Polaroid BLL Generator User guide

Windows BLL Generator
User Guide
Windows BLL Generator User Guide V1.10, last modification January 26, 1999
Copyright © 1988-1998 Lasergraphics, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
20 Ada
Irvine, California 92618
+1-949-753-8282
Technical Support Department: +1-949-753-8292
Monday through Friday
7:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M., US Pacific Time Zone
Lasergraphics BBS (949) 727-9429
Internet: http://www.lasergraphics.com
LFR, LFR PLUS, Personal LFR, Personal LFR PLUS, LFR-X, LFR Mark II, LFR Mark II - Digital
Photography Model, LFR Mark III, LFR Mark III - Digital Photography Model, LFR Mark V - Digital
Photography Model, LFR Mark VI – Digital Photography Model, RascolPort, WinRascol and MacRascol
are trademarks of Lasergraphics, Inc. and Rascol is a registered trademark of Lasergraphics, Inc.
Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Adobe Type Manager is a registered trademark of
Adobe Systems Inc. Ektachrome and Kodacolor are registered trademarks of Eastman Kodak
Company. All other brand names and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective companies.
While great care was taken to prepare this user guide, Lasergraphics, Inc. disclaims all warranties with
regard to this information including all implied warranties of satisfactory quality and fitness.
Measurements are approximate and no responsibility is taken for any error, omission or
misunderstanding in these particulars, which do not constitute an offer or contract. In no event shall
Lasergraphics, Inc. be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages or any damages
whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data or profits, whether in an action of contract, negligence or
other tortuous action, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of this information. No
representation or warranty whatever is made or given either during negotiation, in particulars or
elsewhere.
2
Acknowledgements
The combined effort of many people is required to make a quality software product. This is an
undoubtedly incomplete list of dealers, customers, coworkers and friends who have been helpful in one
way or another in making Windows BLL Generator into what it is today.
Hanspeter Andermatt, Wolfgang Beaugrand, Xavier Bengoechea, Tim Bochnak, Murray Bowman, Dr.
Ralf Brandes, Tony Brown, Falah Chebbo, Larry Cole, David Davies, Mike DeLucca, Dr. Stefan
Demetrescu, Jo Elliot, Jon Elion, LtCol Dr. Doug Erickson, David Hard, Wenxin He, Ron Herman, Jack
Hobbs, Andreas Hölling, Thomas Hofmeister, Genie Jacobsen, Dr. Jürgen Krüger, Bill Kruki, Jörg Kunz,
Klaus-Norbert Laroche, Beat Lechmann, Wai-Hung Lee, Adrian Martin, Bob McCormack, Rod Miller,
Martin Müller, Rick Narveson, Chris Olsen, Doris Rusch, Doug Schafer, Steffen Seeber and Bill
Smithson.
Thank you all.
This software is based in part on the ZLIB compression library written by Jean-loup Gailly and Mark
Adler.
Thank you for providing incredibly useful code.
Acknowledgements 3
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................9
What You Need ............................................................................................... 10
Required Hardware ............................................................................... 10
Required Software................................................................................. 10
About this Guide .............................................................................................. 11
What’s new ...................................................................................................... 12
Windows BLL Generator Features .................................................................. 13
Various Output Types............................................................................ 13
High-Resolution..................................................................................... 13
True Color ............................................................................................. 14
Easy to Use and Highly Compatible...................................................... 14
Chapter 2: Express Setup ....................................................................................15
Installing Windows BLL Generator .................................................................. 16
Installing BLL Generator from the Web Site ......................................... 16
Installing Windows BLL Generator using Windows BLL Generator installation
disks ...................................................................................................... 16
Chapter 3: Software Installation ..........................................................................17
Contents 5
Running setup..................................................................................................18
Adding a BLL-Generator..................................................................................19
Chapter 4: Printing your first image ................................................................... 21
Printing from an Application.............................................................................22
Viewing a BLL..................................................................................................26
Chapter 5: Principle of Operation ....................................................................... 27
Introduction ......................................................................................................27
Printing from Windows on a PC without Film Recorder ........................29
Important Concepts .........................................................................................31
Resolution..............................................................................................31
Color Fidelity..........................................................................................32
Bitmaps and Objects .............................................................................33
Graphics ......................................................................................33
Text .............................................................................................33
Which Applications Create Bitmaps or Objects ..........................34
Chapter 6: Reference ........................................................................................... 35
Printer Settings ................................................................................................35
Resolution..............................................................................................35
Orientation and Paper Size ...................................................................36
Film Type...............................................................................................37
Non-LFC based Film Types ........................................................37
LFC-based Film Types................................................................38
Background Color..................................................................................39
Scaling...................................................................................................39
Minimum Exposure Time.......................................................................39
Color Balance ........................................................................................39
Contrast Gamma ...................................................................................40
Using the Windows 95/98 driver......................................................................41
6 Contents
Printer settings in Windows 95/98......................................................... 41
Color balance and gamma correction ................................................... 44
Miscellaneous options ........................................................................... 45
Changing the Default Printer Settings in Windows 95/98 ..................... 47
Using the Windows NT driver .......................................................................... 48
Printer settings in Windows NT ............................................................. 48
Storing Changed Settings ........................................................... 51
Changing the Default Printer Settings in Windows NT ......................... 52
Managing BLL-Generators .............................................................................. 53
Adding a BLL-Generator ............................................................. 53
Changing Destination Path ......................................................... 54
Deleting a BLL-Generator ........................................................... 54
Modifying Driver Options ....................................................................... 55
Chapter 7: Uninstalling.........................................................................................57
When to use the Uninstaller ............................................................................ 57
How to use the Uninstaller............................................................................... 58
Chapter 8: Tips and Tricks ...................................................................................59
Specific Applications........................................................................................ 60
Adobe Type Manager (ATM)................................................................. 60
Arts & Letters......................................................................................... 60
Corel Draw ............................................................................................ 60
Corel Draw 7 ......................................................................................... 60
CorelDRAW 8........................................................................................ 61
Freelance Graphics for Windows Ver 1.0 ............................................. 61
Freelance Graphics 97 .......................................................................... 61
Persuasion ............................................................................................ 61
PhotoStyler............................................................................................ 62
Word, Write ........................................................................................... 62
Contents 7
Appendix A: Specifications ................................................................................. 63
Glossary
67
Index
71
8 Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
This is the user manual for the Windows BLL Generator. This product is used to generate platform and
application independent BLL files that can be used for imaging on remote Lasergraphics film recorders.
