Readme File for the Hewlett-Packard HP-GL/2 Windows Driver
IMPORTANT
No other applications should be running when you
install this driver. (#F109)
Quick Installation from Windows
1. Insert the driver disk into the A (or other) drive of your computer.
2. In the Program Manager, select File and then Run...
3. On the Command Line, type a:\install and click on OK.
4. Select the desired configuration in the Installation dialog box and
click on OK.
Quick Installation from DOS (Windows not running)
1. Insert the driver disk into the A (or other) drive of your computer.
2. Type: win a:\install.
3. Select the desired configuration in the Installation dialog box and
click on OK.
Standard Windows Installation
1. Insert the driver disk into the A (or other) drive of your computer.
2. Open the Program Manager in MS Windows.
3. In the Program Manager, select Main.
4. In Main, select Control Panel.
5. In Control Panel, select Printers.
6. In the Printers dialog box, click on Add Printer >>.
7. In the List of Printers list box, double click on the Unlisted
Printer entry.
8. In the Add unlisted printer dialog box, double click on the
A: (or other) drive in the Directories list box.
9. Double click on the driver name, "hpgl2rtl.drv" in the Driver Files
list box.
10.Click on Use Print Manager.
11.In the Printers dialog box, click on Connect.
12.In the Printers - Connect dialog box, click on the desired
port.
13.In the Printers - Connect dialog box, change both the
Device Not Selected and Transmission Retry timeouts to 900
and click on Fast Printing Direct to Port. Click on OK
14.Double click on the desired installed printer so it appears
in the Default Printer box. Click on Close.
The following section is extracted from the HPDRIVER.WRI file.
You can find there more information about the applications and
troubleshooting.
Software application notes
AutoCAD users
-------------
Release 11 for Windows users:
use the Autodesk driver instead of this one
When using AutoCAD Release 11 for Windows, we recommend
plotting with the Autodesk driver that was automatically loaded
when you installed AutoCAD. Follow the steps below to ensure
that you've selected the recommended driver in AutoCAD.
Step 1. From the AutoCAD main menu, choose "Configure
AutoCAD" from the Utilities menu.
Step 2. Read the text to the right of "Plotter." If it
says, "Hewlett-Packard HP-GL/2 V1.0 ADI 4.1 - By Autodesk," the
plotter configuration is correct and you don't need to do
anything else; if it says something different, continue with
the next step.
Step 3. Press Enter and type 5 to select "Configure plotter."
Step 4. Type Y to the question, "Do you want to select a
different one?," and type 6 to select "Hewlett-Packard HP-GL/2
V1.0 ADI 4.1 - By Autodesk."
Step 5. Answer any remaining questions and return to the
main menu. Be sure to save the configuration changes you just
made.
Release 12 for Windows users
IMPORTANT - AutoCAD Release 12 users should refer to the document
"Using AutoCAD Release 12 for Windows with HP Plotters"
supplied with this driver, for important information.
Media size selection - Plot Configuration dialog box
From AutoCAD's "Plot Configuration" dialog box it is possible to
view the available media sizes by using two different methods:
i) via "Print Setup" - by clicking on the "Device and Default
Selection" button to display its dialog box and subsequently the
"Change Device Requirements" button to display the "Print Setup"
dialog box, then clicking on the "Size" button.
ii) via "Paper Size" - by clicking on the "Size" button to display
the "Paper Size" dialog box.
If you select a media size from the "Size" drop-down menu of the
"Print Setup" dialog box it will affect the menu of media sizes
you see when you display the "Paper Size" dialog box. The list of
media sizes will be limited to all known sizes smaller than or equal
to the size currently selected in the "Print Setup" dialog box and
this size is renamed here to "MAX" and adjusted to take into account
the margins used by AutoCAD.
Recommendation: When you have decided to use a particular media size
ensure that it is currently selected in the "Print Setup" dialog box
and then you should always select the size called MAX in the "Paper
Size" dialog box.
Users of paint and image-processing applications (such as Aldus PhotoStyler,
Publisher's Paintbrush)
-----------------------
Because of the large amount of data involved, plotting large-format
raster images (such as scanned images) will proceed slowly.
