About CED Plotters

• CED operates a fleet of wide-format inkjet printers, a.k.a. "plotters", from HP and Canon. View a list of our printers »
• All plotters are loaded with 36" wide rolls of 24 lb. bond paper. The corresponding "Media Type" for this paper is "Plain Paper".
• For best results incorporate a one-quarter inch white border around the edge of your document.
• Canon plotters cannot process a page size greater than 126" on the longest edge.
• You can use any software application to design your document.
• When design is complete, convert your document into Adobe PDF. Learn more »
• Misprints resulting from user error are not refundable.

I. Open Your File in Adobe Acrobat

1. Create your file in the application of your choice.
2. Save it as an Adobe PDF file. Learn more »
3. Open the file in Adobe Acrobat.
   • Do not print from other applications that can open PDFs.
4. Select File → Properties
5. Immediately look at the PDF Document Properties.
   • Page Size is displayed as "Width x Length" in inches.
     • In the example below, 46.59" x 35.34" is too wide and will cause a misprint because 46.59" is wider than the 36" paper loaded in the printer.
6. If the preoperties do not match what you expected, open your original document in its original application, adjust, and re-create your PDF.
   • Plotter paper is 36” wide but always allow for a one-quarter inch border when printed. In other words, the design of your document shouldn't be more than 35.5" wide on one side.
   • If your document is exactly 36” wide it may misprint.
   • If it is larger than 36” wide it will misprint.

II. Select Plotter and Identify Default Sizes

1. Select File → Print for the initial print setup.
2. Select the correct plotter in the "Printer" drop-down menu.
3. Inspect the Document Size and the Page Size above the print preview image.
   • By default, Adobe Acrobat defaults sets the Page Size to 8.5" x 11", a.k.a. "Letter" size and the "Orientation" to "Portrait" -- no matter the size of your document.
   • In the example below, note the mismatch between the Document Size (35.3" x 46.6") and the Page Size (8.5" x 11"). This will result in a misprint if we don't adjust our Page Size as described later.
   • "Clipped" misprints normally indicate a discrepancy between the "Document" size, the "Page Size", and/or the size of the paper loaded in the printer.
4. Make sure "Choose paper source by PDF page size" is not checked.
5. Do not select "Print in grayscale" if you are printing color.
6. Side note: The color black may output as a mixture of colors on a color printer, depending on the nature of the document being printed. Black may output as blue-black, red-black, etc. It's a good idea to print a color test first by printing your document at a smaller size. Only by using a black and white printer, or by making all the graphics yourself, can you guarantee that all of the black areas in your document will appear identical.

III. Portrait or Landscape

1. Note the options in the "Orientation" section of the "Print" dialog box.
2. The default setting is typically “Auto portrait/landscape". This is usually the best choice, although you can change it as needed.
3. In some situations, this option can result in a misprint, so test first.
4. When possible, design your original document with the proper orientation in mind so you don't have to worry about this setting.

IV. Mismatched Sizes = Misprints

1. Under "Page Sizing & Handling", select "Actual size" (which is usually checked by default).
   • Note the Document Size and Page Size dimensions above the print preview on the right size of the print dialog box. Mismatched sizes will result in misprints.
     • For example, note the size mismatch in the image below. This print job will print, tiled, on 8.5” x 11” paper. Clicking on the "Poster" button reveals how the document would be split up onto 24 letter-sized sheets of paper if we printed it using these settings. See the example in the image below. Misprints of this nature are not eligible for a refund.
        
     • Note the matching sizes in the image below. This indicates you're on the right path to a successful print job.
       s

V. Page Size & Handling Options

Under "Page Sizing & Handling", select the option that best suits your print job:

• Fit
  • Reduces/enlarges each page to fit the printable area of the selected paper size
  • Depending on the file, this may misprint with fuzzy images or with some images resized and others not. Resulting misprints are not refundable.
• Actual Size
  • If your document size and page size are the same, this is usually the best choice.
  • Prints the pages without scaling
  • Pages or selections that are larger than the paper size will be cut off. Resulting misprints are not refundable.
• Shrink oversized pages
  • Shrinks large pages to fit the selected paper size
  • Does not enlarge small pages. Resulting misprints are not refundable.
  • If an area is selected and is larger than the printable area of the currently selected paper, it’s scaled to fit the printable area.
• Custom Scale
  • Resizes the page by the percentage you specify
  • Can cause issues. It is better to reformat your document in its original software.

VI. Properties and Page Setup

1. Click on the "Properties" button
2. Click on the "Main" tab.
   • Media Type: Select the choice that matches the paper loaded in the printer. Standard CED paper roll is “Plain Paper".
3. Click on the "Page Setup" tab.
   1. Borderless printing is not recommended. It may cause misprints.
   2. Selecting an option to “rotate” the print job can eliminate paper waste and, depending on the size of your document, may eliminate the need to manually trim one or more edges.
      
