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| Macintosh
Equipment and Software Workshops |
IfA UNIX help publications teramura |
Karen Teramura |
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looking for HTML help: Check out webmonkey or Werbach's barebones resource and guide | |
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FTP/fileshare
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How do I get my files from my UNIX directory to the lab and vice versa? beware | |
| Use Fetch for Mac FTP (the desktop icon has a puppy with a floppy in it's mouth). One nice hint for you UNIX folks. Use the TAB key on the keyboard to scroll between text fields. Use the RETURN key to submit your FTP connection information once all text fields have been entered. Transfering files to the Mac from other platforms is trouble free. Any file including raster images (JPG, TIF, GIF, PDF) should have the transfer mode set at BINARY. ASCII, UNIX PostScrip, and UNIX EPSF files cross fine in TEXT mode. It's best not to FTP complete directories. Beware: Mac files usually have two file forks verses UNIX or PC files with a single data stream. Mac files created to cross platform must be saved specifically for a single data stream (e.g. when saving raster images as TIFF in photoshop, you need to specify a PC byte order). We've had lots of experience crossing platforms in the Publication's Office and will be happy to help if needed. | ||
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The workstation that has my files on it is occupied. Can I access them using a different lab computer that has the same software? | |
| As long as your files have been saved in designated User Data directories, you will be able to access and work on those files on any other Macintosh. If desktop icons are not already available at your workstation, click on the apple in the top menu bar (upper left corner of the desktop) and drag the mouse down vertically to Chooser (Chooser will be highlighted)---let go of the mouse. The Chooser dialog box will become available on the desktop. NOTE: Please close the Chooser Dialog Box after selecting the directory your files are on (Leaving the Chooser open on the desktop slows the apple network down by sending out signals every 5 seconds..."I'm here, who else is on the net."). In the Chooser dialog box select AppleShare by clicking on it's icon with your mouse. A list of available CPUs will appear. Select the CPU your files are on by clicking on it's name from the selection list and then click the OK button. Each CPU will bring up additional dialog selections. In the next selection box click on guest and then click on the OK button. Your final selection will be the USER DATA directory your files are on. Again click the OK button. An icon for the User Data directory will appear just under the the stack of disks and drives on the right side of the desktop. You can treat this icon as if it were a part of the current workstation. A word of caution though. If you notice the person sitting at the workstation (where your original files are located) is crashing and freezing the CPU, you may want to copy your original files to the machine you're actually doing the working on! | ||
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printing
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need IfA printer support; ask George (gmm) IfA printer names and locations | |
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How do I select a different printer to output my files? Use the utilities control strip on the desktop: |
click on  to select
a different printer. |
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Why does the printer I use on UNIX have a different name in the lab? | |
| It's just the way names were set up on the network. Newer printers have consistent names on all platforms. <Specifics> | ||
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Why is Phaser (color) cutting off my image on the top and bottom of the page? | |
| Phaser requires a top and bottom 1.5 inch gripper margin for Mac print jobs. Go to Page Setup under the File menu to reduce the physical size of your output or to select legal paper. A selection of paper sizes (default: leter) will be available for the current printing environment setup or change the output size (default: 100%) to 75% or so. | ||
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Is it OK to change the paper trays on Phaser? note: default tray is letter paper | |
