Huh? You convert PDF to PCL? Why don't you use the PCL renderer? That removes the seemingly time-consuming conversion from PDF to PCL. Or rather, if you can choose, I'd go for PostScript output. PDF is not the only output format FOP supports directly: http://xmlgraphics.apache.org/fop/0.95/output.html#pcl
On 01.06.2008 05:03:52 Martin Edge wrote: > Hey Guys (my emails were tidier but apache's spam protection is ridiculous > :)), > > But anyway ... > > Fair enough on your response kindaian... – thanks for your answer (and you > too Jeremy!) > > Perhaps the software I am using to do the conversion from PDF to PCL could be > improved.. I tried postscript, but so far I have been processing for 21hrs.. > My 79Mb PDF file is now a 94 Gig Postscript file! (that can’t be real, > surely??). > > PCL takes about 6hrs for 20,000 pages (5333 recipient * four pages) with > every 4th and 5th recipient in duplexing mode and the 1st page taking from > the letterhead tray, the rest from the plain paper tray. The current process > would create 20,000 files and add them to one larger file (this process is > fast) marking duplexing and paper requirements whilst it aggregates them. > > As it seems my format options are somewhat limited PCL/PS/AFP [we call the > AFP the coppers over here ☺] – > > The XSLT -> FO and FO -> PDF processes work quickly. It’s simply the PDF -> > PCL/AFP/PS stage which is killing me. > > I’m using ghostscript for this purpose. Just their standard PDF2PS.bat script > (and a slightly hacked one for PCL). > > Can you recommend a better software for this purpose, or is the conversion to > PDF first potentially hazardous in performance to my desired printing type > (PCL or PS). > > Like, maybe XSL -> FO -> SOMETHING -> PCL or XSL -> FO -> PCL? > > Thanks guys your help is most appreciated! > Martin. > > ------------------------------- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Saturday, 31 May 2008 11:11 PM > To: fop-users@xmlgraphics.apache.org > Subject: Re: best format for high speed printing > > > Is there an efficient file format available that is much faster, and still > allows me to control duplexing and tray selection per page? > > > > Some high end printers have special markings and "language" (with barcodes) > that you can use outside the printing area to control the way the printing on > that page is handled. > > I've seen it used in conjugation with printing-folding and enveloping systems > (but can't be more precise because never used one, only watched the systems > working on expos). > > As for optimization, one thing that i noticed is if you have loads of > citation references, the document production takes an huge time more to be > produced. And I'm only referring to fo->pdf production mind. > > For further optimization you can also decouple the xml-xslt->fo and > fo->output production. Passing from a 32bit to full flagged 64bit environment > may also allow further improvements (and break the Java limitation on the > memory allocation that happens in all 32bit applications). In 32bit > environment with 4gb ram on the machine, I wasn't able to use more then 1.2Gb > ram in Java. > > The project I was involved is a book with more then 5k pages with extensive > use of page references to produce automatically indexes. To be able to > "render" the book it was needed to split the book in chapters and produce an > index for each of the chapter. Not a nice hack, but it worked. > > Hope to have been of help, > > Cheers, > Luís Ferro > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Jeremias Maerki --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]