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-
- Studio Professional Update V2.15b
- (Online Version)
-
- This update is for all Studio V2.14 users. It mainly updates the
- current Canon and Epson Workbench driver and provides additional
- support for the latest Epson printers. It updates the Studio
- printing program, PageStream 3.1/3.2 and ImageFX Studio driver.
-
- If you own V2.13 or an older version of Studio, please contact
- your distributor for an update. The updates are also available
- for free download from the Internet (AmiNet) or CompuServe.
-
- As usual, because of a bug in the Commodore Installer program,
- it's recommended you enable the default Topaz 8 font on your
- system during installation. The installer might not show all
- options during installation with certain different sized fonts.
- This is a general recommendation and does not only apply to
- Studio.
-
- The update program will not alter your original Studio disks and
- will update the installed Studio software. However, you do need
- the first of your original Studio disk for running this install
- program.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Here is the list of the latest Studio distributors:
-
- Germany: Australia & New Zealand
- Deutschland: GSoft Australia Pty Ltd.
- arXon GmbH PO Box 59
- Assenheimer Str. 17 Elizabeth SA
- D-60489 Frankfurt Australia 5114
- Germany Tel: 088-284-1266
- Tel: 069-978410-26 Fax: 088-284-0922
- Fax: 069-978410-30 (English Version)
- (German Version)
-
- The Netherlands: North America:
- MacroSystem NL Safe Harbor Computers
- Tromplaan 1 W226 N900 Eastmound Drive
- 3951 CL-Maarn Waukesha
- Tel: 034344-2969 WI 53186
- Fax: 034344-3103 Tel: 414-548-8120
- (English Version) Fax: 414-548-8130
- (English Version)
-
- United Kingdom: Belgium:
- HiSoft Click! b.v.b.a.
- The Old School, Greenfield Boomsesteenweg 468
- Bedford MK45 5DE 2610 Wilrijk
- Tel: 0525-718181 Tel: 038281815
- Fax: 0525-713716 Fax: 038286736
- (English Version) (English Version)
-
- France: Spain:
- Free Distribution Software TU Amiga Ordinadors
- 82 Rue De Sailly Plaza Pedro IV No 4,7-3
- 59390 Toufflers 08120 La Liagosta
- Tel: 03-20020663 Barcelona
- Fax: 03-20821799 Tel: (93) 560 3604
- Fax: (93) 560 3607
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Notices for Canon BJC users
-
- You must have a Studio CanonBJ-EC driver and CanonBJECPref program
- installed in order to get the driver updated by this update disk.
- This update fixes a serious problem with the Studio V2.14 driver
- that might cause Amiga systems with a slow 68000 CPU to crash.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Notices for users of the Epson_ESC-P2 output module
-
- This update will replace the Epson_ESC-P2 output module for the
- Studio printing program. Density 6 will now print using
- 360*720dpi in order to support using profiles simulating Windows
- 95 normal paper printing.
-
- Note that the online version of the Studio V2.15 update contains
- additional profiles for older Stylus Color (II, 500,...) printers.
- The floppy disk version of the update doesn't contain these
- profiles because lack of disk space.
-
- So, if you didn't get profiles offered for older Epson printers
- (Stylus Color, Stylus Color 500...) with this update, check out
- the Internet (AmiNet) or one of the AmiNet CDROMs. For more about
- these profiles read below.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Notices for Epson Stylus Color 400, 600, 800, 1520, 3000 users
-
- First, most of the new software included with the Studio V2.15
- update is intended for these new Epson printers.
-
- Before installing this update, you should have installed the
- Studio printing software once. It actually doesn't matter for
- wich printer you install the Studio software. However, it's best
- you once install the main Studio software for an Epson ESC/P2
- emulation printer. Run this update after you installed the main
- software.
-
- After installing the update, the software will be setup for your
- new Epson printer for normal DIN A4 sized paper with 720*720dpi
- (Density 7). If you want to use a different paper type or print
- resolution, you usualy do have to change the color adjustment.
- For the Workbench EpsonP2 driver this is done using EpsonP2Pref.
- You can find several setups in the "Presets" menu of EpsonP2Pref.
