PLOT
 
PLOT <graphics_file> {destination}
 
submits an ARC/INFO graphics file or map composition to a plotter or
printer to produce hardcopy output.
 
arguments
 
<graphics_file> - the pathname of the ARC/INFO graphics file or map
composition to be plotted.
 
{destination} - name of the logical destination to which the graphics
file will be sent to produce hardcopy output.
 
When a destination is specified, the graphics file will be automatically
submitted to that device. If a destination is not specified, and only one
device is available on your system, that destination will be used
automatically. When multiple destinations exist within your plot system
configuration, the SELECT DESTINATION scrolling menu will be displayed with
these options.
 
Click the desired destination from the SELECT DESTINATION menu to bring
up a sub-menu with device specific parameter options. Select the
desired output options and click Print to send the file to the device.
 
Click Quit or pull the pin to terminate the session and return to the
Arc: prompt.
 
notes
 
The graphics terminal must be set with the AML &TERMINAL directive in
order to display the PLOT menus.
 
The PLOT destination names that appear in the SELECT DESTINATION menu are
site-dependent. They are created at the time your ARC/INFO system is installed
by your system administrator. Setting up the plot system requires
device-specific instructions, see Installing ARC/INFO Rev 6.1 for a description
of how to set up the plotters and printers for the particular device platform.
 
On ANSI terminals, click the mouse 2 key to display the contents of the
SELECT DESTINATION menu.
 
To generate composite Encapsulated PostScript (EPSF) files or digital
color separates as disk files, see the POSTSCRIPT and SEPARATOR command
references.
 
Color separates output:
 
You can print digital color separates directly from your graphics file with the
PLOT command if your site has a PostScript device set up with the color
separator (see notes reference above).
 
Click the PostScript printer/separator from the SELECT DESTINATION menu to
display the sub-menu from which the following parameters can be specified.
Blank field entries indicate no default settings. Complete the specification of
all desired menu options and click Print to process the color separated files
on the output device.
 
Device Name:
 
Displays the trade name or 'nickname' of the PostScript printer device
that will be used to imgage the output file(s). This is the name of the
device specified from the SELECT DESTINATION scrolling list.
 
PPD File:
 
Displays the device model name of the PostScript Printer Definition
(PPD) file which contains the default device-specific parameters such
as resolution, paper size, fonts and so on. This is the model name of
the device specified from the SELECT DESTINATION scrolling list.
 
ARC/INFO provided PPD files are stored in the directory
$ARCHOME:[PLOTTERS.ADOBE_PPD]. The text file FILENAME.MAP contains a directory
listing of PPD files and their corresponding device names. Files can be added
to or deleted from this directory to meet your site requirements. PPD files
are usually included with the PostScript printer device.
 
Paper Size:
 
Specifies the dots per inch (dpi) or resolution at which the graphics will be
imaged on the specified output device. Click the mouse 3 key to bring up a
scrolling list of device dpi settings. Resolution determines the number of
device dots or pixels to each linear inch (ppi) on the output device. If a PPD
file or Device Name has been selected, the default resolution is automatically
entered. If not specified, the default output file resolution is 300 dots per
inch.
 
Dots per Inch:
 
Specifies the dots per inch (dpi) or resolution at which the graphics will be
imaged on the specified output device. Click the mouse 3 key to bring up a
scrolling list of device dpi settings. Resolution determines the number of
device dots or pixels to each linear inch (ppi) on the output device. If a PPD
file or Device Name has been selected, the default resolution is automatically
entered. If not specified, the default output file resolution is 300 dots per
inch.
 
Lines per Inch:
 
Specifies the lines per inch (lpi) of the halftone screen which is used to
render the graphic image on the specified output device. Click the mouse 3 key
to bring up a scrolling list of device lpi settings. A digital halftone screen
utilizes a grid pattern or halftone cell to compose a halftone dot. A digital
halftone dot is made up of many device dots or pixels which are turned on or
off to assimulate varying shades of gray.  The size of the cell determines how
many grays can be rendered. Adjusting the lpi is also known as line frequency,
screen frequency or screen ruling. If a PPD file or Device name has been
selected, the default lpi is automatically entered. If not specified,
80 lpi will be used for separates files or the target printer's default
resolution will be used for composite files.
 