Windows BLL Generator supports PCs running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 and
Windows NT 5.0.
This chapter explains the features of the Windows BLL Generator.
Introduction 9
What You Need
You need the following hardware and software to run Windows BLL Generator:
Required Hardware
• Any IBM® PC compatible machine with a 486 processor or better, Pentium or better
recommended.
• 16 MB of memory when running Windows 95/98 and 32 MB when running Windows NT. More
memory may be required for complex images or images that contain large bitmaps.
• Minimum 4 megabytes of disk space for Windows BLL Generator programs plus additional
storage for images. The amount of additional storage required depends on the type of images.
Simple presentation slides will take between 100 kilobytes to 2 megabytes, complex and highresolution slides run from 5 megabytes up to 630 megabytes for a true color uncompressible
16000 line resolution image. Generally, 100 megabytes free disk space will be plenty.
Required Software
• Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT 5.0 operating system.
• A Windows application that can print to a Windows printer driver.
10 Introduction
About this Guide
This guide explains how to set up and use Windows BLL Generator.
This guide assumes that you already know how to use Microsoft Windows. If you are new to Windows,
review your Microsoft Windows User’s Guide before proceeding.
Screen illustrations in this guide are meant to be representative, not necessarily exact duplicates of
screens that appear on your display.
About this Guide 11
What’s new
Windows BLL Generator replaces Windows BLL Generator 3.15 for Windows 95 and WinRascol 3.15
for Windows NT. Major parts of Windows BLL Generator 3.15 were rewritten to increase performance,
simplify its use, and take advantage of new features of Windows 95 and Windows NT.
Windows BLL Generator offers these advantages over previous versions:
• One package supports Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4.0/5.0
• Simple installation
• Same installation and interface on Windows NT and Windows 95/98
• Installation from hard drive or network
• Long filenames supported
• BLLs can be previewed
• A new high-compression BLL format generates smaller BLLs
Note: Windows 3.1x is not supported by Windows BLL Generator. Windows BLL Generator
3.15 is the last version to support Windows 3.1x.
Note: LFR and LFR+ type film recorders are not supported in Windows BLL Generator.
WinRascol 4.0 will continue to service this film recorder type.
12 Introduction
Windows BLL Generator Features
Windows BLL Generator adds a new dimension to all of your visual communications by letting you
produce professional-quality presentation graphics—right at your desk.
Various Output Types
Windows BLL Generator takes images produced by any Windows application and prints the images on
a Lasergraphics LFR series film recorder to make 35mm slides, 35mm prints (negatives), Polaroid
prints, 6x7 cm or 4x5 film transparencies or prints (negatives).
Slides
Transparencies
High-Resolution
With the Lasergraphics Film Recorder (LFR), Windows BLL Generator in combination with WinRascol
or MacRascol produces brilliant color images on film. The LFR Mark VI has a maximum resolution of
16384 lines which produces sharp images with over 700 times the image resolution (total number of
dots in an image) of a VGA screen.
Name
Short
35mm resolution
120/220/4x5 resolution
Available on
Fast
2k
2048x1365
2048x1680
All
Fine
4k
4096x2731
4096x3360
All
Extra
8k
8192x5461
8192x6719
Mark III and above
Ultra
16k
16384x10923
16384x13438
Mark VI
Windows BLL Generator Features 13
True Color
Windows BLL Generator supports 24-bit color, which enables you to produce life-like pictures with any
of over 16.7 million colors. 24-bit color refers to the way color information is stored in the image. 24-bit
color is sometimes called “true-color” because it reproduces the full range of color visible to the human
eye.
Easy to Use and Highly Compatible
Windows BLL Generator is compatible with all Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT
applications that provide the Print command. To print images the Windows BLL Generator, you simply
invoke the Print command from your Windows application. Images will be sent from your application to
Windows BLL Generator for processing.
14 Introduction
Chapter 2: Express Setup
This section explains how users with previous WinRascol experience can get Windows BLL Generator
up and running quickly. If you are new the Windows BLL Generator or don’t consider yourself a
seasoned computer user, please take the time to study the chapters beginning with “Chapter 3:
Software Installation” on page 17.
Express Setup 15
Installing Windows BLL Generator
Windows BLL Generator is freely available on the Lasergraphics web site www.lasergraphics.com. It is
also part of the WinRascol 4 distribution disks for convenience. Note that you may not distribute the
WinRascol 4 distribution disks or their contents. The Windows BLL Generator downloadable from
Lasergraphics' web site (www.lasergraphics.com) can be freely distributed. If you don’t have access to
the Internet, please ask your dealer for a copy.
Installing BLL Generator from the Web Site
Run “WinBLL.exe“. Follow the prompts of the setup program.
Click Start->Programs->WinRascol32->BLLConf and select “Add/Manage BLL Generators” to install
one or more BLL generator drivers.
Installing Windows BLL Generator using Windows BLL Generator
installation disks
Run “setup.exe“. Follow the prompts of the setup program. Start “WinRascol32->BLLConf” and select
“Add/Manage BLL Generators” to install one or more BLL generator drivers.
16 Express Setup
Chapter 3: Software Installation
This section explains how to install Windows BLL Generator on your computer. The installation is
performed in two steps, the initial installation and running BLLConf.
Software Installation 17
Running setup
These steps perform the initial installation of the Windows BLL Generator package.
• Close all programs currently running.
• Insert disk 1 of the Windows BLL Generator installation disk set, skip this step if you’ve
downloaded the Windows BLL Generator from the web site.
• Press Start on the Windows tool bar, then select Run.
• If you are using installation disks enter “a:setup“ in the “run“ dialog box as follows:
• If you’ve downloaded the Windows BLL Generator or have received it from another source, use
the Browse button to point to it.
• Press OK. Setup now prepares the installation.
• Press Next after reading the introductory screen.
• Press Next after reading the readme file.
• You will be asked to select a destination directory at this time. It is strongly suggested that you
use the default directory offered by the installation program. Press Next.
