Print issue with embedded pictures/images

Drawing Schematics, Hierarchical Design, BOM, Exporting net-lists, etc.
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NEDurnan
Posts: 5
Joined: 31 Jan 2020, 04:39

Print issue with embedded pictures/images

#1 Post by NEDurnan » 25 Jun 2021, 08:27

Is there a limit to the dpi or resolution for embedding images in Schematic sheets? I can't seem to get them to print correctly (to PDF or to an actual printer) when I have an embedded image with a resolution over 96 dpi. The rest of the sheet prints correctly, but where the image should be is blank. The problem is that for the image I'm trying to embed, 96 dpi is to low of resolution to see the needed detail when the sheet is printed - The parts I need to see in the printout are just a pixelated mess.

Serg
Technical Support
Posts: 519
Joined: 09 Jun 2010, 01:12

Re: Print issue with embedded pictures/images

#2 Post by Serg » 29 Jun 2021, 00:22

Please upload the files here(".dch" and image files) or send them to our technical support: support at diptrace.com.
We need to reproduce the problem.

NEDurnan
Posts: 5
Joined: 31 Jan 2020, 04:39

Re: Print issue with embedded pictures/images

#3 Post by NEDurnan » 29 Jun 2021, 04:49

I can't upload the actual files I'm having issues with due to proprietary data and export control restrictions. But here's a simple quick set of files that reproduces the problem on my end. In this case, I just made a simple png with original dimensions of 11.50" x 5.00" and exported it with different DPI settings (this is similar to the actual image size I'm trying to use). I placed these on an ANSI-C size schematic sheet and printed it to PDF. The 600, 300, and 200 dpi images do not print.

For reference, I'm using DipTrace 4.1.3 on Windows 10 Pro 64-bit (Build 18362). I am printing using the Adobe PDF Printer to export to PDF.

I've attached everything as a singe zip file:
  • ImageTest.dch
  • 96dpi.png
  • 100dpi.png
  • 200dpi.png
  • 300dpi.png
  • 600dpi.png
  • DipTrace Schematic - ImageTest.pdf
Attachments
ImagePrintTest.zip
(117.53 KiB) Downloaded 53 times

Serg
Technical Support
Posts: 519
Joined: 09 Jun 2010, 01:12

Re: Print issue with embedded pictures/images

#4 Post by Serg » 30 Jun 2021, 00:43

Thank you for the test files.
We have found that this problem can appear on the some machines.
To fix it you can try the next items :
- run C:\Program files\DipTrace\Default.reg (all registry settings will be set to default),
- use Microsoft PDF or CutePDF to export to PDF.

NEDurnan
Posts: 5
Joined: 31 Jan 2020, 04:39

Re: Print issue with embedded pictures/images

#5 Post by NEDurnan » 30 Jun 2021, 04:15

Thank you for the reply. Unfortunately, this does not address my issue.

Wiping out all my user settings seems a little drastic to fix a printing issue. If there is a specific setting or group of settings that can be reset, I'm willing to try that. But I do not want to erase all my configuration settings because it "might" fix the issue. If there is a concrete, known setting that affects this, please advise.

CutePDF is not an option. I am in a corporate IT environment, and installing non-standard, non-approved software is out of the question. I had to make a pretty difficult business case to be able to use DipTrace in the first place. Coming back and asking to use an unknown 3rd-party printing solution would not go over well.

Microsoft PDF is not an option either because it does not support the page sizes that I need. I commonly have ANSI-C, D, and E size sheets, and these are not available by default within Microsoft PDF printer without some admin-level tweaking that I'm not authorized to do on my machine.

I need to be able to print larger format drawings as PDFs using Adobe PDF printer. Are you able to reproduce my issue with the files I sent using Adobe PDF to print? If the issue is reproduceable, the underlying cause should be able to be determined and hopefully resolved.

Maybe there's a better way to accomplish what I'm trying to do in the first place. My typical PBC release package includes a multi-page PDF document. Page 1 is the electrical schematic. Page 2 contains the parts lists/BOM and reference images of the PCB copper layout and silkscreen. These are usually at least 2 separate images - one for the copper (contrast view for top/bottom layers), one for the top silkscreen. If it's a complicated board and I have detailed silkscreens on both sides, Page 2 may have 4 images (top copper, bottom copper, top silk, bottom silk). While the Gerber files contain everything needed to make he board, I include the images in the drawing package for reference when assembling, troubleshooting, and diagnosing issues with the finished product in the field. I have typically just exported these images from PCB Editor and embedded them as images in a Schematic sheet. Printing directly from PCB would yield a higher quality vector-based PDF image, but there does not seem to be a way to print from the PCB editor where I can have multiple views of the same PCB on the same page. If that were possible, it would eliminate my need to embed high resolution images in Schematic pages. Is there a way for PCB Editor to have different views printed on the same page?

Serg
Technical Support
Posts: 519
Joined: 09 Jun 2010, 01:12

Re: Print issue with embedded pictures/images

#6 Post by Serg » 01 Jul 2021, 01:16

In Registry Editor, you can delete only "Schematic" from HKEY_CURRENT_USER/SOFTWARE/Novarm/DipTrace/ to fix an issue for actual printer.
We confirm there is a problem with Adobe PDF.
DipTrace sends the same info to any PDF printer, but which of them reads in their own way.
Currently we couldn't find a solution to fix it.
We have checked, there aren't problems if use PDF Creator, Microsoft PDF and CutePDF.

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