- For the Studio printing program, this is done using color profiles
- as described in the Studio manual.
-
- US Letter size paper users should change the paper size in the
- "Module Config..." windows of the Epson output module to US
- Letter. The default is DIN A4 and thus would cause blank pages to
- be printed on US Letter paper. Changing the paper size of the
- output module might cause some errors message to appear as the
- paper size settings in the Studio printing program are not valid
- for the selected paper size. Ignore them. Instead use the "Max
- Page and Print Size" menu item to correct all settings for the new
- paper size to the maximum value possible on US Letter. A menu
- item that you should note yourself as it's sometimes pretty
- usefull.
-
- ---
-
- The new Epson printers offer a smaller unprintable margin. While
- all older Epson compatible printers print something like 2880 dots
- per line on a US Letter or DIN A4 page, the new Epson printers are
- different. In order to allow using the increased print area and
- make sure the ouput is centered on the page, the EpsonP2 Workbench
- driver now supports a "Large Paper Size" setting for the new
- Stylus Color 400/600/800/1520/3000 printers. The checkmark can be
- found in EpsonP2Pref's "Page Size and Margins..." window. The
- setting should always be turned ON for these printers (and most
- likely new Epson models). Enabling the checkmark also causes the
- EpsonP2 Workbench driver automaticly to enable MicroWeave for
- printing 720 dpi as required by these printers.
-
- If you want to generate ESC/P2 compatible printer files that work
- with older ESC/P2 printers, don't enable "Large Paper Size". In
- this case, it's your responsibility to enable MicroWeave for
- printing 720dpi. Only older Stylus Color (II,...) Epson printers
- allow printing 720dpi without MicroWeave.
-
- ---
-
- In order to show the power of the Studio Color Management System,
- profiles simulating the colors of Epsons Windows 95 driver are
- included. These profiles will cause Studio to print simular to
- the Windows 95 Epson driver. Epson did a pretty good job with
- their Windows 95 drivers. So you can expect the same nice colors
- using the included profiles with Studio. There is only a very
- very minor difference in the dither pattern as the Windows 95
- driver uses a slightly different dither method. All profiles
- simulating the Windows 95 driver are for use with the Floyd
- Steinberg Serpentine dither method.
-
- All Windows 95 color settings ("automatic") for various paper and
- print resolutions are available in Studio as profiles. You can
- also find several other profiles for different dither methods.
-
- Please note that the Studio Color Management System allows
- adjusting the software to your given monitor or image source.
- This can not be done with the Windoes 95 driver. So, if you want
- to get the same output as the Windoes 95 driver, you should set
- the Monitor Gamma value in the "Monitor..." window of Studio to
- 1.9. If not, set the monitor gamma value to a value matching your
- system. If your output is too dark/red after setting the monitor
- gamma for your monitor, try lowering the monitor gamma value until
- the output matches your screen. If the output is to bright,
- increase the gamma value. This only has to be done once.
-
- ---
-
- MicroWeave: please note that the documentation of Epson states
- that turning on MicroWeave will make printing much slower. This
- is not correct anymore for the new printers. The Studio output
- module do the MicroWeave printing by software similar to the
- Windows 95 driver. The MicroWeave offered by the printer itself
- ("Hardware" MicroWeave) is still slower and but is not used by the
- output module.
-
- So, you should always leave the MicroWeave option in the Module
- Config window ON, unless you have certain wishes or want to try
- things out. Only in the case of 360*360 dpi leaving MicroWeave
- off means you can print slightly faster.
-
- The software MicroWeave used by the output modules doesn't cause a
- slow down. It also does interleave lines verticaly and
- horizontaly. This results in nearly no visible banding in the
- output. However, software MicroWeave does require memory on your
- system. The amount of memory needed depends on the position of
- the printed image on your page, the print resolution and the
- output mode (color or b/w). The usual requirement for software
- MicroWeave is roughly 1-2.5MByte. In case you do run out of
- memory, it's good to know:
-
- 1. Unlike other Amiga software, if allocation of memory fails by
- the Studio software, you will have the chance to "Retry" in most
- cases. This means, if you do run out of memory during printing,
- you have the chance of freeing memory by quitting other programs
- on your system and continue printing. You don't have to restart
- the printing from beginning.