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YES. Most folks expect to find the letter paper tray loaded (Phaser can only have one tray inserted in the printer at a time). If you're needing to use a different paper size or transparency stock, you must load the tray which contains the size and or stock you need to print on. Before switching trays, check the front of Phaser to see if the ready light is flashing on and off. If so, Phaser is in the middle of printing a file and you should NOT change the printer's paper tray. There is no way of checking how many Mac files have been queued to the printer, but you can see how many UNIX files have been sent from your UNIX account (lpq -Pcolor). It is very important to close the lid to the paper trays when removing them from the printer to keep the paper inside dust free. Please note that each tray has specific printer settings for size and stock to let the printer know which tray is in the printer. Never change these settings on a tray or put anything in a tray that is not specified on the tray's cover label. If you're filling a tray with paper you should note that the shinniest surface of the paper faces up in the tray. Never put more than 25 sheets of stock in a tray at a time. Transparency stock should have the triangle peel corner oriented away from the printer---if the paper feed encounters the peel corner first while pulling the transparency sheet into the printer---the sheet will JAM. Whenever you change a paper tray from the lab's default (letter paper), please make everyone at the IfA happy by loading the letter paper tray back into the printer when you have finished your print jobs. |
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Where are paper supplies for Phaser? |
| Supplies can be found inside the low cabinet in the lab. Phaser supplies need to be dust free. Dust on supplies or paper will prevent the transfer of color to take place leaving a white spec where dust is. Please help us keep Phaser supplies dust free by putting unused supplies back into their shipping sleaves and close the cabinet doors. Never leave Phaser stock exposed to the lab's dusty environment. | ||
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Why are the transparency sheets for Phaser always jamming the printer? | |
| Check to see how the transparency stock is loaded in the tray. Transparency stock should have the triangle peel corner oriented away from the printer---if the paper feed encounters the peel corner first while pulling the transparency sheet into the printer---the sheet will JAM. Phaser is getting old and legal stock tends to jam more than letter stock. If you find the jam light going off and on on Phaser, pull out the paper tray and any paper that may be stuck feeding into the printer. Re-insert the paer tray. Open the top of the printer. Look for and remove any jams inside the printer (plainly visible through the color tranpsrency roll) before closing the top of the printer. Opening and closing the top of the printer resets the printer and allows jobs to continue printing. | ||
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posters
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Which printer is the one I can print large posters on? | |
| HP DesignJet 2500CP. If you set your printng environment to print to the HP DesignJet 2500CP, it is VERY IMPORTANT to set the printing environment back to laser or pixie before you leave the workstation or the Graphics Lab! Never leave a workstation with the HP DesignJet 2500CP large format printer specified in the printing environment without posting a note at the workstation to let others know where their print jobs (possibly just e-mail) will end up! | ||
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Which software should I use to make posters? | |
| Adobe Illustrator. To specify E size paper (36" x 48") in Illustrator, you must have the HP DesignJet 2500CP set in your printing environment. Only then will the large paper sizes be available to you. Once you've saved a file with the document setup to E size paper, you will always have that paper size specified no matter what printer the printing environment is set to. It is VERY IMPORTANT to set the printing environment back to laser or pixie before you leave the workstation or the Graphics Lab. Never leave a workstation with the HP DesignJet 2500CP large format printer specified in the printing environment without posting a note at the workstation. | ||
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What's the best way to use my UNIX TeX files, images, or PostScript files for making posters? | |
| YES! | ||
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How large can I make my poster? | |
| YES! | ||
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How long does it take to print a large poster? | |
| Depending on the size of the image files in your poster...a small file takes an hour minimum with a required 8 minute drying time before the printer cuts the paper (do NOT attempt to cut the paper yourself). I've had posters (36" x 48") with very large image files take up to 4 hours to print. BE PATIENT-->IF YOU LIFT THE PRINT HEAD LID to see what's going on, the job will stop printing and a service / error messages (only George can fix) will appear! The printer will have to be completely turned off, turned on, and all the ink systems taken out and replaced. Once everything is up and running again, you'll have to resend your job. | ||
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scanning
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flat art, text, and slides | |
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Why is the flatbed scanner off and does it need to warm up when I turn it on? | |
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this scanner does not turn the bulb off when it's not being used.