• Setup is now ready to install Windows BLL Generator. Press Next to install now.
• Setup will install all program files at this time. Follow setup’s instructions to insert additional
disks if needed.
• Press Finish to exit setup.
• Setup may ask you to reboot your computer in rare cases.
The Windows BLL Generator program files are now installed.
18 Software Installation
Adding a BLL-Generator
Start BLLConf in Start->WinRascol32. Select Add/Manage BLL Generators.
This dialog will appear:
• Select Add generator.
Adding a BLL-generator 19
The following dialog is displayed:
• Select the destination film recorder type in Film recorder type.
• Enter the serial number of the target film recorder in the Serial number edit box.
• Windows BLL Generator will select a default name for you. You can modify the name of the
printer driver in the edit box Driver name.
• Select the destination directory into which the BLL files will be placed. Windows BLL Generator
will select the default temporary file path as default. You should select the network path of a
WinRascol drop box if you intend to use a film recorder that is connected to your network.
Contact your network administrator for details. You can also select the path of a ZIP-Drive, for
example.
• Press OK to create the BLL driver.
The BLL driver will now appear in the BLL-generator Administration dialog. Press Done to exit.
NOTE: For technical reasons, the new BLL-generator will show LPT1: to be the selected output
port on Windows 95/98 until your computer is rebooted. After reboot, the new generator will
show BLL:. This affects appearances only, it does not impact operation of the BLL-generator in
any way.
20 Software Installation
Chapter 4: Printing your first image
This guided tour will show you how to print from an application.
You must have completed the software installation successfully to follow this tour.
Printing your first Image 21
Printing from an Application
This section will show you how to print an image using Microsoft Wordpad. Wordpad is included in both
Windows 95/98 and Windows NT. But you can use any other Windows application instead.
Start Microsoft Wordpad. You will find it in
Start->Programs->Accessories->Wordpad.
Punch in a few letters. Wordpad should look like this now:
Feel free to format the text any way you like!
22 Printing your first Image
Now open the Wordpad print dialog by selecting Print... from the File menu.
Select the BLL Generator in the Name field.
Note: You should never check the “Print to file” check box.
Printing your first Image 23
Now select Properties. This will open a dialog that allows you to set film recorder print settings:
This is the Windows 95 film recorder settings dialog. The Windows NT dialog is shown in “Printer
settings in Windows NT” on page 48.
• Select the film type you intend to use in Film Type.
• Select Standard Slide as the page size in Output Size.
• Select White as Background Color. Wordpad assumes white background but doesn’t fully
paint it.
• Press OK.
24 Printing your first Image
• Now press OK in the Print dialog. A BLL will be created in the directory you designated at
installation time.
Printing your first Image 25
Viewing a BLL
You can preview the BLL you just created by using Windows Explorer to locate the file in the directory
you designated during installation and double clicking on it.
The BLL Viewer will show you the rastered file:
Note that the printer driver has automatically rotated the image because the film recorder only images in
landscape orientation.
26 Printing your first Image
Chapter 5: Principle of Operation
This section explains how the Windows BLL Generator and WinRascol work together to produce film
output.
Introduction
WinRascol consists of two software components:
• WinRascol32: The queue and print manager. It queues print jobs and sends them to the film
recorder. WinRascol32 is the same program on Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT.
• WinRascol Printer Driver, or Windows BLL Generator: The printer driver is used when you
invoke the Print command from within a Windows application. Due to architectural differences
between Windows 95/98 and Windows NT, there need to be separate printer drivers for each
type of operating system.
There are several different ways to use WinRascol:
• The user on a PC with a film recorder attached can print by:
• Printing directly from an application with the WinRascol Printer Driver, or
• Adding image files directly to the queue with WinRascol32.
• The user on a PC without a film recorder can:
• Print from an application with the Windows BLL Generator to make BLL files, or
• Save images in one of the formats that WinRascol supports directly.
Introduction 27
BLLs and other image files should be placed into dropbox directories that are serviced automatically by
a PC with WinRascol. If dropbox directories are not accessible, BLL and other image files can be
copied to a disk and later added to WinRascol on the PC with a film recorder.
NOTE: Image files in dropbox directories will be automatically deleted after they are printed.
28 Principle of Operation
Printing from Windows on a PC without Film Recorder
Producing slides from Windows applications on a PC without film recorder is a simple four-step
process.
• Select a BLL-generator Driver as the output device for the Windows application on the PC.
• Create the images with the application.
• Print the images using the Print command from within the application on the client PC.
Introduction 29
Here is a diagram showing how this works:
!
NOTE: The dropbox directory can be located on a network server or on the server PC.
30 Principle of Operation
Important Concepts
This section explains resolution, color fidelity, and the differences between bitmaps and objects.
Resolution
Resolution can be defined in many ways. Dots per inch (DPI) is a common definition, but an impractical
one for slides and overhead transparencies because the DPI changes significantly when the image is
projected.
The most practical definition of resolution is the total number of dots (or pixels) in the image. The
following table compares the image resolution of several graphics output devices.
Device
Dots
Image Resolution
approx. DPI
VGA screen
640 by 480
307,200
58 (on 17” CRT)
Most laser printers
2400 by 3276
7,862,400
300
All LFR film recorders
4096 by 2731
11,186,176
2790 (on 35mm film)
LFR Mark III, Mark V
8192 by 5461
44,736,512
5945 (on 35mm film)
LFR Mark VI
16384 by 13438 220,168,192
11890 (on 35mm film)
Images produced by the LFR Mark VI contain over 716 times more dots than images on a VGA screen.
Important Concepts 31
When discussing film recorder resolution, the terms 2000-line slide, 4000-line slide and 8000-line slide
are commonly used. The number of lines refers to the number of dots across the image. Examples:
2000-Line Slide
4000-Line Slide
8000-Line Slide
NOTE: High end Lasergraphics film recorders can image up to 16384x13448 dots. This is
called 16000-line resolution. Some camera backs have a different aspect ratio that enables the
film recorder to output at higher vertical resolution like 4096x3362. This is still called 4000-line
resolution.
Color Fidelity
Color fidelity refers to the range of colors that can be reproduced in an image.
