Graphics in documents and file sizes (XP)

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Word XP on WinXP and Visio2002 (Default printer driver postscript)

I’ve been trying to add some Visio diagrams to a Word document and was appalled by how long it took to print so I’ve been doing a bit of an experiment. I saved two Viso diagrams both in JPG and GIF format and then inserted them into blank Word documents.

I then looked at the file size of the file and the size of the print job as it spooled to the printer with the following results:

• JPG format: file size 2000kb; PCL printer spool 900kb; PS printer spool 29000kb!!!
• GIF format: file size 500kb; PCL 640kb; PS 43000kb!!!
  [/list]I then Cut the Visio diagrams from Visio and did a “Paste Special| Picture” into Word:
  • File size 35kb; PCL too fast to catch; PS 650kb
    [/list]Which raises a few questions:
    1. What is the “Picture” format in Paste Special? (Dot what?)
    2. For “Picture” images, size is obviously the Pro, what is the Con?
    3. Is there any workaround for printing images to a postscipt printer? (My understanding is that the huge file sizes is because the printer has to be instructed where to place every pixel of the image).

    Any ref sites would be most apprciated. TIA
    .

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> 1. What is the “Picture” format in Paste Special? (Dot what?)

Most likely 24-bit BMP, which is compressed when saving.

>2. For “Picture” images, size is obviously the Pro, what is the Con?

You cannot double click and work on the document in its originating application. You might or might not care.

>3. Is there any workaround for printing images to a postscipt printer? (My understanding is that the huge file
> sizes is because the printer has to be instructed where to place every pixel of the image).

All printers will need to receive raster data bit by bit, but PostScript appears to be a more verbose language than PCL.

Reply | Quote

> 1. What is the “Picture” format in Paste Special? (Dot what?)

Most likely 24-bit BMP, which is compressed when saving.

>2. For “Picture” images, size is obviously the Pro, what is the Con?

You cannot double click and work on the document in its originating application. You might or might not care.

>3. Is there any workaround for printing images to a postscipt printer? (My understanding is that the huge file
> sizes is because the printer has to be instructed where to place every pixel of the image).

All printers will need to receive raster data bit by bit, but PostScript appears to be a more verbose language than PCL.

Reply | Quote