HP DesignJet spool blank or excess paper when printing ArcInfo/ArcPlot PostScript (EPS)

Description

An HP DesignJet spools blank E-size sheets of paper, regardless of the size of the print file, when printing PostScript (EPS) from ArcInfo or ArcPlot.

Cause

PostScript generated by ArcInfo or ArcPlot does not include any printer-specific code. HP devices are unable to determine the page size when only the Bounding Box parameters in the PostScript file indicate the page dimensions.

Solution or Workaround

• Set the paper size on the device
  If the plots are all the same size, the appropriate paper size can be set on the device. On the printer, access the Page Size menu. Set this to the appropriate size (Ansi A, Arch E, and so forth). Subsequent files that fit within this area should print without waste.
• Add a page size instruction to the PostScript file
  You can use a text editor to view and modify a PostScript file.
  
  The beginning of an ArcInfo or ArcPlot generated PostScript file looks like this:
  
  

  Code:
  %!PS-Adobe-2.0 EPSF-1.2
  %%Creator: ArcInfo 8.1                (Fri Mar 16 11:31:29 PST 2001)
  %%CreationDate: 4/17/2001 9:47 AM
  %%DocumentProcSets: ArcInfo_8.1_encapsulate 0 0
  %%+ ArcInfo_8.1_illustrator_emulate 0 0
  %%+ ArcInfo_8.1_film_marks 0 0
  %%+ ArcInfo_8.1_image 0 0
  %%+ ArcInfo_8.1_separate 0 0
  %%DocumentSuppliedProcSets: ArcInfo_8.1_encapsulate 0 0
  %%+ ArcInfo_8.1_illustrator_emulate 0 0
  %%+ ArcInfo_8.1_film_marks 0 0
  %%+ ArcInfo_8.1_image 0 0
  %%+ ArcInfo_8.1_separate 0 0
  %%ColorUsage: Color
  %%BoundingBox: 0 0 792 1224
  %%TemplateBox: 0 0 792 1224
  %%EndComments
  %%BeginProlog
  %%BeginProcSet: ArcInfo_8.1_encapsulate 0 0

  
  The %%BoundingBox line contains the lowest left and uppermost right graphic extremes of the information in the file.
  
  The following PostScript code instructs the device to use the correct amount of paper:
  
  

  Code:
  %!PS-Adobe-2.0 EPSF-1.2
  %%Beginfeature: *PageRegion AnsiC
  2 dict dup /PageSize [XXXX YYYY] put dup
  /ImagingBBox null put setpagedevice
  %%EndFeature

  
  Where, XXXX is the Xmax value, and YYYY is the Ymax value in screen display units (72 dpi). Put this code into a tex file, replacing XXXX and YYYY with the last two numbers in the %%BoundingBox line. Add this text file as a header to the Postscript file as follows:
  
  

  Code:
  UNIX: cat psize.txt file1.eps > file2.eps

  
  

  Code:
  NT:  copy psize.txt + file1.eps file2.eps

  
  where
  - psize.txt is the text file containing the PageSize instruction
  - file1.eps is the initial eps file
  - file2.eps is the new eps file
  
  To prevent clipping, add 1/2 inch to 1 inch (36 to 72 points) to the max values. Experiment to determine which value works best.