Panasonic KX-P8420 User Manual

10. KX-P8420 related miscellaneous topics

1.PostScript3 support

KX-P8420 supports Adobe genuine PostScript3 interpreter in its RIP board and also comes with AdobePS driver for

Windows3.1, Windows95 and Macintosh Platform and Microsoft PS driver for WindowsNT4.0. By using these drivers,

the customers can utilize the versatile PostScript features.

1)PostScript Advantages

(1)Multi-platfrom support.

KX-P8420 can be used for printing not only from the platforms mentioned above and also from Unix platform if the

application that can export the file to ps format is installed.

(2)Low overhead.

Compared to GDI based color printer, PS printer requires much less host resources such as RAM size, virtual

memory because the most of the rasterizing job is done by the interpreter on the printer side and therefore the

amount of data sent to the printer from host has much less volume.

(3)Versality.

PostScript printing is suitable from lowend color printer segment to high end DTP, Graphic segment.

(4)PS font

Industrial standard PostScript font(Type1) font is available with PostScript printer.

2)What is supported in PostScript level3 with KX-P8420.

(1)Smooth shading.

The smooth shading operator simplifies the process required to create a “gradient fill” and also can avoid the

unexpected “band” shown when gradient pattern is printed with older version PostScript interpreter.

(2)Masked Image

By using masked image operator, more complicated composite image that combines an element from one image

with a second image can be printed whereas older version PostScript interpreter often causes a “limitcheck” error.

(3)136 font support

Instead of the 35 fonts that is standard for oler version PostScript devices, 136 embedded fonts are supported.

The purpose of new font sets is not only to provide customers with a broader typeface selection, but also to improve

system performance by minimizing font downloading. KX-P8420 also comes with all ATM fonts that corresponds to

embedded 136 fonts to let customers have true WYSIWIG PC environment.

(4)Idiom recognition

Idiom recognition is a feature which translates the complicated sets of PS commands into simple sets of high

performance commands. For instance, older version of graphic applications may send a many small bands data to

print gradient fill pattern. PostScript3 interpreter will translate them into smooth shading command which leads to

more efficient printing.

2)PS error print

Application -> PS driver + PPD file -> PS file -> PS interpreter -> Video Data

When PostScript interpreter inside the RIP board cannot handle all incoming PS file with a certain reason, it prints a