-
- 2. Software MicroWeave does require roughly twice the amount of
- memory when you start printing at the top of the page. If you set
- the Print Dimension Y value to a value of greater than 1 cm (or
- 0.4 inch), the amount of memory will be smaller. You can also
- permanently set the Page Dimension Y value. In this case you
- won't be able to accidently drag the print dimensions to the top
- margin of the printed page.
-
- ---
-
- Is it worth printing 1440 dpi? You have to decide yourself if
- doubling the print times for printing 1440*720 instead of 720*720
- is really worth it. I would recommend printing a high resolution
- image of high quality with both densities on the printer. Simply
- compare the two printed images and decide yourself. Because I
- think the 1440dpi is not worth the extra time/work, it is only
- supported by the output modules.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Notices for Epson Stylus Color 1520 and 3000 users
-
- Note that the Stylus Color 800, 1520 and 3000 use the same output
- module for the printing program. Often there was not enough space
- to note the Stylus Color 1520 and 3000. So as general rule: if
- your Stylus Color 1520 or 3000 is not mentioned, use the Stylus
- Color 800 settings. They have been made with the Stylus Color
- 1520/3000 in mind.
-
- The output module does offer Banner and Tractor setting. These
- settings should not be used on the Stylus Color 800. Basicly, the
- setting reflects what the Windows 95 driver does documented in
- your printer manual:
-
- 1. When selecting "Banner" feeding, you can print banners on the
- Stylus Color 1520 and 3000. The driver basicly does set the top
- and bottom margin of the printer to zero as described by the Epson
- manuals. However, the manuals don't mention that there is an
- unprintable margin (just some lines) when using software
- MicroWeave. If you require continues printing without absolutly
- no visible gap, turn off the MicroWeave option and don't use 1440
- dpi (wich automaticly enforces software MicroWeave).
-
- 2. You can set the module to "Tractor" feeding. In this case,
- you want to print on endless paper. For instance, if you want the
- driver to print on 10x11 inch paper, set the mode to Tractor and
- than set the Paper size to "Used Defined". Set the paper width
- gadget in the Module Config window to 10 inch and height gadget to
- 11 inch.
-
- When setting the driver to tractor mode, it basicly does apply a
- larger top/bottom/right/left unprintable margin for the defined
- paper size. Again, this is similar to the Windows 95 driver (by
- the time of this writting, the Windows 95 driver didn't seem to
- work correctly and sometimes print sizes/margins are calculated
- wrongly).
-
- Basicly, you you can use any of the three feeding mechanism
- (normal, banner and tractor) with endless paper and you usualy
- have to choose the one that you want for your specific task
- (normal: margins like on normal paper; banner: no top/bottom
- margins; Tractor: the usualy increased margins for endless
- paper).
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Notices for users of the ONLINE version of the V2.15 update
-
- As described above, there are two versions of the Studio V2.15
- update. The online version does contain additional Epson profiles
- that don't fit on the floppy disk version of the Studio V2.15
- update.
-
- So, here are some info's about the additional profiles and who
- should/can use them:
-
- The additional profiles allow Studio to print using similar colors
- to the latest Windows 95 driver (V2.2-V2.22). All profiles are
- made for the Floyd Steinberg Serpentine dither routine. This is
- maybe not the best dither routine for printing using Studio, but
- as far as the colors in the output are concerned, it comes closest
- to the Windows 95 driver.
-
- To check all available profiles on your installed system you can
- use the "Avail..." button the "Match..." window of Studio. All
- profiles are adjusted to a Monitor Gamma of 1.9 in order to
- simulate the Windows 95 driver (read notes above for SC
- 400/600/800/1520/3000).
-
- Stylus Color 400:
-
- You will find some additional color profiles specificly for the
- Stylus Color 400. Colors printed using these profiles more
- closely match the Windows 95 driver colors. The normaly shipped
- profiles are already fine. So these profiles are most likely only
- of use to those, who need exact document sharing with a PC.