Some applications have an overriding orientation setting
--------------------------------------------------------
The following table lists some commonly-used applications with their
own orientation setting that overrides the driver's Orientation
setting. (In applications, the orientation setting can usually be
found by selecting Page Setup, Print, or a similarly named command
from the File menu.) For predictable results in all cases check to
see if the application has an orientation setting, if so you should
match its setting to the driver's Orientation setting.
Some applications with an overriding orientation setting:
CorelDRAW
Microsoft Excel for Windows
Microsoft Word for Windows
Long-axis plotting
------------------
The long-axis feature allows you to produce plots up to 109.2 inches
(2773 mm) long with this driver. Long-axis plotting is possible if
both the plotter and the application support this feature.
All the supported plotters except the HP 7550B support long-axis
plotting.
Note that:
The HP DraftPro Plus supports long-axis plotting, but long-axis
plots are limited to 63.0 inches (1600 mm).
The HP DesignJet 200 and 220 support long-axis plotting, but
long-axis plots are limited to 64.0 inches (1625 mm).
Below is a list of some commonly-used Windows applications that
support long-axis plotting. If your application isn't in this list,
refer to your application user's guide to find out if long-axis
plotting is supported.
Some applications that support long-axis plotting:
Arts & Letters
CADvance
Micrografx Designer
Microsoft Project*
* Although this application supports long-axis plotting, plot
length is limited to 60 inches (1524 mm).
To produce a long-axis plot, you must enter the long-axis plot
length in the User-defined Size dialog box.
NOTE: Your application may require other setting changes as well;
refer to your application user's guide for more information.
Cancelling a plot from your application
---------------------------------------
You may experience problems when plotting to one of the HP DesignJet
series plotters if you use your application to cancel a plot. The
plotter may have already received part of your drawing at the time
you chose to cancel, and the next time you send a plot the plotter
will begin to draw the plot you cancelled. This problem can be
overcome by pressing the "Cancel" button on the front panel of your
plotter.
CorelDRAW users
---------------
If you're using CorelDRAW with this driver, you can only produce A-
and B-size plots from a TIFF drawing.
CORELDRAW 3.0 REV. B SLOW PRINTING:
To speed the printing of gradient filled objects in CorelDraw 3.0
Rev. B, add the following line to the [CDrawConfig] section of the
coreldrw.ini file:
UseClippingForFills=0
For more information on locating and modifying this file, please
contact Corel Corporation Software Support.
Excel users with DesignJet Series plotters
------------------------------------------
Excel 4.0 has its own Copies setting in its "Page Setup" dialog box
and may cause problems with this driver. We recommend that you use
Excel as a means of requesting multiple copies of a plot and set the
Copies field in the "Setup" dialog box in the driver to 1.
Microsoft Project users
-----------------------
Margins
The default margins in Microsoft Project's Page Setup dialog box are
too small for the plotters this driver supports. To remedy this
problem, we recommend that you refer to the table in Chapter 3
of this document and enter the margins for your plotter type into
Microsoft Project's Page Setup dialog box.
Plot length limit
You are recommended not to attempt to plot a drawing which is
1524 mm (60 in) or longer, it may cause Microsoft Project to hang.
Lotus 1-2-3 (4.0) users
-----------------------
a) The "Preview" feature of Lotus 1-2-3 will not work when using a
HP DesignJet 200, 220 and 650C for the following page formats and
sizes:
594 x 841 mm (ISO A1) or larger, or
22 x 34 in (ANSI D) or larger
b) There is a difference between Lotus 1-2-3 and your plotter driver
in the way they handle certain colors. When these colors are used
for solid area fills they are reported to the plotter driver as a
mix of colors to be mixed by the plotter using a process known as
'dithering.' When these colors are plotted they are not solid and
appear to have a very fine pattern.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The following section provides late-breaking troubleshooting tips for some
popular software packages.
General Comments
The windows imposed limitation of 109.2 inches (2773 mm) plot length can
be extended if you use scaling; i.e., a 109 inch plot can be scaled up to
400 %. This is because only the page width is checked for scaling. You
should also be aware that pattern (hatch) scaling is not implemented in
this driver. (#F69)
You may want to use the driver´s Scale option to avoid the page-size
limitations of some applications. However, if an application offers its
own scaling feature, we recommend using it for the best results.
If you select square custom size paper, your plots will be cut 1-inch
longer than you specified.
