Setting Up Pages For Printing - Adobe ILLUSTRATOR CS2 User Manual

Printer resolution and screen frequency
Printer resolution is measured in the number of ink dots produced per inch (dpi). Most desktop laser printers have
a resolution of 600 dpi, and imagesetters have a resolution of 1200 dpi or higher. Inkjet printers produce a micro­
scopic spray of ink, not actual dots; however, most inkjet printers have an approximate resolution of 300 to 720 dpi.
When printing to a desktop laser printer, but especially to imagesetters, you must also consider screen frequency.
Screen frequency is the number of halftone cells per inch used to print grayscale images or color separations. Also
known as screen ruling or line screen, screen frequency is measured in lines per inch (lpi)—or lines of cells per inch
in a halftone screen.
A high line-screen ruling (for example, 150 lpi) spaces the dots used to create an image close together to create a
finely rendered image on the press; a low screen ruling (60 lpi to 85 lpi) spaces the dots farther apart to create a
coarser image. The size of the dots is also determined by the line screen. A high line-screen ruling uses small dots; a
low screen ruling uses large dots. The most important factor in choosing a line-screen ruling is the type of printing
press your job uses. Ask your print shop how fine a line screen its press can hold, and make your choices accordingly.
The PPD files for high-resolution imagesetters offer a wide range of possible line-screen rulings paired with various
imagesetter resolutions. The PPD files for lower-resolution printers typically have only a few choices for line screens,
and they are coarser screens of between 53 lpi and 85 lpi. The coarser screens, however, give optimum results on
lower-resolution printers. Using a finer screen of 100 lpi, for example, actually decreases the quality of your image
when a low-resolution printer is used for final output. That's because increasing the lpi for a given resolution
decreases the number of colors that can be reproduced.
Note: Some imagesetters and desktop laser printers use screening technologies other than halftoning. If you are printing
an image on a nonhalftone printer, consult your service provider or your printer documentation for the recommended
resolutions.
To change the printer resolution and screen frequency
Adobe Illustrator prints fastest and best by using the default printer resolution and screen frequency. However, in
some cases, you might want to change the printer resolution and screen frequency—for example, if you draw a very
long curved path that won't print due to a limit-check error, if printing is slow, or if gradients and meshes show
banding when printed.
1 Choose File > Print.
For Printer, select a PostScript printer, Adobe PostScript® File, or Adobe PDF.
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3 Select Output on the left side of the Print dialog box.
For Printer Resolution, select a screen frequency (lpi) and printer resolution (dpi) combination.
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Setting up pages for printing

To reposition artwork on the page
The preview image in the Print dialog box shows you where artwork will be printed on the page.
Choose File > Print.
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2 Do one of the following:
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Drag the artwork in the preview image at the lower left corner of the dialog box.
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