The range of colors that can be represented is defined by the number of bits per pixel used to store an
image. The more bits per pixel, the greater the range of colors.
Windows BLL Generator supports 24-bits per pixel, 8 for each of red, green, and blue. This results in
256 shades of each primary color, which can combine to form 16.7 million colors. Each pixel in an
image can be a different color.
32 Principle of Operation
Bitmaps and Objects
Images can contain bitmaps, objects, or both. Bitmaps consist of dots or pixels. Objects consist of
mathematical descriptions of a shape, such as a polygon or line. Applications that create bitmaps are
often called “paint” programs and those that create objects are often called “draw” or “illustration”
programs. Both graphics and text can be bitmaps or objects.
Graphics
At high-resolution, bitmaps look the same if the film recorder resolution exceeds the resolution of the
bitmap but objects get sharper.
You can usually tell bitmaps from objects by watching how the image is created when it is first displayed
on the screen. Bitmaps are usually drawn on the screen from top to bottom in one chunk. Objects are
assembled in pieces.
Text
Text can be a bitmap or an object, just as graphics can. Text that is part of a bitmapped graphic with
lower than film recorder resolution remains jagged at high-resolution. However, text that is an object
can get sharper when output at high-resolution.
Text created with ATM (Adobe Type Manager) or TrueType fonts is sharp at any size and resolution.
In addition, ATM and TrueType fonts will look the same on screen as on the slides printed by
WinRascol.
Important Concepts 33
Which Applications Create Bitmaps or Objects
Most images contain either bitmaps or objects, but some images can contain both. Here are some of
the more popular applications:
Bitmaps
• Adobe® Photoshop TM
• Aldus® PhotoStyler TM
• Microsoft® Paint
• ZSoft Corp. Publisher's Paintbrush®
Objects
• Aldus® PageMaker®
• Aldus® Persuasion®
• Computer Support Corp. Arts & Letters®
• CorelDRAW!®
• Harvard® Draw
• Harvard Graphics®
• Lotus Freelance Graphics®
• Micrografx® Charisma TM
• Micrografx® Designer TM
• Microsoft® PowerPoint®
• Microsoft® Excel®
Images from these applications may contain bitmaps that have been imported.
Both
•
Deneba CanvasTM
•
CorelDRAW TM
•
PowerPointTM
•
Lotus FreelanceTM
34 Principle of Operation
Chapter 6: Reference
This chapter provides detailed information about how to use Windows BLL Generator.
Printer Settings
Many Windows BLL Generator components will let you modify a wide variety of imaging options. This
section explains these options in detail. Later sections will explain where these options apply and how
to access them.
Resolution
Resolution controls the number of dots in the image according to the following table:
Name
Short
35mm resolution
120/220/4x5 resolution
Available on
Fast
2k
2048x1365
2048x1680
All
Fine
4k
4096x2731
4096x3360
All
Extra
8k
8192x5461
8192x6719
Mark III and above
Ultra
16k
16384x10923
16384x13438
Mark VI
Printer Settings 35
Note that the time it takes to image a slide will increase with the resolution setting approximately as
follows:
Resolution
2k
4k
8k
16k
Relative resolution
0.25
1
4
16
Relative imaging time
0.75
1
4
16
Approximate imaging time
30s
40s
150s
600s
Relative resolution is the total number of pixels relative to a 4k slide.
Relative imaging time is the time it takes to image relative to a 4k slide, on a theoretical basis.
Approximate imaging time is the time it minimally takes to image a slide in real life.
Orientation and Paper Size
Orientation specifies whether the output should be in Landscape or Portrait mode.
Landscape
Portrait
Paper size determines the paper dimensions returned to the application.
NOTE: Paper size does not correspond to the actual size of the film.
NOTE: Make sure to match the paper size and orientation settings of the printer driver with
those of your application. Some applications will ignore paper dimensions returned by the
printer driver. Paper size and orientation mismatches can lead to badly sized images.
36 Reference
Film Type
Film Type specifies the type of film in the camera back connected to the film recorder. Windows BLL
Generator supports two types of film, LFC-based and non-LFC based. LFC based film choices rely on
so-called LFC files that reside in the LGDATA\LFC directory. These LFC files contain transfer functions
for specific film/film recorder combinations. The transfer functions of non-LFC based films have been
pre-programmed into the film recorders.
NOTE: Choose LFC-based films over non-LFC-based films when possible!
Non-LFC based Film Types
Use Ektachrome 100 (35mm) with:
• 35mm camera back
• ISO daylight balanced slide film such as Ektachrome 100, Fujichrome 100 or Agfachrome 100
• All film recorders except the Digital Photography Models
Use Polachrome with:
• 35mm camera back
•
Polachrome instant 35mm slide film. You process the slides yourself using the Polaroid 35mm
Autoprocess System. Polachrome slides are only draft quality, but are useful if time or
confidentiality is important.
• All film recorders
Use Polaroid 339 with:
• Polaroid camera back
• Polaroid Instant Print film, which produces 4"x 3" instant prints. It is convenient for making test
prints and single print images.
• All film recorders except the Personal LFR and the Personal LFR PLUS
Use Polaroid 669 with:
• Polaroid camera back
• Polaroid Instant Pack film, which produces 3 3/4"x 2 7/8" instant transparencies
• All film recorders except the Personal LFR and the Personal LFR PLUS
Use Polaroid 691 with:
• Polaroid camera back
Printer Settings 37
• Polaroid 691 Overhead Transparency film, which produces 3 3/4"x 2 7/8" instant transparencies
• All film recorders except the Personal LFR and the Personal LFR PLUS
Use Kodacolor 100 with:
• 35mm camera back
• ISO daylight balanced print film
• All film recorders except Digital Photography Models
Use Ektachrome 100 (4x5) with:
• 4x5 camera back
• Ektachrome 100 4x5 film
• All film recorders except the Personal LFR., Personal LFR PLUS, LFR-X, and the Digital
Photography Models
Use Ektachrome 100 (120/220) with:
• 120 or 220 camera back
• Ektachrome 100 film
• LFR Mark II and LFR Mark III standard film recorders only
LFC-based Film Types
In addition, Windows BLL Generator supports Lasergraphics Film Calibration (LFC) files. These LFCs
support a variety of film types such as Kodak Gold 100 Plus, Vericolor III, etc. Each Lasergraphics Film
Calibration file provides calibration data for one film on one specific film recorder model. For example,
the 35mm Vericolor III LFC file for LFR Mark III will be different from the one for LFR Mark III - Digital
Photography Model.
