Welcome to the UserPrep Files directory. FreeHand 7 UserPrep ReadMe October 1996 Overview: This directory consists of a set of files containing PostScript code that can be used to modify the printing of FreeHand 7 documents to PostScript printers. These files also modify EPS files generated by FreeHand 7. They have no effect on PCL printing. These files are optional because they take advantage of features or work around features or flaws specific to individual printers. How to use a UserPrep file: The installer places the files in a directory named "Userprep." Glance through the UserPrep listing below and decide which, if any, UserPrep you need. Select the UserPrep file you wish to use from the UserPrep pop-up in the Print Setup dialog, which is available through the Print dialog. You can also type the name of the UserPrep file you wish to use in the "Name of UserPrep file" field in the Expert Input/Output category of the Preferences dialog. Please note that FreeHand includes the UserPrep in the EPS output as well as the print output. This can be a good thing, if you are generating EPS for a film recorder and you want the "Slides.prp" fix. However, it is possible to get an undesired UserPrep if you leave the preference set when exporting. The following UserPreps are available: Channl24.prp - This UserPrep is for correcting EPS files generated by Channel24, a Photoshop filter. These EPSs will cause a typecheck error:offending command:setgray error when printed from FreeHand to any PostScript printer, unless this UserPrep is used. Hyphen.prp - This UserPrep works around a problem we encountered with FreeHand with some versions of the Hyphen brand of PostScript interpreter. The symptom was that Gradient fills failed with a PostScript error when printing to this RIP. Note: This UserPrep will cause Gradient fills to print more slowly. Moreband.prp - This UserPrep is useful for Level 2 PostScript color printers that have a limited amount of memory. The symptom is that print jobs fail, often with a PostScript limitcheck error, when there are numerous Gradient fills in the print job. This UserPrep forces FreeHand to generate wider bands of colors in Gradient fills. This reduces the quality of output, but improves the speed and reduces the memory requirement, possibly allowing files to print that would not otherwise print. We have seen these sorts of problems with Level 2 color printers with less than 8MB of memory using letter paper. Seikover.prp - This UserPrep is specifically for the Seiko ColorPoint2 printer with 4 color media loaded. It enables object level overprinting from FreeHand 7. To demonstrate this, draw a 100% magenta ellipse on top of and partially overlapping a 100% yellow ellipse. Turn on overprinting for the magenta ellipse in the Fill Inspector, and print. The overlapped area will be yellow overprinted with magenta, producing red. This UserPrep will allow you to review the effect of object-level overprinting on the ColorPoint2. Note: This UserPrep will produce incorrect output on Level 2 color printers that do not support overprinting. Also, this UserPrep does not take ink-level overprinting into account. Slides.prp - This UserPrep is specifically for output to film recorders with VBS Professional Output Manager. The symptom is that Radial fills, and occasionally some Graduated fills, seem to break up and let the background color leak through the fill. This UserPrep overlaps the colors more to address this problem. It will cause Radial and Graduated fills to print slightly more slowly. Smthrads.prp - This UserPrep is specifically for output to 300 to 600 dpi monochrome printers (LaserWriter, HP4M, LaserWriter 630, etc.). It smoothes the Gradient fills, reducing banding. The only drawback is that print time is increased. It has no effect on color printers, or imagesetters. Tiles.prp - This UserPrep is intended for high resolution Level 2 printers that are having trouble with Tiled fills. Certain Tiled fills would cause the RIP to take several hours to process a relatively small job. This UserPrep will cause all Tiled fills to print more slowly on Level 2 printers than they normally would. However, it will speed up the print time of the problematic Tiled fills. The problem was discovered on AGFA SelectSet 7000 and AGFA ProSet 9800 using an AGFA Level 2 RIP with AGFA Balanced Screening turned on. Copyright 1996 Macromedia, Inc. All rights reserved.