Strange PDF printing problems

Nigel Ridley nigel at rmk.co.il
Tue Sep 16 17:58:35 UTC 2008


Dotan Cohen wrote:
> 2008/9/16 Nigel Ridley <nigel at rmk.co.il>:
>> I recently downloaded a user manual from Mackie.com:
>> http://www.mackie.com/pdf/onyx1640_om.pdf
>>
>> After downloading it I wanted to print it - but it would only print some colored heading but not
>> the actual text. This was using both Adobe Reader 8 and KPDF. Actually I couldn't even highlight
>> and copy any text (the resulting box only gave the option of copying a graphic to the clipboard).
>>
>> I ended up printing it from my wife's XP computer at work. Why should the Windows version of
>> Adobe Reader 8 print it when the Linux version wouldn't?
>>
>> OK. things got stranger. I also use Scribus and somebody offered a script to reduce the size of
>> large PDF's. It uses pdftops and pstopdf with a simple perl script (being lazy and tired, I just
>> ran the script on the PDF - 'just to see').
>> Anyway, there were a couple of errors:
>>
>> nigel at laptop:~/Documents/PDF_scripts$ ./compress-newsletter.pl
>> /home/nigel/Hamaayan/Newsletters/September-08/Test/onyx1640_om.pdf
>> Running pdftk ...
>> Error: Failed to open PDF file:
>>    /home/nigel/Hamaayan/Newsletters/September-08/Test/onyx1640_om.pdf
>>    OWNER PASSWORD REQUIRED, but not given (or incorrect)
>> Errors encountered.  No output created.
>> Done.  Input errors, so no output created.
>> Use of uninitialized value in pattern match (m//) at ./compress-newsletter.pl line 202.
>> Running pdftops ...
>> Running gs ...
>> Running pdfopt ...
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 nigel nigel  2071083 2008-09-15 19:13
>> /home/nigel/Hamaayan/Newsletters/September-08/Test/onyx1640_om_new.pdf
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 nigel nigel  1897192 2008-09-06 15:25
>> /home/nigel/Hamaayan/Newsletters/September-08/Test/onyx1640_om.pdf
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 nigel nigel 63134149 2008-09-15 19:12
>> /home/nigel/Hamaayan/Newsletters/September-08/Test/onyx1640_om.ps_8U1cYk
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 nigel nigel  2068838 2008-09-15 19:13
>> /home/nigel/Hamaayan/Newsletters/September-08/Test/onyx1640_om.tmp_XXJ0Db
>> nigel at laptop:~/Documents/PDF_scripts$
>>
>> but it did produce a PDF that I could highlight and copy text from - but on copying the text (and
>> some graphics) into OpenOffice - it still wouldn't print (as if the text was invisible) BUT, and
>> this is a bit weird - I then changed the fonts/text to a different color (80% gray - I try to
>> save ink!) and it printed!!??
>>
>> What's going on? Anybody care to enlighten me?
>>
> 
> Nigel, for me on Kubuntu 8.04 KDE 3.5.10 the PDF opened fine in
> Okular. I could copy text (text, not only image) and test prionting in
> the Print Preview and Print To PDF both worked fine.
> 
> Which KDE do you use? How does Print To PDF turn out? As the problem
> is common to both KPDF and to Acrobat, which I do not think share any
> code, I suspect your print drivers (or even the printer, if it is not
> the same machine as your wife connects to).
> 

Hi Dotan,

Using KPDf I can 'see' the text in the print preview but it doesn't print.
If I open it in Acroread and print to file, then open the resulting .ps with KGhostView, I again 
can 'see' the text in the print preview but it doesn't print. Actually the printer (an Epson 
Stylus CX3700) does all the sounds and mechanical works - I can hear the print head going back 
and forward, nice and slowly as if it's printing something but it's invisible! It just prints a 
piece of text on the side column (vertically) "Owner's manual      ONYX 1640" in a light blue color.

My wife's XP box is in her office at work - not connected at all to mine (at home).

I am using Kubuntu 8.04 KDE 3.5.9

Blessings,

Nigel

-- 
PrayingForIsrael.net
http://www.prayingforisrael.net/






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