Author Topic: Ghostrip  (Read 4331 times)

Offline nitropromo

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Ghostrip
« on: June 17, 2015, 01:38:49 PM »
Probably asked and answered, but I did do my due diligence and search first.

I just downloaded Ghostrip 9.16 and Ghostview.

I get how to create the Device Independent Postscript File (just like printing seps to a PS printer - all halftone settings, etc).

Then, when I open the file in Ghostview and print I just get a greyscale image, no dots. I'm not sure what I didn't do in the install.

The Ghostscript instructions are so technical that they are hard to make out. Can anyone help with outputting seps that work using Ghostscript and Ghostview. Again, I'm all the way there with the formatting of the file, it;s the actual output that's giving me trouble.

Creating files in X4, printing on and Epson 1430.

Thansk!


Offline Frog

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Re: Ghostrip
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2015, 01:46:09 PM »
First off, welcome.
When you "printed" the file from CorelDRAW to the Device Independent File, did you do it as seps and did you click the advanced tab to then alter the lpi size and angle? Are you sure? I know that you said you did the usual stuff.

Then, are you going just by what you see on the monitor, or did you try outputting a plate? (though I do think that it displays with the bigger dots)

I wouldn't be surprised if there's a years-old thread with full instructions for Ghost in this section.
That rug really tied the room together, did it not?

Offline Frog

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Re: Ghostrip
« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2015, 01:51:06 PM »
That rug really tied the room together, did it not?

Offline screenxpress

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Re: Ghostrip
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2015, 08:47:00 PM »
Here's the complete writeup that I had made up some time back.  Hope it's still accurate.  That posted link had the PS part and did not include Corel or Illy -



===================================================================
GHOSTVIEW / GHOSTGUM INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS -
===================================================================

- Ghost can be downloaded from several sites. 

There are two parts to install - Ghostscript and Ghostview (also referred to as Ghostgum)

Ghostscript - http://www.ghostscript.com/download/

-Click Ghostscript 9.10
-select the platform - and click that General Public License Link
- At the Download File Info popup, point the "SAVE AS" to where you can find the download and click Start Download
- Find the GPL Ghostscript and double click
- Next
- I agree
- Install
- Finish
- That's Ghostscript

=================================

But you still need the viewer

GhostView - http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/

GSview 5.0 is on that link

Select the right one for your operating system
 
Find where you saved it and double click - It's a self extracting zip file
- Setup
- Next
- Next
- Next
- Next
- Next - to create Ghostgum folder
- Finish

=================================


===================================================================
You now have Ghost Installed on your PC
===================================================================

You will never directly use GHOSTSCRIPT again.
 
You will use GSVIEW (called GHOSTGUM) to view and print which needs GHOSTSCRIPT to run so it is necessary to
install both parts.
 

=============================================================

You now have everything in place now to create and print Postscript (.ps) files from your Graphic Software. 

=============================================================

CREATE POSTSCRIPT FILES - Skip this if you're only printing from .ps files and not creating a .ps file

- You will create a .PS file from your graphic software such as Illy, Corel or Photoshop. 
The most critical part is that when you do the print step, you must direct it to a POSTSCRIPT DRIVER,
NOT a physical printer.  This write-up uses the HP DesignJet 5500 Postscript driver.  When using Ghost
software, you do not reference a physical Printer when outputting from the Graphic Software.  Instead
you reference a Postscript Driver to write to a file.  That output file is what goes to GhostView (Ghostgum)
to print. 

***********
PHOTOSHOP
***********
- Photoshop - finish any separations for halftones to where you have the channels ready to go 
   Click File - Print Options - SCREEN and set the lpi, angle, and shape for each color channel
      Note for CS2 this is found in Print with Preview - If you don't see these setting, be
      sure your setting is for "Output", NOT "Color Management" 
   Select PAGE SETUP to point to HP DesignJet 5500 and click OK
   Select one channel to print and click PRINT.  If a message pops up that clipping might occur,
just Click PROCEED.  If a message pops up for resolution higher than 2.5 times the frequency, just click PROCEED. 
   Click the box for PRINT TO FILE and click OK.  The PRINT TO FILE box should open wanting an Output    File Name.  I have a folder on my C drive named "GHOST", so what I put in the box is -
      C:\GHOST\xxxxxxx_yyyy.ps where xxxxxxx is my file or customer namd and yyyy is the color plate.  Name
      it something like C:\GHOST\Cust_Image_Color.ps and click OK.  Note those are "back slashes" (above the
      Enter Key), not "forward slashes".  The channel will output to where you referenced.  It may take 20 - 45
      seconds to output and Postscript files can be quite large. 
   - Repeat the steps above for each channel

---------------------------
PS-CS4 and CS5 - Download the Wilflex Free RIP for CS4 at
http://www.wilflexeasyart.com/downloads.htm. 
Once you have the .atn file, open the "Actions" window in PS and select Load Actions and find/load the downloaded Wilflex Rip.
Now select the channel desired to print and Click on the desired LPI from the Wilflex Action list.  Wilflex will actually RIP
the image in a new copy in Photoshop.  You then just print it directly to the printer and it will be halftones.  If you don't
want to print from Photoshop, just do a 'save as' using the copy image Wilflex created as a .eps file.  Then open that in
Ghost and print directly from Ghost or send the .eps file to someone, as needed. 


