Indirect Printing Using a Print File

Print files *.plt (formerly plot files) save the data flow to the printer controller and are used if the printer cannot be directly controlled from the computer that is used. For printing, the print file will be sent directly to the printer without further processing.

Note: To send a print file to a printer use the DOS command copy [print file] [printer port] or install the small program PrintFile from Peter Lerup (2).

First, you should read the section Direct Printing Using Large Format Printers. The information included there also applies in this case.

You will need to find a large format printer that you can use, such as in a print shop or in the construction department of an industrial company. You will need to install the printer driver for this large format printer on your own computer. The driver can either be obtained from the owner of the large format printer or from the manufacturer's website (you will need the exact model number of the large format printer). Windows will only need the driver; the corresponding printer must not be attached to create a print file. Activate the large format printer in FamilyTreeFactory (File menu, Printer Setup...) by selecting the driver.

Then, "print" the graphic to a PLT file by selecting Print to file in the Print dialog and save the file with a PLT extension. This file can be extremely large, even several hundred MB depending on the graphic size and image content. Copy this file to a USB stick, ZIP disk, or whatever is available to you so that the owner of the large format printer can read the file on his/her computer. You could also burn a CD-R. The owner of the large format printer then needs to send the file to his/her printer and print the document.

Important note for the HP DesignJet printer driver (1): Under Printer Settings, go to the Advanced tab and select the option ...In computer in the Process document... area. Otherwise, the PLT file may not be usable, particularly with large graphics. If you use the option ...In printer, print commands are written to the file that are converted into pixel values by the printer itself, for which the printer will need to have sufficient RAM. Because the printer is not connected to your computer when you create the PLT file, you cannot check the amount of RAM installed in the printer or check for possible memory shortages.

Most print shops use so-called HP-GL/2 Viewer software, which can be used to view the content of a *.plt print file that was created by an HP driver. The content is written in the HP-GL/2 language, which was written and published by HP. HP-GL/2 is also used by other printer manufacturers. Checking the file with an HP-GL/2 viewer is your last chance to avoid an expensive misprint.

(1) Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.

(2) Peter Lerup, Malmö, Sweden