- (These Stylus Color 400 profiles may also be located on the normal
- floppy disk version of the update)
-
- Stylus Color 400/600/800/1520/3000
-
- Note that you also might find a special High Quality (HQ) profiles
- for the Stylus printer based on the Windows 95 driver. Each of
- these HQ profiles is roughly 150KByte in size (normal 15KByte).
- They will also result in a similar increased need for memory
- during printing. HQ profiles simply offer a greater precission
- for adjusting colors. Thus it can simulate the Windows 95 driver
- colors more closely. So these profiles are most likely only of
- use to those, who need exact document sharing with a PC.
-
- Stylus Color:
-
- Users of the first Stylus Color printer will find these profiles
- very usefull. Note that the install program will only install the
- profiles for you and will not alter your current Studio settings.
- The profiles basicly support all the print resultions/paper types
- offered by the Windows 95 driver.
-
- In order to use these new profiles, you have to select them first.
- In case you still don't know how to do this (haven't read the
- manual?):
-
- 1. Select the Floyd Steinberg (Serp.) dither routine. The profiles
- have been made for this dither method.
-
- 2. select the wanted output mode (color or b/w) and print
- resolution.
-
- 3. Get into the "Match..." window and select the Stylus Color
- profile wanted.
-
- 4. Enable the "Color M. System" checkmark in Studio's main window.
-
- 5. For a first test, you might also set the Monitor Gamma value
- in the upper right corncer of the Monitor... window of Studio to
- 1.9. This is not required, but recommended. You should get a
- fine printing if everything listed above is done correctly. Than
- start altering the Monitor Gamma until the output matches your
- monitor.
-
- Note you can tell the old from the new profiles simply by the
- dither method (new ones use Floyd Steinberg Serp.) and version in
- the comment (the new ones are all V1.0)
-
- Stylus Color II, 500, Pro and Pro XL:
-
- These users will find Stylus Color 500 profiles that basicly work
- with all the four printers. Please read the notes for the Stylus
- Color above on how to install/enable the new profiles.
-
- Again: if you did not enable the correct profile and color
- management system, Studio will do a bad job of printing colors.
- If this happens, check and double check the fours steps mentioned
- above. The new profiles really result in very similar output to
- the Windows 95 driver and thus, the quality should be acceptable.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Notices for Epson Stylus Photo users
-
- Software for this new Epson printer is still under development.
- However, you can install this update for the Epson Stylus Color
- 600. IMPORTANT: you must NOT use the installed Stylus Color 600
- output module for the Studio printing program. Instead, you
- should use/install the Epson ESC/P2 output module for Studio. The
- StylusColorxxx output modules are closely made for the named
- printer and are very likely unable to drive a different printer.
- Use the standard ESC/P2 output module until better software is
- available.
-
- Support for the Stylus Photo is already available in the
- SetupStylus program.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- New features in the Studio printing program
-
- Studio V2.15 now supports the TIFF image format (note: users of
- the Studio V2.14c online update achive already got the TIFF
- support). Studio tries to support all requirements defined by the
- TIFF V6 specifications. However, it supports far more than those
- minimum requirements. It's extremly unlikely you'll find any
- Amiga program that supports TIFF as much as Studio does.
-
- Studio does support TIFF images with RGB, CMYK and YCbCr color
- space and alpha channel. It supports images saved in strips or
- tiles. It supports various precissions. The decompressions
- codecs supported are None, RLE, PackBits, LZW, G3, G4, JPEG and
- more. Please note that the JPEG decompression support is
- according to the Tech Note #2 tag 7 scheme. The older JPEG
- compression described in the TIFF V6 specification is not working
- reliable and instead the new specification is used.
-
- As usual, Studio does print TIFF images with nearly no requirement
- for memory. Because of the way TIFF images can be stored, Studio
- might need a bit more memory than with other supported image
- formats. There is no easy way to calculate the memory required by
- the program to print an TIFF image. You can increase the print
- speed for certain type TIFF images if you do allow Studio to make
- use of more memory if available. The allowed memory usage is
- controlled by the Memory menu items of Studio. In case you don't
- have enough memory to print an image, try saving the TIFF images
- with/without a compression method. For instance, a 40MByte image
- file generate by a drum scanner may require only 100KByte of
- memory to get loaded by Studio. A much smaller 1MByte TIFF LZW
- compressed image might need 512 KByte more memory. Anyway, you'll
- find that Studio doesn't need much memory for printing TIFF
- images. So enjoy.
