# Tiff printing problems!!



## omalley401 (Jun 26, 2008)

Here is a newbie question that has irked me for the last 2 days.

I am trying to print off architectual prints that were sent to me with a .TIFF file extension. No problem yet as I can handle that. The problem starts when I try to send the file to my plotter. When I preview the file in Microsoft's picture viewer/ printer, the file size is 1 MB, however when I print the file full size (36"x48") the file size jumps to over 30 MB. This creates problems on my network and my plotter can't handle a file size that large (10 year old plotter). Can anyone help me print this fullsize w/o making the file size so dang big? How can the file jump up so much when the file itself is only 1 mb?


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## Inactive (Apr 11, 2005)

a file's size on the HD varies a lot when it's in use in RAM and again when it's converted to print format. it would normally be compressed on the HD as to uncompressed in RAM. also the conversion of the file for the plotter generally makes it quite large.

if the plotter is having trouble i would insert the TIFF as a raster image into CAD and plot it using the computers memory rather than sending it all to the plotter at once. that setting would be in the printer config before you send to plot. 









a neat trick for plotting raster images to scale is to specify system units before you insert a raster image. then scale the image up by the scale it was printed at - assuming it was printed to a scale in the first place. if autocad will not open the TIF file, try saving it as an uncompressed TIF file. (depends on which version of CAD you have)


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## omalley401 (Jun 26, 2008)

Well that explains how the file grows so much when I try to print it and when I open it in a graphics program!

I am using AutoCAD LT2004 and I don't believe I have the rasterizing capability. Thanks for the response.

OMalley


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## Inactive (Apr 11, 2005)

as far as i know autocad LT will open a file that has a raster image inserted, but doesn't allow you to insert one. go figure. i use autocad 2007, so if you want i will insert it into a dwg file and save it in 2004 format. for file size and compatability, save it as a jpg with NO compression to avoid any quality loss. 2004 cannot open compressed TIF files and an uncompressed TIF would be far too large to upload here.


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