The balance of resolution (dpi) and halftone screen frequency (lpi) affects the
sharpness of detail and quality of color blending of the rendered image. When
printed and viewed, the image fuses to create an optical illusion of many hues,
tints and shades. An improper balance will show banding and obvious dot
patterns. Typical resolution and screen frequency relationships are: 300 dpi
(60-90 lpi), 1200 dpi (90-150 lpi) and 2400 dpi (120-150 lpi). The equation
(dpi/lpi)2 is used to determine the maximum possible number of colors (or
grays) in the rendered image.
 
Screen Angles:
 
Specifies the angle that the halftone screen is to be rotated for each color
separate file.  Click the mouse 3 key to bring up a scrolling list of device
screen angle settings. If a PPD file or Device name has been selected, the
default screen angles are automatically entered. The default value for each
angle is 0.
 
Halftone screens are rotated at different angles to prevent distracting
moire' patterns in the rendered image. The desirable pattern of
overlapping halftone dots should form a rosette when viewed with a
printer's loupe. The printing industry standard for CMYK screen angles
are 105, 75, 90 and 45 (each 30 degrees apart). This standard varies
slightly with different electronic devices due to the specific
screening technology used. Screen angles will also vary based on dpi
and lpi settings.  Screen angle adjustment is most important for
high-qualities film output from imagesetters and typesetters and may
not be required on other PostScript printing devices.
 
Fonts:
 
Specifies how Agfa Compugrapic fonts will be handled by the output
device. Click Fonts to display a menu with a list of the fonts used in
the input graphics file, then click one of the following choices for
each font:
 
  Contour - fonts are imaged as scalable outlines and fills.  This is
  the default. However, if the font is resident on the printer, it's
  status will automatically be changed to Resident provided you have
  named the corresponding PostScript font in the fontindex file (see
  Resident below).
 
  BitMap - fonts are imaged as bitmaps, sampled at the resolution of
  the output device.
 
  DownLoad - font definitions and metric information is included in the
  output file and stored in virtual memory on the output device while
  the files are processed. A software limit of 64 fonts can be
  downloaded. Note that this limit may be reduced by the amount of
  memory on the particular output device. It is suggested to download
  only those fonts which are used extensively.
 
  Resident - fonts will be substituted with resident PostScript fonts
  available on the output device. When a PPD file is specified that
  contains a font used in the input file, the resident font will
  automatically be used provided the font has also been named in the
  FONTINDEX file when the input file was generated. The FONTINDEX file
  is an info data file stored in the directory $ARCHOME:[SYMBOLS]. The
  item PS-NAME must contain the exact spelling of the PostScript font
  name. A list of resident font names is available in each PPD file
  stored in the directory $ARCHOME:[PLOTTER.ADOBE_PPD].  For more help
  on how to update the FONTINDEX file, see Appendix E in Map Display
  and Query. Select Resident if the font has been manually loaded onto
  the device (from a cartridge, floppy, etc). If resident is selected
  and the font is not on the output device, the device default font
  will be used (this is usually the PostScript default font Times-Roman
  or Courier on most devices).
 
A maximum of 25 fonts can be listed in the fonts menu. If the input
graphics file contains more than 25 fonts, the remaining fonts will
be handled as filled outlines, or Resident if they are found in the
PPD file.
 
Orientation:
 
Specifies the page imposition of the output file.
 
  Portrait specifies normal or default orientation for the device
  specified (refer to the device documentation). This is the default.
 
  Landscape rotates the file 90 degrees counterclockwise.
 
Image:
 
Specifies the pixel rendering of the output file image.
 
  Positive specifies the normal or default image. This is the default.
 
  Negative specifies a negative or inverse image. Negative is most
  often used for film output processing. Negatives can then be used
  to create prepress color proofs and offset printing press plates.
 
Emulsion:
 
  Up specifies that the output file image will be rendered as
  right-reading. Typically the media in the output device is loaded
  with the emulsion (photosensitive coating) face up and produces a
  legible or right-reading image. This is the default.
 