38 Reference
Background Color
Background Color specifies the background color of the image. This setting is ignored if the
application explicitly sets the background color in the image. Use Background Color to set the color of
unpainted regions to white for text applications like Word. Otherwise, you might end up with black text
on black background!
Scaling
Scaling controls how the image is scaled for output. 100% keeps the image size unchanged. To
shrink the image, set the value to less than 100%. To expand the image, set the value to greater than
100%. The range of valid scaling values is 20% to 400%.
Minimum Exposure Time
This setting applies mostly to very old film recorders that have no internal slice mark control
mechanisms. Minimum Exposure Time controls the exposure time of the film recorder to eliminate slice
marks (periodic faint horizontal lines) on the output. Normally Fastest Possible should be selected. If
there are slice marks on the output slide, set the minimum exposure time to 1.5 times the normal
processing time of the image. If slice marks are still there, increase the value and try again.
Color Balance
Color balance controls the percentages of red, green and blue used in the film recorder. Normally,
each of the three colors is set to 100%. The range of valid color balance values is 25% to 400%.
Printer Settings 39
Contrast Gamma
Contrast Gamma allows for very fine contrast adjustment. The range of valid gamma contrast values
is 0.14 to 7.0. However, values between 0.25 and 2.0 are usually more practical. By adjusting the
gamma contrast value you can change the midtones of the image without affecting the highlights. As
the gamma contrast value decreases, output midtones become darker. As the gamma contrast value
increases, output midtones become lighter.
The graph under the scroll bar for gamma contrast adjustment (only available in some dialogs) shows
how input intensities are mapped to output intensities. The horizontal axis represents input intensities
which increase from left to right. The vertical axis represents output intensities which increase from
bottom to top.
40 Reference
Using the Windows 95/98 driver
Printing a document or image to a film recorder from an application is just like printing to any ordinary
printer. This process will vary slightly from application to application, but generally the Print command in
the application’s File menu will do the trick.
Printer settings in Windows 95/98
The printer driver allows changing a number of print settings. Most of these settings don’t need to be
changed in many cases, but you will always need to select the film type you want to use. The Print
dialog generally has a button that allows you to access the printer settings dialog.
Please see “Printer Settings” on page 35 for details on individual settings.
Using the Windows 95/98 Driver 41
This is the printer settings dialog in Windows 95.
• Choose the desired resolution in the Resolution box. Note that not all film recorders and film
types support all resolutions. Up to four different resolutions are available:
• 2k – Fastest selection – up to 2048 x 1680 pixels
• 4k – Fine resolution – up to 4096 x 3360 pixels
• 8k – Extra fine resolution – up to 8192 x 6719 pixels
• 16k – Ultra fine resolution – up to 16384 x 13438 pixels
Note that the higher the resolution, the longer it will take to print the image on the film recorder. As
a rule of thumb, 2k images will take at least 30 seconds, 4k images will take at least 40 seconds,
8k images will take at least 150 seconds and 16k images will take at least 600 seconds. The exact
times will vary with the complexity of the image, the speed of the interface, the film type and the
type of film recorder used.
42 Reference
• Orientation selects the image orientation.
• Output Size selects the “paper” format to use. This should match the paper format selected in
your application. You will generally get best results with the default “Standard Slide”. You can
also select a user defined paper size
NOTE: Make sure to match the paper size and orientation settings of the printer driver with
those of your application. Some applications will ignore paper dimensions returned by the
printer driver. Paper size and orientation mismatches can lead to badly sized images.
• Film selects the film to use.
Using the Windows 95/98 Driver 43
Color balance and gamma correction
• Color Balance controls the brightness of the three color channels.
• Gamma Correction controls the gamma correction. It is used to brighten or darken mid tones
of an image without changing the very dark and very bright pixels.
44 Reference
Miscellaneous options
• Compression selects a compression type for the BLL. Medium compression optimizes for
speed, while high compression optimizes for file size. Use high compression when you want to
send BLLs to a service provider using removable media or the Internet.
• Scale scales your image. The range is 25% to 400%. Note that scaling your image may result in
non-optimal use of film.
• Minimum Exposure Time is used to lengthen the imaging time in rare cases of slice marking.
Using the Windows 95/98 Driver 45
• Background Color selects the color that is used to paint the background. This color is used in
cases where the application does not specify a background color and when the aspect ratio of
the paper selected in the application doesn’t match the aspect ratio of the film.
The options Aspect Ratio, Raster Options and AntiAlias don’t apply for non-raster operations.
46 Reference
Changing the Default Printer Settings in Windows 95/98
The document default printer settings are used automatically when an application initializes the printer
settings of a document, usually when a document is created and when the selected printer is changed.
By setting the document defaults to the settings you normally use, you can simplify using the printer
driver.
You can find the default document settings by:
Selecting Start->Settings->Printers
right-clicking on the film recorder
selecting 'Properties’->’Details’->’Setup’
The default document settings dialog is the same as the printer settings dialog described in “Printer
settings in Windows 95/98” on page 41.
Using the Windows 95/98 Driver 47
Using the Windows NT driver
Printer settings in Windows NT
Printing a document or image to a film recorder from an application is just like printing to any ordinary
printer. This process will vary slightly from application to application, but generally the Print command
in the application’s File menu will do the trick.
The printer driver allows changing a number of print settings. Most of these settings don’t need to be
changed in many cases, but you will always need to select the film type you want to use. The ‘Print”
dialog generally has a button that allows you to access the printer settings dialog.
Please see “Printer Settings” on page 35 for details on individual settings.
48 Reference
The printer settings dialog looks like this:
• Selecting Paper Size: Select 'Paper Size' in the upper window, then choose a form in the lower
window. Default is 'LFR Standard Slide 7.33x11in'.
• Selecting Orientation: Select 'Orientation' in the upper window, then choose 'Portrait' or
'Landscape' in the lower window. The driver will rotate the rasterized image to fit the form on the
film using as much film as possible. Default is 'Portrait'.