The color accuracy of the bulb has a relatively short time span and
changing the bulb is a nightmare. Please help us save mailing this
scanner to the mainland for a bulb replacement by turning the scanner
off when it's not in use. If you plan on scanning color art, you should
let the bulb warm up at least 20 minutes or so before scanning. |
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What software do I use to access the scanners? | |
| I always
recommend Photoshop. There's a little bug in the lab that may make
you think you can't scan---don't believe it.(file---aquire---fotolook)
will bring up the scanning dialog box. Press the preview button. An
error message may question the ability to access the scanner. Press
cancel and try again. You'll find the scanner always works on the
second try. |
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What resolution should I use when I scan? | |
| Folks
need to know how they'll be outputting their files to optimize scans. |
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My original is awful. How can I clean up the scan? | |
| Believe it or not, folks are amazed at how easy it is to clean up a bad scan with Photoshop. Depending on the circumstances (line art or continuous tone) it's best to ask me for a quick demo. | ||
| The important thing to remember is your scan will always be faithful to your original. If the original is junk to begin with, you can plan on spending a lot of time fixing the scanned image. Sometimes it's simply faster to redraw then to clean up. Feel free to consult with me at any time about your artwork. It just may save you a frustrating experience and time. | ||
| For line art, I generally scan the art in grayscale mode. After the scan I use Photoshop's levels (image---adjust---levels) to eliminate the unwanted pixels in the mid and highlight areas. I then select the "wanted" line art with the magic wand tool set at a tolerance of 25 pixels or more. To increase the selection to all of the line art simply use (selction---similar). Increase the selection by 2 pixels (select---modify---expand), reverse the selection (select---inverse), and use the delete key to eliminate all the background (note the color for the background must be set to white), or fill the selected background with white (edit---fill) and specify white 100%. After a few more minor adjustments most original art with high contrast can be converted to a small 1 bit file (true line art). Use the 50% Threshold method and specify your output according to the resolution you need for viewing or printing. If lines are weak or easily break up you may want to keep your art as a 24 bit grayscale Please note that 24 bit grayscale images undergo halftoning for offset press which usually is more expensive to print than line art. | ||
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For continuous tone or color art use the rubber
stamp tool to select pixels neighboring the areas that needs retouching.
Select a small brush (one without antialiasing for pixilated data---one
with antialiasing for continuous tone photographs) and apply the
cloned rubber-stamp pixels where needed. Please note the rubber
stamp tool is a pig and requires enough memory to copy the entire
image to the clip board. Good memory management requires you to
purge the clip board or select a pixel or to and use the (command-C)
to copy just 2 pixels of information---overwriting the complete
image stored there. Some folks find the Dust and Scratches Filter
(filter---noise---dust and scratches) and it works fine for them.
I personally, prefer not to use it over an entire image because
it degrades the image by blurring. |
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Is there any difference between the slide scanners? | |
| Nor really.
Both work just fine. I'd like to keep the newer one clean. If your
slides are dusty and have something growing on them (Don't laugh---it
happens in Hawaii), please use the slide scanner on Quadra1. If you
keep your slides in a airtight container---in plastic sleeves, you
should still clean them with can air (DustOff, $5.00) before putting
them in the slide scanner on GLG3. Dust Off is available at Longs. |
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Can I scan text or tables and save it as an ASCII text file? | |
| YES!
Use OmniPage--it's great. Omnipage works best scanning 12 point times
roman text. The 98% accuracy claim OmniPage refers to actually comes
close with this font and type size. Smaller type is less accurate.
Helvetica causes m's to turn into r n, S's or 5's switch back and
forth to each other, and so on. OmniPage color highlights text it
can't make out which makes editing more enjoyable. There's lots of
settings and saving features, so feel free to ask me when you have
a question. |
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solitaire
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for making slide presentations | |
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needs
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Which software should I use for making slides? |
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repair
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YES! | |
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What are the aspect ratio size requirements for Solitaire? | |
| YES! | ||
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How do I send my files to solitaire and how long does it take to image film? | |
| YES! | ||
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backup
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3.5 disk (1.4 MB); SyQuest 250 & EZ 135, Iomega ZIP 100 & 250; CD; DAT | |
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What are the procedures for CD backup in the lab? | |
| YES! | ||
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What software is used for the DAT drive? | |
| YES! |