  Down specifies that the output file image will be rendered as
  wrong-reading, producing a mirror image. Emulsion face down is most
  often used with film output where additional images will be produced
  from the original film negatives. In this case proper photo
  processing requires an emulsion to emulsion contact between two
  mediums (e.g.; film to color proof, film to plate and plate to
  paper). Consult with a print shop or service bureau to determine
  which Emulsion specification is applicable for your needs.
 
Reg Marks:
 
  Yes specifies that registration marks will be imaged in the output
  file outside the graphics page extent. Registration marks are used to
  ensure precise alignment when overlaying multiple separates images.
  This is the default.
 
  No specifies that registration marks will not be imaged in the output
  file(s).
 
Crop Marks:
 
  Yes specifies that crop marks will be imaged in the output file at
  the page border. Crop marks are used as trim mark guides to help
  align cutters and shears during bindery processing. This is the default.
 
  No specifies that crop marks will not be imaged in the output file(s).
 
 
Gray Scale Marks:
 
  Yes specifies that a gradient grayscale bar will be imaged in the output file
  at the outside of the registration marks. The gradient gray scale bar is used
  to check color accuracy and dot gain during the press run. A scale of
  screened patches (varying from 10 percent to 100 percent in 10-percent
  increments) is printed by default.
 
  No specifies that gray scale marks will not be imaged in the output file(s).
 
Label Marks:
 
  Yes specifies that a label showing the pathname of the input file and the
  name of the separate will be imaged in the output file at the outside of the
  registration marks. This is the default.
 
  No specifies that labels will not be imaged in the output file(s).
 
Marks Offset:
 
Specifies an offset distance of the Reg Marks, Crop Marks, Gray Scale Marks and
Label Marks from the output file graphic image. The marks distance can be any
real number given in inches. The default distance is .25 inches.
 
Scale:
 
Specifies the enlargement or reduction factor of the output file image as
rendered on the output device. The scale factor is multiplied by the page size
specified in Arcplot when the input file was created. The default scale factor
is 1 (using a 1:1 ratio scale). A scale of 0 enables automatic scaling which
will fit the image to the specified Page Size of the specified output Device.
 
Origin (LL)
 
Specifies an offset distance to locate the lower-left origin point of the
output file image on the specified output device. The default origin point on
the output device is determined by the margin specification which differs from
one output device to another.
 
  X offset: Specifies the x-offset distance to locate the point of origin to
  begin scanning the page image. The x-offset distance can be
  any real number given in inches.
 
  Y offset: Specifies the y-offset distance to locate the point of origin to
  begin scanning the page image. The y-offset distance can be any real number
  given in inches.
 
Separates:
 
  Cyan - specifies that a single cyan separate file will be generated.
 
  Magenta - specifies that a single magenta separate file will be generated.
 
  Yellow - specifies that a single yellow separate file will be generated.
 
  Black - specifies that a single black separate file will be generated.
 
  Spot - specifies that a single spot color separate will be
  generated. The spot color name must be specified in the Spot Color
  Name field. The spot color name must also exist in the colorfile
  info data file stored in the directory $ARCHOME:[SYMBOLS]. Colorfile
  contains all the color names and associated CMYK color component values.
 
  All - specifies that all of the CMYK color separates and as well as
  any SPOT color separates (up to sixteen) will automatically be generated.
 
  Composite - specifies that a single composite EPSF file will be generated.
  The output file will be rendered as a full color image on color printing
  devices or as a monochrome image on black-and-white or grayscale output
  devices.
 
Color defintions are specified by the color parameter of the symbols used
during the Arcplot session when the input graphics file or map composition is
created.
 
Spot Color Name:
 
Specifies the name of the spot color separate file to output. This is required
when the Spot separate option is selected.
 
Image Resolution:
 
Specifies the resolution in dots per inch (dpi) at which raster data
contained in the input file will be sampled.  The default value is the
maximum resolution the device can handle providing it does not exceed
the resolution at which the data in the input file was captured.  If
the device's resolution exceeds that of the input file, then the latter
will be used as the default. By default, Arcplot captures output
graphics at a resolution of 500 dpi (see DISPLAY in the ARCPLOT Command
References).
 