• Selecting Copy Count: Select 'Copy Count' in the upper window, then choose the number of
copies in the lower window. Default is 1.
• Selecting Resolution: Select 'Resolution' in the upper window, then choose 2k, 4k, 8k or 16k in
the lower window. Note that not all film recorders support all resolutions. Default is 4k.
Using the Windows NT Driver 49
• Selecting Background Color: Select 'Background Color' in the upper window, then choose
'black' or 'white'. The background color determines the color imaged on film for areas that the
application decides not to rasterize on. The background color is also applied to areas that are
not imaged by the application due to the fit of the form on the film. Options are black and white.
Default is black. Select ‘White’ for text applications like Word that expect white paper.
• Selecting Exposure Speed: Select ‘Exposure Speed' in the upper window, then choose a
minimum exposure time in minutes. This setting selects the minimum time for the exposure. It is
used to slow down the film recorder in rare cases of banding. Default is 0 for maximum speed.
50 Reference
• Selecting Gamma Correction: Select 'Gamma Correction' in the upper window, then choose a
gamma value between 0.144 and 7. Default is 0.500.
• Selecting Color Balance: Select 'Red', 'Green' or 'Blue' in the upper window, then set a
balance value between 25 and 400. Default is 100 for red, green and blue.
• Compression selects a compression type for the BLL. Medium compression optimizes for
speed, while high compression optimizes for file size. Use high compression when you want to
send BLLs to a service provider using removable media or the Internet.
Storing Changed Settings
Press OK to store changed settings. 'Cancel' will undo all changes.
Using the Windows NT Driver 51
Changing the Default Printer Settings in Windows NT
The default document settings are used automatically when an application initializes the printer settings
of a document, usually when a document is created and when the selected printer is changed. By
setting the document defaults to the settings you normally use, you can make your life easier.
You can find the default document settings by:
Selecting Start->Settings->Printers
right-clicking on the film recorder
selecting 'Document Defaults…'
The default document settings dialog is the same as the printer settings dialog described in “Printer
settings in Windows NT” on page 48.
Please see “Printer Settings” on page 35 for details on individual settings.
52 Reference
Managing BLL-Generators
Open the BLL management dialog by selecting Start->WinRascol32->BLLConf and pressing
Add/Manage BLL Generators. The dialog looks like this:
This is the dialog:
Adding a BLL-Generator
•
Select Add generator. The following dialog is displayed:
•
Select the destination film recorder type in Film recorder type.
•
Enter the serial number of your film recorder in the Serial number edit box.
•
You can modify the name of the printer driver in the edit box Driver name. Windows BLL Generator
will select a default name for you.
•
Select the Destination directory in which the BLL files will be placed. Windows BLL Generator will
select the default temporary file path as default. You should select the network path of a WinRascol
drop box if you intend to use a film recorder that is connected to your network.
Managing BLL Generators 53
•
Press OK to create the BLL driver.
The BLL driver will now appear in the BLL-generator Administration dialog.
Changing Destination Path
Select Change Path in the BLL-generator administration dialog. A dialog will appear to allow you to
change the destination path. The destination path points to the directory in which generated BLLs are
placed.
Deleting a BLL-Generator
Select a BLL driver in the BLL-generator Administration dialog by clicking on it. Press Delete
generator. The BLL-generator will be deleted.
54 Reference
Modifying Driver Options
Open the Global driver settings dialog by selecting Start->WinRascol32->BLLConf and pressing
Configure Drivers. The dialog looks like this:
• Disk space usage sets the amount of free disk space the driver leaves minimally before
reporting Disk Full.
• Enable Power Smoothing Technology: This option enables a post processing feature that
attempts to correct a gradient fill problem of PowerPoint 97. Gradient fills printed from
PowerPoint 97 have very coarse steps and exhibit visible banding on high quality film recorders.
This option interpolates between bands to ease the effect.
• Enable Lotus Freelance Workaround: This switch enables a workaround for a bug in Lotus
Freelance 97. Freelance 97 will preview and print in black and white on true color printers.
Enabling this switch hides the fact that Lasergraphics film recorders are true color devices from
applications.
Note: Enabling this switch may affect printing from other applications adversely.
Note: Lotus will try to fix this problem in future releases.
Managing BLL Generators 55
Chapter 7: Uninstalling
When to use the Uninstaller
The uninstaller is used to remove all components of the Windows BLL Generator from your computer.
You will want to do this when
• You do not intend to use Windows BLL Generator on your computer any longer.
• The Windows BLL Generator installation has been corrupted. While you can reinstall Windows
BLL Generator over a corrupted installation of Windows BLL Generator, this is not
recommended.
You do not need to uninstall Windows BLL Generator when
• You want to install an update of Windows BLL Generator.
• You have used a Windows BLL Generator and now want to attach a film recorder directly.
• You have used a film recorder directly using WinRascol but want to install a BLL-generator.
When to use the Uninstaller 57
How to use the Uninstaller
You can uninstall the Windows BLL Generator package by selecting Uninstall in the WinRascol32
program group. Uninstall will do the following:
• Remove all Windows BLL Generator printer drivers
• Remove all Windows BLL Generator system drivers (NT only)
• Remove all Windows BLL Generator program and data files
• Remove all Windows BLL Generator related entries in the WIN.INI
• Remove all Windows BLL Generator entries in program groups (Startup and WinRascol32)
NOTE: It is best to run Uninstall after rebooting the computer and exiting all programs. Some
programs tend to leave printer drivers activated. Uninstall will fail in this case.
58 Uninstalling WinRascol
Chapter 8: Tips and Tricks
Tips and Tricks 59
This section gives tips and tricks on particular image types and applications.
Specific Applications
Adobe Type Manager (ATM)
Windows BLL Generator is fully compatible with Adobe Type Manager (ATM) fonts, version 1.15 or
newer. These fonts produce smooth text at any size and match text layout in your output with your
image on screen.
In ATM Control Panel, make sure the Print ATM fonts as graphics option is checked; otherwise, very
large ATM text may be missing in your output.
