, A4, A5 or BEST or BEST_US, will overwrite w and h parameter. BEST will start with A4 and if the image is not fitting, move up to page size A3. BEST_US will start with LETTER and if the image is not fitting, move up to page size 11x17. Offsets -x# and scale factors are used. |
| -T | print pages for top edge binding |
| -ux #.## | Sum of unprintable left and right area, provided value in inch. Default it is 0, for LaserJet without edge2edge printing about 6mm so 0.47 inch |
| -uy #.## | same like ux, but sum of Top + Bottom margin. |
| -w #.## | assume printed page width is # inches (default 8.5) |
| -W $ | Path to working directory to error.log |
| -x | set bottom left corner as defined in tiff file |
| -x #.## | set bottom left corner to same value in inch (default 0) |
| -xx #.## | set left margin to provided value in inch |
| -xy #.## | set bottom margin to provided value in inch |
| -X #.## | calculated scale factor is multliplied with value (default 1) |
| -z | enable printing in the dead zone (only for PostScript Level II) |
Hint:
-
In order to let the routine automatically set the portrait or landscape print direction, add to the command line -P 2.
-
To let the software select automatically A3 or A4 for best fitting, Then enter -S BEST.
-
The developers did not fully test the usage of the scale factor other than 1, but we strongly believe in a correct working of the functions, even in conjunction with BEST fit.
-
New as well is the calculation of an unprintable area, which can be up to 6 mm on each print side, so in total 1.2 mm or 0.47 inch. If provided, those number are used for the BEST fit calculation.
-
BEST fit calculation trays always to print with the scal factor 1:1 multiplied with the provided scale factor. If it is larger then A3, a factor will be taken, which fits the page on an A3 paper.
-
The -rx #.## and -ry #.## parameters are not used if an X / Y Resolution is defined in the tiff file. But if they are missing, those resolutions will be used, or if not provided 72 dots per inch.
This functionality enables the converter to scale a tiff file in X and Y direction independently. However, the scale factor still works on top of this.
Example: The ELP CALS2TIFF converter is generating a 400 dpi TIFF file without that information. So without that scale factor, an A4 page tiff file will be printed at assumed 72 dpi 13 times larger then an A4 page, and therefor the TIFF2PS converter does shrink the file down to 13% size, so the result is a very small print. You have now two possibilities:
A) Scale the file up with the scal factor or
B) Set the correct resolution with ?rx 400 ?ry400 -
If then the output is cut off at the right and bottom side of the page, then this is most likely because of the unprintable area. Simply increase the two parameters until the output fits on the page. Also a good idea is maybe to set the printer to Edge2Edge printing, using the menu.
Turned off (not converted to PS) ELP does delete all triggers and searches from the active ini-file. Then the rule PASSTHROUGH is executed. Hint: Use key inifile=#ELP_FORMS_PATH#convert.ini if all rules should again be activated.