***********
CORELDRAW
***********
- Coreldraw - Click on Print -
   General Tab - Select Device Independent Postscrip File (this allows changes to LPI and Angle)
   Separations Tab - Click on Print Separations box - Click on Color to be printed
   Advanced Button - then click on Color in the new window and change Frequency (lpi) and Angle -
      Set Halftone Type to DEFAULT - Click OK
   Check only the ONE color to be printed (print films one color at a time) and click Print
   Print to File - Create a Folder (if you don't already have one) and Name your file (type=Postscript)
      This setting will save as a .ps file type
   Click Save to output the file

***********
ILLUSTRATOR
***********
- Illustrator - Click on Print
   General -
      Printer - Adobe Postscript File
      PPD - Design Jet 5500PS (my HP5500PS Postscript Driver)
   Output -
      Mode - Separations (Host Based) - Turn on printer for one Pantone Color
             Set Freq/Angle/Dot
   
   Save (button near bottom) - will open window to direct output to a Postscript file
      Set location and name as xxxxxxxx.ps where xxxxxxxx is the name of your file
      
=============================================================

LPI
==========
"Rule of Thumb". 
Always set your LPI dependent on your screen mesh.  Use 4.5 (although 5 is ever better to reduce the chance of
Moire pattern) time the LPI.  Example.  Setting LPI of 45 requires a mesh of 203 (45 * 4.5 = 202.5), but 230
is even better (45 * 5 = 225) 

Dot Shape
==========
Elipse is a best choice for color gradient transitions, BUT for COREL, you have to use the DEFAULT.

Angle
==========
22.5 is the most recommended angle that most use, even for CMYK 

=============================================================

PRINT STEPS USING GHOSTGUM -


Click Start/Programs - Find GHOSTGUM and click on to open it up.  Or you can just find your .ps file and
"Open With" gsview

Click OK - It's just a notice for registration and is ignored

Note that Ghost will open many other file type extensions if needed).  It's a very useful utility to have and
can print spot colors just as nicely as halftones.

The image should appear on the canvas

If image does not fit properly, you may have the wrong canvas selected.  Click "MEDIA" and change the canvas setting. 
Try 11x17.  When correct, the image will appear in the center of the canvas for printing.  (Note:  I have had some
issues in Corel output getting it to center and have had to adjust the location in Corel when outputting).

Click PRINT and change printer settings for your printer

If the print comes out as code text lines and not an image, when the Print Box appears, check PRINT METHOD settings
and select "Windows GDI printer", not PostScript Printer.

NOTE: - the ORIENTATION selection in Ghost refers to HOW THE PAPER IS IN THE PRINTER, NOT the way you're seeing the
image on the screen.

Click OK to print



« Last Edit: June 18, 2015, 08:51:02 PM by screenxpress »
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Offline ole jobe

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Re: Ghostrip
« Reply #4 on: July 12, 2015, 09:48:54 PM »
re: Corel: "only print one color at a time". Why? I have always selected all I wanted to print and it always works.

Offline screenxpress

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Re: Ghostrip
« Reply #5 on: July 12, 2015, 11:18:11 PM »
I'm only guessing, but you maybe you roll-feed film. 

For sheet feeding, I suggest 1 at a time for less chance of jams.

Whatever works.
Anything important is never left to the vote of the people. We only get to vote on some man; we never get to vote on what he is to do.  Will Rogers

Onewithpez

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Re: Ghostrip
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2016, 08:47:36 AM »
The last time I tried to set this up. I could never find the correct driver for the HP 5500 as listed. I tried several others and I could never get it to work. Can anyone send me the diver file that they have used successfully? I am using Win8.

Offline Frog

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Re: Ghostrip
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2016, 09:30:13 AM »
Not the driver I use, but here it is for almost any OS you could want.

http://h20564.www2.hp.com/hpsc/swd/public/readIndex?sp4ts.oid=82223
That rug really tied the room together, did it not?

Onewithpez

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Re: Ghostrip
« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2016, 09:20:46 PM »
So Frog or anyone else that has gotten this to work-

I downloaded the driver in the previous post. I installed for Port (file) as the other option was network (obviously don't have a 5500) or serial connection. I select it when printing from AI and it does not give me an option for separations, only composite. This is always where I get stuck. When I do select the 5500 driver in the print menu, there is no PPD listed. Maybe that's the problem, but it is grayed out.

I can select Adobe PostScript File as a driver and this does allow me to select separations in the Output menu. However, when I open the .ps file in GSview, it shows a smooth gradient and not halftones. I have tried several times lowering the LPI and see no effect. Should the halftones be previewed in GSview? I can't test print films at this time as I am waiting for a new 1430 to replace my 1400 that finally died on me.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Offline screenxpress

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Re: Ghostrip
« Reply #9 on: March 24, 2016, 10:14:22 PM »
Ghost does not display the dots (halftones)

As long as you have the gradients displayed, the halftones will come out when you finally print to film.

I just checked one out to be sure.
Anything important is never left to the vote of the people. We only get to vote on some man; we never get to vote on what he is to do.  Will Rogers

Onewithpez

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Re: Ghostrip
« Reply #10 on: March 24, 2016, 10:16:41 PM »
i will have to check this out when I get my new printer.

Thanks.