Arts & Letters
The long names of Windows BLL Generator devices may cause problems with Arts & Letters. To get
around the problems, you can shorten the Windows BLL Generator device names:
1. Open Start->Settings->Printers
2. Select the Windows BLL Generator printer
3. Use File->Rename to shorten the name of the printer
Corel Draw
In order to get a realistic preview of the document, be sure that the color selected as the Paper Color in
CorelDRAW's Page Setup window matches with the Background Color in Windows BLL Generator
Driver's setup window. For example, when printing to the film recorder, Windows BLL Generator's
default background color is black. Set Paper Color in CorelDRAW's Page Setup window to black, so
that the preview of the image in CorelDRAW will be correct.
If you are using CorelDRAW 3.00 Rev B or later, adding the following entry to the [CDrawConfig]
section of the CORELDRW.INI file will significantly improve the printing times of certain images:
UseClippingForFills=0
In the Print window of CorelDRAW, make sure the Print to File box is not checked.
Corel Draw 7
When using gradient fills in Corel Draw 7, make sure to select the highest number of steps at every
opportunity to avoid banding. Especially in the dialog hidden under PrintOptions->Options.
Also make sure to disable color management for composite print under Tools->Color Manager. This
will prevent the very strange discoloration caused by the default profile.
60 Tips and Tricks
CorelDRAW 8
CorelDRAW 8 will generate erroneous output when you choose a value higher than 256 for the number
of fountain steps in the miscellaneous printer options. CorelDRAW 8 will even crash while printing
gradient fills if the number is very high, like 2000.
Freelance Graphics for Windows Ver 1.0
If the text and/or objects on your slides are printed with a different color than those on your screen, do
the following:
1. In the Page Setup window of Freelance, click on Color Map.
2. Select Use Window's color map.
All bitmaps will appear in black and white when printed with Windows BLL Generator. This problem is
fixed in Freelance Graphics for Windows ver 2.0.
Freelance Graphics 97
Freelance Graphics 97 has a bug that makes it preview and print in black and white to true color
devices like Lasergraphics film recorders. Please enable the Lotus Freelance Workaround outlined in
“Modifying Driver Options” on page 55 if you experience this problem.
Persuasion
To make Persuasion print faster to Windows BLL Generator, you can modify the ALDUS.INI file. (The
ALDUS.INI file is usually located in the USENGLSH subdirectory under your ALDUS directory.) Use a
text editor (such as EDIT.COM from MS-DOS or NotePad from Windows) to add the following lines to
the end of the ALDUS.INI file:
[your_Windows BLL Generator_printer_name]
NoPatternOnlySolidFill=0
ROPtype=0
StretchImage=0
Specific Applications 61
where your_Windows BLL Generator_printer_name is the name of the Windows BLL Generator printer
as shown in the Installed Printer List of the Control Panel. For example, if you have an LFR, the lines
you should add are:
[LFR]
NoPatternOnlySolidFill=0
ROPtype=0
StretchImage=0
If you have a Personal LFR, the lines you should add are:
[Personal LFR]
NoPatternOnlySolidFill=0
ROPtype=0
StretchImage=0
After you have changed the ALDUS.INI file, restart Windows.
CAUTION: Please make sure the lines you are adding follow exactly the format described
here. A spelling mistake or an extra space may cause Persuasion to ignore these lines with no
warning.
PhotoStyler
You must check the Halftone by Printer box in PhotoStyler's Page Setup window. Otherwise,
PhotoStyler will limit the bitmaps to 16 colors when printing to Windows BLL Generator Driver.
If you choose Scale to Fit in the PhotoStyler's Print window, PhotoStyler will resample bitmaps to the
film recorder's resolution instead of letting Windows BLL Generator do the work. This will make
Windows BLL Generator print job files very large and make the processing very slow.
Word, Write
These applications assume a white background and always print text in black. So, when printing to the
film recorder, you must explicitly select a white Background in Windows BLL Generator Driver's setup
window. Otherwise, you will get black text printed on a black background.
62 Tips and Tricks
Appendix A: Specifications
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Supported PCs
Supported Output Devices
Any IBM PC compatible with a 486 processor or better and at least
16 MB of memory. Note that this represents the absolute minimum.
You will need more memory if you intend to use Windows NT or
have graphics intensive images.
All film recorders in the Lasergraphics LFR family are supported:
• Personal LFR
• Personal LFR PLUS
• LFR-X
• LFR Mark II
• LFR Mark II - Digital Photography Model (DPM)
• LFR Mark III
• LFR Mark III - Digital Photography Model (DPM)
• LFR Mark V - Digital Photography Model (DPM)
• LFR Mark VI - Digital Photography Model (DPM)
Specifications 63
Supported Operating
Environment
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT 5.0
Image Enhancements
Color balance
Gamma contrast
Fonts
TrueType
ATM (Adobe Type Manager) ver 1.5 or later
Software Selectable
Resolution (Film Recorder)
4000 lines (4096 x 2730 pixels)
2000 lines (2048 x 1366 pixels)
On LFR Mark III, LFR Mark III - Digital Photography Model, LFR
Mark III – Digital Photography Model and LFR Mark V – Digital
Photography model 8000 lines (8192 x 5461 pixels) are available.
On the LFR Mark VI – Digital Photography Model 16000 lines are
available
Film Types
Ektachrome 100 color slides
Kodacolor 100 color prints
Other ISO 100 films
Polachrome instant slides
Polaroid 339 Print instant prints (with optional Polaroid camera)
Polaroid 669 Print instant prints (with optional Polaroid camera)
Polaroid 691 instant transparencies (with optional Polaroid camera)
Ektachrome 100 4x5 transparencies (with optional 4x5 camera)
Ektachrome 100 Color Reversal 120/220 film (with optional 120
camera)
Lasergraphics Film Calibration (LFC) files, currently 176 film type
and film recorder combinations
64 Specifications
Output Problems 65
Glossary
antialiasing Assigning pixels at the edges of objects a graduated gray scale of values. This
dramatically reduces the appearance of jaggies.
Binary Lasergraphics Language (BLL) A proprietary print job format.
bitmap A type of graphic composed of a rectangular group of colored dots. Bitmaps have jagged
edges when output at high-resolution.