-
- Parts of the TIFF routines are based on the work of Sam Leffler
- and others. Many enhancements/bug fixes/cleanups have been done
- by Wolf Faust in order to make the library work the way it does.
- It took months to create this TIFF support. Anyway, it wouldn't
- have been as good without the support of:
-
- Copyright (c) 1988-1996 Sam Leffler
- Copyright (c) 1991-1996 Silicon Graphics, Inc.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Studio Prof. History:
-
- E = removed bug
- C = changed
- I = improvement
-
- 03.09.97 V2.15 E - Color CMS profile was loaded when printing
- using PageStream 3.x in greyscale mode
- using the Studio driver with Studio set
- to color. Studio didn't switch automaticly
- to greyscale CMS profile as selected by the
- user in PageStream.
- E - PrtDevice Halftone and Order were not 100%
- similar to the printer device method.
- C - server dpi info was overwritten by BMP routine.
- C - Binary (that is not Photo) assembler BNoise
- dither routines might show vertical stripes
- in light colors caused by random number
- generator introduced in V2.13.
- E - Fixed a minor bug that caused the V2.14c
- TIFF reader to ignore DPI information.
- I - Now compiled using SAS/C V6.58
- E - Fixed a bug in the left/right find() function
- that might cause longword access on odd address
- boundary (caused crash on old 68000 and 68010).
- This bug was introduced in V2.11. So far no user
- reported this problem but it's serious.
- The bug affected CanonBJ-EC, ImageFX, PGS
- drivers and the Studio printing program.
- E - Fixed a bug in the printing program causing
- the IFF ILBM output module to display error 14
- when printing a poster with a startpage greater 1.
- E - Fixed a bug in the printing program introduced
- in V2.14c (online) causing the IFF ILBM output to
- fail printing non dithered 8/24 Bit images.
- E - Fixed a bug when printing posters with a
- startpage > 1: in certain cases the last lines
- of the previous page are mixed with the start
- of the first (start)page printed.
- I - Changes done to the multilevel dither routines
- allowing independent number of shades for each
- print color (required by upcoming Epson Stylus
- Photo module).
- I - Output modules for the Epson Stylus Color 400,
- 600, 800, 1520 and 3000 added.
- I - Now uses AsyncIO link library V39.2
- I - "Large Paper Size" added to EpsonP2 driver.
- I - EpsonP2 Workbench driver may now sends less data
- I - EpsonP2 driver perturbation of error
- diffussion dither might have caused serious
- vertical stripes. Now more randomized.
- I - EpsonP2Pref "Presets" menu updated for new printers.
- I - support for the Stylus Color 400, 600, 800,
- 1520, 3000 and Stylus Photo added.
- I - IFF ILBM output module now warns when trying
- to print CMYK to 8/24 Bit file.
- I - major speed improvements when printing
- using a startpage > 2.
- I - Updates several output modules (Canon and Fargo)
- V2.15b Oupps... fault address of french Studio distributor
- and dither preview was disable in Studio.
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- COPYRIGHT/DISCLAIMER
-
- Copyright ©1991-97 Wolf Faust. All rights reserved. The Studio
- update disk has been provided to you strictly 'as is', without
- warranty of any kind. In no event shall Wolf Faust be held liable
- for any loss or damages arising out of any action, from whatever
- source, concerning the use or inability to use the software. You
- may not use, copy, or transfer the product, or any copy or
- portion, without prior consent in writing from Wolf Faust. The
- disk can be distributed via AmiNet, CompuServe or CIX as long as
- no payment for the software is asked. Any other distribution is
- strictly forbidden.
-
- Installer project icon (c) Copyright 1991-93 Commodore-Amiga, Inc.
- All Rights Reserved. Reproduced and distributed under license
- from Commodore.
-
- (Continue by pressing 'Q')
-