HP 1220PS VS Epson 1520

[P Retondo]

I use an HP1220C with VectorWorks 8.5 (tried 9.0, shelved it). Both print okay, but the lack of a scaling utility in VW is a sore point. HP's "Smart Zoom" utility doesn't work with VW because VW automatically tiles a document according to the paper size selected in the printer driver. So, for example, if you want to print out a 24x36 document at half size, you're out of luck. The 1220C driver doesn't offer a 24x36 paper size, so VW tiles the document into at least 4 sheets. When you try to print out at 50%, you get four 50% size sections of the drawing. The work around is to change layer scales - a real pain, but doable. The printer itself is fast, quiet, and gives great output. It can also take a 13x19 sheet.

VW programmers take note! You need to provide printer output scaling!

[Guest]

quote:

---

Originally posted by P Retondo:

VW programmers take note! You need to provide printer output scaling!

---

I realize you're not using VectorWorks 9 right now, but print scaling is is one of VW 9's features.

[This message has been edited by Caleb Strockbine (edited 06-05-2001).]

[vulcan]

I've been useing a Epson 1520C for 1.5 years and its been a good 'work horse' for me. I use VW version 9 now, but most of that time was useing, 8.5, on a G3 blue and white.

Did you try a head alignment under, print utillity?

[Blue Studio]

I need a recommendation for an ink jet printer that can print on 11x17 paper. I am considering buying an HP 1220c printer with adobe post script to replace an EPSON 1520. The Epson has been a real workhorse but has started skewing the paper so that what is printed is at an angle to the sheet edge. Epson tech is non existant. I am using VW 8.5.2 and 9.0 (a dog of an upgrade)on a PC.

Thanks.

Stephen Rogers

Blue Studio

[alan]

I use the epson 3000. It prints a full A2 sheet and the output is god quality. What really swung it for me is the ink cartridge size. Four separate colours and each contains a large quantity of ink. This ultimately reduces the print cost .

[P Retondo]

"I realize you're not using VectorWorks 9 right now, but print scaling is is one of VW 9's features." - Caleb Strockbine

Caleb, I had VW 9 up and running, and it could not scale printer output. Scaling is discussed in the manual, but only in the context of a printer driver that provides a scaling utility. My printer, an HP 1220, doesn't do that as well as some other printers in that regard, so yours may work fine. It appears to me, though, that VW 9 does not contain its own scaling utility, such as AutoCAD contains. If you are able to access a scaling dialog box that belongs to VW, not to the printer (look in the window header to see if the printer is named there or not), please let me know and I will give it another try.

[Guest]

Cast an eye on page 2-31 of the VectorWorks 9 User's Guide, and you'll see three pictures. The one on the left depicts the Windows 'Print Setup' dialog, and you'll see that near the bottom there's a section labelled 'VectorWorks'. The two pictures on the right depict two different "panels" of the Page Setup dialog box on the Mac, and bottom one is the 'VectorWorks' panel.

Both the 'VectorWorks' section in the Windows Print Setup dialog and the 'VectorWorks' panel on the MacOS Page Setup dialog are supplied by VectorWorks, are available whether or not the printer driver also supplies a scaling function, and result in scaling being done by VectorWorks rather than by the print driver or the printer itself. You'll see these sections in their respective dialogs no matter which printer driver you're using.

My understanding is that the scaling feature provided by VectorWorks is the recommended way to scale the drawing for printing. So if the printer driver you use DOES supply a scaling function (as shown in the top picture on the right) you should leave it set to 100% and instead use the VectorWorks scaling function.

[ollypo]

"ink jet printer that can print on 11x17 paper. I am considering buying an HP 1220c printer with adobe post script to replace an EPSON 1520..."

I love my Epson 1520. My big HP 455CA designjet plotter is much slower and crashes a lot. Of course it's a different type of thing.

[Jershaun]

Hi,

We've got an HP 1220C and I have no problems scaling a drawing setup on an A3 sheet to print on an A4 sheet...it can do it.

However the software that ships with the printer is extremely processor and memory intensive and it seems to bog the whole machine down. Another thing is that it sometimes prints out garbled characters. And yet another thing is that it sometimes print an image out halfway and leaves the rest of the paper blank.

I also had a lot of problems from HP printers in the past so my advice for you is stay away from HP!

Hope this helps.

Shaun.

P111-500, 128 ram

[P Retondo]

Shaun, et al.,

I have a HP 1220C. After following Caleb S.'s recommendations, have had successful printouts of various documents at various scaling sizes. I'd say - works great! I use a Dell PII333, with 192MB RAM. One difference that could account for different experiences - I use Windows 2000.

One problem. Printing perspective views used to be simple with my HP 722 in Windows 98 and VW 8.5.2. The perspective was automatically scaled to fit the sheet, and only the view showing on the screen printed out. Now, I have to set up a single sheet page size, scale it and move the page to center the view. As though this weren't enough trouble,it will print a larger view, to the extent of the sheet, instead of what shows in the window. I solve this by masking the rest of the page with a window around the perspective view that shows on the screen, a pain. This problem is occurring with a document originally created in VW 8.5.2

[Bill Marston]

Shaun,

If you're on a Macintosh, just enable more memory for printing if possible. (close desktop windows, quit other apps, etc.). MacOS 9++ & Win should automatically assign memory, so if you're there, then I can't help.

HTH

Bill

<wmarston@bellatlantic.net>

P.S. I am searching for EPSON 1520 users and/or 1270 users, as I debate which to buy at ebay (both models are in about the same cost range currently w/ great variation, of course). Although I rarely expect to use the 1270's incredible photographic print quality, I do understand that at its more economical 180dpi setting it is still sharp enough for arch. dwgs. to look good. Ergo: still economical? Any opinions? PLS let me know.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Shaun:

Hi,

We've got an HP 1220C and I have no problems scaling a drawing setup on an A3 sheet to print on an A4 sheet...it can do it.

However the software that ships with the printer is extremely processor and memory intensive and it seems to bog the whole machine down. Another thing is that it sometimes prints out garbled characters. And yet another thing is that it sometimes print an image out halfway and leaves the rest of the paper blank.

I also had a lot of problems from HP printers in the past so my advice for you is stay away from HP!

Hope this helps.

Shaun.

P111-500, 128 ram

---