Oce 9800 Plotting Problems

[Anonymous]

We are running ArchiCAD 7.0 R3 on Windows 2000 and plot using Plotmaker 3.0. We send our plots to an outside printer using an Oce 9800 plotter.

We have had problems with random half-toned text and lines. The same sheet may plot differently each time alternating the amount and degree of halftoning on lines and text on objects created in Plotmaker and imported PMK files.

I used the NCS Layout Sheet meant to override ArchiCAD pen settings which seemed to solve the line issues, but all of my true-type text is still half-toned.

Any ideas?

[Anonymous]

There are a couple of possible problems here.

One is that Oce machines don't do very well with gray tones (the ones I have experience with at least). Their drivers seem to favor speed over quality. The TDS 400 which is a 600dpi printer put out a gray pattern that was no better than 400dpi. I had to give up on gray lines with that printer (gray fills were OK but not great).

The other is that the printing service may not have the pen settings correct for your files. The plotter software should use the pens and colors as defined in the file and the pen preferences should have "Print colors as shaded halftones" selected (this is not your problem, I mention it because it is important and easily overlooked).

If it is neither ot these, you should double check your own settings for possible differences in the way you plot internally vs when you send them out.

[Anonymous]

I have experianced the same problem for the last year! However last month I discovered that if I check the

Plot with..........

Black and White (Instead of Color)

plots do not come out screened.

Hope this helps

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

We have run into the same issues here.
We had a 9600 and just got a TDS600. We are still getting familiar with it but I don't think anything has changed as far as that goes.
We are also using "Black and White". We have had some success using fills at 25% as gray.

One thing to note, we always got a good gray scale using AutoCAD plt files.

Chris

[Anonymous]

I've been having similar problems to what is described here with an Oce 9800 at my local print shop. Basically, all the output I have been getting is worthless, which has been damned frustrating.

I am now working with the local ArchiCAD reseller and Onesource, the local Oce rep, to work out a solution.

I hope to hear something soon, and will post any solution(s) here when or if we fond something.

Cheers