[kde-linux] Another KDE 4.x print problem?

[James Tyrer]

Anne Wilson wrote:
> On Saturday 31 October 2009 21:47:39 James Tyrer wrote:
>> It appears that Okular (or Qt) uses the information in the EPS file
>> to determine how to print it.  It appears to me that it ignores all
>>  settings when printing an EPS.  So, if the paper size isn't set 
>> correctly in the file, it isn't going to print correctly.  So, it
>> would appear that the EPS file is either wrong and could be edited
>> or if is for a different size paper and there is nothing that Qt
>> will do about that.
>> 
>> OTOH, I don't see why there should be a problem with a PNG image.
>> With GwenView, it is properly centered within the margins using
>> either portrait or landscape.  However, although it made the image
>> smaller to fit in portrait, it would not make it larger (larger
>> than what?) to fit the margins in landscape (same with Okular).
>> 
>> I note that: GwenView would not properly open my test EPS and
>> Okular did not properly center the JPG image I printed.
>> 
>> I also have to wonder about the size chosen for the printed JPG.
>> It appears that Qt scaled the image based on my screen resolution
>> except that because it (improperly) works in mm instead of points
>> when making a PS file it scaled it by .719999 instead of .72 (ARGH!
>> perhaps the preferred conversion values would be a good idea here),
>> and comes up 1 point short on the bounding box size in both
>> directions.  Without adequate control of the printed image size, I
>> don't see that the KDE apps are suitable to print images.
>> 
> This is an intriguing problem.  I created an .eps file that requires
> landscape printing for my experiments.  Okular correctly recognised
> that it should be printed landscape, and it did so, although it was
> not centered.

An EPS file can contain a page size and offset as well as a bounding
box.  My best guess here is that Okular does not treat EPS files any
differently than PS files if the file contains a page size and an
offset.  But, I would have to make some more files to prove this.
Okular will print such a file according to the page size and offset.
 From what you said, it would appear that if the EPS doesn't have a page
size and offset then it treats it as an image and it prints upper left
(your left) according to the margins.

> Gwenview displayed the image correctly, but refused to print it as a
> landscape image. It's possible that this was affected by the fact
> that the image would just about have fitted onto a portrait print,
> but when in portrait mode the image was reduced in size.  In
> landscape mode the image printed similarly reduced, but greatly
> offset, so that there was a slight loss of data at the right-hand 
> edge.
> 
It appears that GwenView does not handle EPS correctly.

> If there is any value in using the same file for experiments (perhaps
> for testing whether different versions handle it differently, I'll
> put up the file somewhere for you to use.  It's too big to attach to
> an email, and reducing it would probably negate the experiments.
> 
You can email me a copy at an earthlink address.  Please don't send 
large files to the ACM forwarding service.

-- 
James Tyrer

Linux (mostly) From Scratch