BLL An abbreviation for Binary Lasergraphics Language.
camera back A film recorder's camera.
client computer A computer without a film recorder. Users on client computers can put image files in
dropboxes so that the WinRascol server PC can pick up the image files and print them.
contrast Measures the range of shades between light and dark. Black and white is high contrast,
whereas two similar shades of gray is low contrast.
crop To trim an image prior to output.
DPI Dots per inch. Commonly used to specify printer resolution.
DPM Digital Photography Model. A film recorder model that is customized for digital photography.
Dropbox A shared directory where network users can put image files. A dropbox directory is scanned
by WinRascol periodically for image files to process. Dropboxes make film recorder sharing very easy.
font A typeface.
HPGL A popular computer-aided design drawing format on PCs.
jaggies Within an image, steps along the edge of a shape that should be smooth. Jaggies are
reduced by increasing resolution and/or antialiasing.
landscape An output orientation where the width is greater than the height. Also known as horizontal
or wide format. Compare to portrait.
Glossary 67
Lasergraphics Language A powerful graphics language that is common in the mainframe and
minicomputer environments.
Lasergraphics Film Calibration file A file that provides calibration data of a film type for a specific
LFR model. Therefore, the LFC file of 35mm Vericolor for LFR Mark III is different from the one for LFR
Mark III - Digital Photography Model.
LFC file See Lasergraphics Film Calibration file.
LFR Lasergraphics Film Recorder. Refers to a family of film recorders including the LFR, LFR PLUS,
Personal LFR, Personal LFR PLUS, LFR-X, LFR Mark II and LFR Mark III, and the Digital Photography
Models Mark II DPM, Mark III DPM, Mark V DPM and Mark VI DPM.
LL An abbreviation for Lasergraphics Language.
object A type of graphic composed of graphic primitives (e.g. circles, lines, polygons, etc.). The
graphic primitives are represented by their mathematical coordinates. Objects reproduce well at highresolution.
output To create an image on a film recorder.
pixel An acronym for picture element. A pixel is a single dot on your monitor or output device.
portrait An output orientation where the height is greater than the width. Also known as vertical or tall
format. Compare to landscape.
printer driver Software that knows how to communicate with a printer device.
queue A directory on your hard disk for storing temporary Windows BLL Generator print job files.
Rascol Refers to a family of high speed Lasergraphics image processors. Instead of burdening the
PC, WinRascol lets the Rascol perform the time- and memory-consuming task of rasterization. This
way you can continue to do work on your PC while the Rascol is busy rasterizing. The Rascols also
control the Lasergraphics film recorders. These days PCs have become so fast that they usually
rasterizer faster than Rascol devices.
Rascol II A Rascol model that plugs into your PC and acts as a fully independent co-processor that
performs rasterization and controls the film recorder.
Rascol IV A Rascol model that plugs into your PS/2 and acts as a fully independent co-processor that
performs rasterization and controls the film recorder.
RascolPort A high performance communication port for connecting to RISCRascol and Internal
Rascol. It can emulate the standard bi-directional parallel (LPT) port to work with most third party
printers.
raster See bitmap.
rasterization A time- and memory- consuming process for converting graphics objects into rasters for
output.
resolution The total number of dots in an image. Film recorder resolutions measured in lines
represents the number of dots across the image.
68 Glossary
RISCRascol A Rascol model that offers dramatic speed increase for the Lasergraphics film recorders.
For complex images, the RISCRascol is 15 times faster than the Rascol II/IV.
server PC A PC connected to a film recorder . The PC can run WinRascol Network Version to share
the film recorder with other network users via dropboxes.
TARGA A popular bitmap file format for PCs.
TIFF A popular bitmap file format for PCs.
Glossary 69
Index
Add, 53
CorelDRAW, 34, 60
24-bit color, 14
Adding, 19
Designer, 34
35mm prints, 13
Change path, 54
dropbox, 28
35mm slides, 13
Delete, 54
Excel, 34
Adobe Type Manager, 33,
60
Manage, 53
Exposure Speed, 50
Application
Printing from, 22
applications
draw, 33
illustration, 33
paint, 33
Arts & Letters, 34, 60
ATM, 33, 60
auto deletion, 28
Background Color, 39, 50
Bitmap, 33
Canvas, 34
Exposure Time, 39, 45
Charisma, 34
Film
Client Computers
printing on, 27
Color
Background, 39, 50
fidelity, 32
true-color, 14
Color Balance, 39, 44, 51
Contrast
Gamma, 40, 44
Copy count, 49
LFC based', 38
Non LFC based, 37
film transparencies, 13
Film Type, 37, 43
Ektachrome 100
(120/220), 38
Ektachrome 100 (4x5),
38
Kodacolor 100, 38
Lasergraphics Film
Calibration files, 38
BLL-generator
Index 71
slide
LFC files, 38
PageMaker, 34
Polachrome, 37
Paper Size, 36, 43, 49
2000-line, 32
Polaroid 339, 37
Persuasion, 34, 61
4000-line, 32
Polaroid 669, 37
Photoshop, 34
8000-line, 32
Polaroid 691, 37
PhotoStyler, 34, 62
Specifications, 63
Film Types, 64
Polaroid prints, 13
text
font
PowerPoint, 34
bitmap, 33
Printer Driver, 27
object, 33
ATM, 33, 60
Freelance, 34, 61
Windows 95/98, 41
Uninstalling WinRascol, 57
Freelance Graphics for
Windows, 61
Windows NT, 48
What’s new, 12
Gamma, 51
Contrast, 44
Guided tour, 21
Hardware
Required, 10
Harvard Graphics, 34
Lasergraphics Film
Calibration files, 37, 38
LFC files, 37, 38
LFR, 13
Microsoft Word, 62
objects, 33
Orientation, 36, 43, 49
Output Size, 36, 43
Printing
From application, 22
WinRascol
Reference, 35
About, 13
Resolution, 35, 42, 49
Installation, 17
defined, 31
Version 3.15, 12
image resolution, 13
What’s new, 12
Scaling, 39, 45
Server PC
printing on, 27
Settings, 35
Default, 47, 52
Windows 95/98, 41
Windows NT, 48
Setup, 18
slice marks, 39
72 Index
Windows 3.1x, 12
WinRascol Driver
Lasergraphics Film
Calibration files, 38
LFC files, 38
WinRascol32, 27
Installation, 18
Word, 62