   3. Roll Paper Width: This should always be 36” for a plotter in CED, otherwise your print job may be "cut off" at the edge of the page or appear "shifted."
   4. Page Size: This is the paper size you will print to. For plotters, this should be equal to or smaller than the size of the paper loaded in the plotter. If it's smaller, you may have to manually trim the resulting print along one edge.
      • The Page Size will appear as "Custom Size" if it's not an industry-standard page size.
      • The Page Size typically defaults to 8.5” x 11” no matter the size of your document.
      • To change the Page Size (method 1; preferred):
        • Select File → Print, then click the "Properties" button, then click the "Page Setup" tab. 
        • Click on the drop-down menu next to "Page Size" and select “Custom Size”.
        • Enter the width (36" or less) and height (125.98" or less), then click "OK".
      • To change the Page Size (method 2; only if necessary):
        • Select File → Print, then click the "Properties" button, then click the "Page Setup" tab, then click the "Size Options" button.
        • Using this method, you can specify a height up to 708.66".

VII. Send Your Print Job

1. Click [OK] to go back to the Adobe Acrobat "Print" window.
2. Above the print preview, verify that the document size and the page size match -- or if you're being adventurous, at least make sense for the task at hand. The "Document" size must always be equal to or smaller than the page size (the dimensions directly above the preview image, below the "Document" dimensions.)
3. Before printing, physically inspect the plotter to ensure that paper is loaded, it's online, and not exhibiting any errors.
4. Click the [Print] button and head back to the plotter to watch the magic happen.
5. Inspect the first few rows of your plot while the print is in progress to ensure that everything looks good.
6. If you spot a problem, cancel the job and you might be eligible for a partial refund. Learn more about refunds »

VIII. Tips

• Do not use MS Edge PDF, use ADOBE PDF
• Do not rely on the Adobe PDF application to fix all original file mistakes
• Get your original file correct in the first place and plotting is easier
• Do test prints (print as a smaller size)
• Check on color, line and image quality
• Do not procrastinate on plotting
• Plotting is hard & mistakes are easy to make
• Even the most experienced users make mistakes
• Even the most perfect poster will have issues
• Give your self enough time to work through the problems
• Canon plotters have memory issues when length of image is greater than 126”
• Avoid full page graphics
• Keep DPI (dots per inch) between 150-250 max
• Saturate the paper with too much ink and it will tear
• Better to plot image-heavy or borderless documents in the Student Tech Center (STC) using the photo quality plotter on satin photo paper.

IX. Troubleshooting

Banding

• Check correct paper type, check print-quality settings (try something a bit higher, switch “speed” to “quality”)

Thick, Thin, or Missing Lines

• Check correct paper type
• Check print-quality settings (use “maximum detail” if available)
• Depending on the file, consider vector printing rather than raster
• If the resolution of your image is > the printing resolution there will be loss of line quality

Jagged Lines

• Check correct paper/media type
• Check print-quality settings (use “maximum detail” if available)
• This may be inherent in the image so improve the image within the original software

Colored Shading in Images

• Original image may have been cut-copied and the shade came from original source that is interpreted as a color
• Could be a light gray that shows up as blue for example
• This would be a misprint

Missing Objects

• Try a smaller page size & scale to the final size in the front panel
• Try saving file in a TIFF or EPS format and open with another app
• Try reducing the resolution of bitmap images

Resending Print Jobs

• Do not resend a job if it doesn't print right away
• Check if your job was sent via the print queue
• No refund for multiple prints of the same image

Print Job Cut Off

• Incorrect or inconsistent size settings
• Incorrect margin settings
• Incorrect orientation

Non-Adobe PDF

• May result in sizing, orientation issues
• May result in lines, colors, missing image issues

Loading Incompatible Paper

• Bristol is not approved for Canon or HP plotters
• No refunds for print jobs on your own paper
• Learn more about loading your own sheet paper »

Color Issues

• For many reasons, it is difficult to impossible to make your plotted output match the colors you see on the screen
• Monitors and scanners are based on an "additive" color system, using the RGB (red, green, blue) color space, while the plotters are based on a "subtractive" system and use CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black)
• Different monitors can vary in many ways, including calibration, variances in the phosphors and bit depths
• Also the range of colors is widely different, with monitors displaying many more colors than any printing device
• BLACK comes in many colors (blue-black, red-black, etc) so test your prints to verify color
• Remember colors will also look different on different types of paper
• If precise color rendition is important to you, consider doing a small test print or print on the photo color plotter in the Student Tech Center (STC).