The actual resolution at which raster data is plotted can be calculated
with the following formula:
 
       resolution = device resolution / n
 
where,
       n = device resolution / image resolution
 
and is rounded down to the nearest whole number.
 
A significant reduction of file size and plot processing time can be achieved
by reducing the resolution of raster data. The resolution of raster data may be
halved without any significant degradation of the resulting plot image.
 
Specifying Image Resolution does not affect the resolution of vector data.
 
Color Calibration:
 
Specifies the pathname of the color calibration file that will be used
to fine tune the color quality of the output file image on the output
device at the time of plotting. The color calibration file provides a
temporary color adjustment to the output file during the printing process.
 
Specifying a Color Calibration file may be useful for adjusting plots
that are `too light' or `too dark'. When primary colors reflect a
difference in hue, the output device may also require recalibration
(refer to the operating instructions for the device).
 
Regeneration of a color calibration file is recommended when changes
occur in humidity, ink chemistry, media type and so on.
 
A template color calibration file, calibrate.dat is provided in the
directory $ARCHOME:[PLOTTERS]. The color calibration file is an ASCII
file created with a text editor with the following format:
 
   CYAN                                     # Comment
   plot_percentage     chart_percentage     # Comment
   ...                 ...                  # Comment
   plot_percentage     chart_percentage     # Comment
 
   MAGENTA                                  # Comment
   plot_percentage     chart_percentage     # Comment
   ...                 ...                  # Comment
   plot_percentage     chart_percentage     # Comment
 
   YELLOW                                   # Comment
   plot_percentage     chart_percentage     # Comment
   ...                 ...                  # Comment
   plot_percentage     chart_percentage     # Comment
 
   BLACK                                    # Comment
   plot_percentage     chart_percentage     # Comment
   ...                 ...                  # Comment
   plot_percentage     chart_percentage     # Comment
 
The plot_percentage and chart_percentage values are obtained by the
following steps:
 
  1) On the target output device, plot the color calibration chart from
  the provided graphics file: $ARCHOME:[PLOTTERS]CALIBRATE.GRA
 
  2) Make a visual comparison between the newly plotted chart and the
  calibration chart provided in Appendix C of ARC/INFO Device Interface
  Guide.
 
  3) If differences are noted between the corresponding CMYK color
  percentage scales, select a shade in your plot that closely matches a
  shade in the provided chart and enter that pair of percentages in the
  calibration file.  Repeat as needed for each strip.
 
The following sample color calibration file shows example corrections
for all CMYK colors (note that color name abbreviations and comments
are optional):
 
   C               # Under saturation
   0   0
   90  100         # Make upper end darker
 
   M               # Over saturation
   0   0
   100 80          # Make upper end lighter
 
   Y               # Early saturation
   10  20          # Make bottom end darker
   80  60          # Make upper end lighter
 
   K               # Over saturation
   0   0
   90  75          # Make upper end lighter
 
Color calibration is performed as a linear stretch; thus only two pairs
of values are needed for each of the CMYK colors. If only one pair is
given, colors below these values will be stretched between 0,0 and the
given pair whereas colors above will be stretched between the given
pair and 100,100. If either 0 or 100 is one of the values of any given
pair, then that pair will become the limiting extreme.
 
Device Width:
 
Specifies a reparameterization of the page imaging area on the specified output
device. Only the x dimension (or width) can be specified. Specifying a Device
Width can extend the page imaging area beyond the default margin area or
alternatively narrow the imaging area to a specified width size. Device Width
can be any whole number given in inches. Device Width defaults to the default
imaging parameters of the particular output device.
 
Setting a Device Width specifies the setpageparams operator and is not
supported on all PostScript devices (refer to the specific device
documentation).
 
Print
 
Click Print to process and print the color separated files on the
selected PostScript device. Upon completion the separator menu will
close and return you to the SELECT DESTINATION menu so another plot job
can be initiated.
 
Quit
 
Click Quit to terminate the session and return to the SELECT
DESTINATION menu.
 
Closing the window will also terminate the menu.
