[pdftex] Pale print with Adobe Reader

[Rodolfo Medina]

On 3/8/07, Rodolfo Medina <rodolfo.medina at gmail.com> wrote:

>> I did:
>>
>>  $ tex file.tex
>>
>> and got file.dvi; then
>>
>>  $ dvips file.dvi -o
>>
>> and got file.ps; then
>>
>>  $ ps2pdf file.ps
>>
>> and got file.pdf. Now, with some printers the print all right; with some it
>> comes out very pale. If I use pdftex:
>>
>>  $ pdftex file.tex
>>
>> , the result is even worse. The same printer prints other pdf files fine.
>> I need printing my pdf file through MS Windows and Adobe or Acrobat Reader. I
>> tried all the possible settings and options in the print dialog window with
>> no
>> result. Any hint? Maybe a way to properly set the brightness/resolution when
>> creating the pdf file with ps2pdf or with pdftex?



"George N. White III" <gnwiii at gmail.com> writes:

> With current outline fonts, most systems are quite good at reproducing
> the intended
> appearance.  With bitmapped fonts, there can be considerable variation
> in the appearance of a given document depending on the settings used
> to generate the bitmapped (.pk) fonts, the version of Adobe Reader and
> the printer.
>
> To understand the problem, you need to examine the following questions:
>
> 1.  which fonts are used in the pdf files?
>
> 2. do the pdf files contain outline fonts or bitmapped?
>
> Adobe Reader can provide some information, as can the logs and output
> from your commands.
>
> 3.  How does your document with a properly typeset example (e.g., a
> book or journal) using the same fonts?



Thanks indeed for your help, but since I am no expert I have no answer to all
these questions. All I know is that I'm using the twelverm font, as from the
TeXbook. In my document there is: \twelvepoint, whose definition is the
following:

%switch to 12-point type
\def\twelvepoint{\def\rm{\fam0\twelverm}%
 \textfont0=\twelverm \scriptfont0=\ninerm
 \scriptscriptfont0=\sevenrm
 \textfont1=\twelvei \scriptfont1=\ninei
                                   \scriptscriptfont1=\seveni
 \textfont2=\twelvesy \scriptfont2=\ninesy
                                   \scriptscriptfont2=\sevensy
 \textfont3=\twelveex \scriptfont3=\twelveex
  \scriptscriptfont3=\twelveex
 \textfont\itfam=\twelveit \def\it{\fam\itfam\twelveit}%
 \textfont\bffam=\twelvebf \scriptfont\bffam=\ninebf
  \scriptscriptfont\bffam=\sevenbf \def\bf{\fam\bffam\twelvebf}%
 \textfont\avfam=\twelveboldavantgarde
  \def\av{\fam\avfam\twelveboldavantgarde}%
 \normalbaselineskip=15pt
  \normalbaselines\rm}


, and that's the definition of \twelveboldavantgarde:

 \font\twelveboldavantgarde=pagd7t at 12pt

, however the brightness problem is much more about rm.


George:

> For most implementations, the default will be some derivative of the
> Computer Modern fonts.  Certainly the CM fonts have quite narrow
> stokes when compared to more widely used fonts, but that is by design.
>
> If you just want "darker" fonts, there are many font families that can
> be used with pdftex.
> Most current TeX distributions support a number of free font families,
> and there are commercial fonts suitable for use with pdftex.


Well, could you maybe suggest some, and how to put them into my document?


Thanks,
Rodolfo