Software Application Notes
--------------------------
Aldus FreeHand (v3.1) users
Problems exist with gradient fills in documents imported from the
Macintosh version of FreeHand. If you see black lines in areas where you
expect a gradient fill, we recommend that you replace the gradient fill
area done on the Macintosh with a gradient fill done with Windows. (#F126)
Aldus PageMaker (v5.0) users
We recommend that you do not use the "Double-sided", "Facing pages", or
"Letterhalf" options under "Page Setup". This is because our driver has
different right, left, top, and bottom margins. (#F96)
You should also be aware that some PageMaker line attributes are not
printed properly when using our driver. (#F70)
Maximum page size = 42 x 42 inches (1066 x 1066 mm) (#F79)
Aldus PhotoStyler (v2.0) users
Problems exist that cause a GPF (General Protection Fault) when printing
to a DesignJet 600. Use the following workaround to avoid this problem.
(#F121)
1. Click the "Options" button in the "Print" dialog box.
2. Set the Print Type to "Monochrome".
3. Set the Halftone to "By PhotoStyler".
4. Click "OK".
5. Print your document.
Aldus Persuasion (v2.1) users
The slide dimension specified in the "Slide Setup" menu should not exceed
17 x 22 inches (431.8 x 558.8 mm). (#F58)
Corel Draw (v3.0/v4.0) users
Corel 3.0 maximum page size = 20 x 20 inches (508 x 508 mm)
Corel 4.0 maximum page size = 30 x 30 inches (762 x 762 mm) (#F122)
Corel Photo-Paint (v4.0) users
We recommend the free upgrade from Corel to v4.00.b3 for better
performance with our driver. (#F105)
Lotus 1-2-3 (v4.0) users
Problems exist that cause the orientation of some patterns to be printed
differently than shown on the screen. Also, page sizes larger than ANSI-C
may not print. (#F53, #F86)
Lotus Ami Pro (v3.0) users
To improve printing of hatch patterns, add the following line to the
[AmiPro] section in the C:\WINDOWS\AMIPRO.INI file. (#F55)
DefOptions1=2
Lotus FreeLance Graphics (v2.0) users
To prevent unexpected results when printing in color, make sure the
"Adjust color library for color printing" switch is disabled when doing
a 'Print'. (#F103)
Problems exist that prevent the background from being printed on a
DesignJet 600. (#F27)
Micrografx Designer (v4.0) users
Problems exist which cause objects (such as a line) to be clipped to 55
inches in length. (#F83)
Microsoft Works version 3.0
When using large size media (i.e. A0 and E size) you may see a
'Divide By Zero' error message when you choose: Print Preview, or Print,
AND your system is configured for one of the following devices:
HP DesignJet 200 (C3181A)
HP DesignJet 220 (C3188A)
HP DesignJet 600 (C2848A)
HP DesignJet 650C (C2859A)
HP DesignJet 650C (C2859B)
There is a work-around solution for the above problem (Microsoft and
Hewlett-Packard are working on a permanent solution). Please repeat the
driver installation procedure and choose an alternative plotter, see
below, from the drop-down list box of the Installer dialog box.
If you were configured for: Choose this alternative:
------------------------- ------------------------------
HP DesignJet 200 (C3181A).... HP DesignJet 200 (C3180A)
HP DesignJet 220 (C3188A).... HP DesignJet 220 (C3187A)
HP DesignJet 600 (C2848A).... HP DesignJet 600 (C2847A)
HP DesignJet 650C (C2859A).... HP DesignJet 650C (C2858A)
HP DesignJet 650C (C2859B).... HP DesignJet 650C (C2858B)
Remember to re-configure your system to use this new device,
i.e. via Print Setup..., or Control Panel etc.
Note that for landscape images which are D/A1 sized, or just smaller,
the 'alternative' driver, which should also set to landscape, will work
best with media loaded in portrait orientation. This is because for
large images the driver automatically re-orientates the image to
portrait orientation in order to avoid image clipping.
For example if your landscape image is D/A1 sized you should set the
orientation setting in the driver to landscape and load the D/A1 sized
media in portrait orientation.
If you are trying to print a large size plot, use the Scale feature
of the driver.
Microsoft Excel (v4.0 and v5.0) users
We recommend using the driver control panel for page setup rather than
using the "Page Setup" menu within the application. (#F48)
Problems also exist that prevent printing of some border patterns that
appear on the screen. (#F84)
Excel V5.0 seems to have fixed these problems.
Some light fill patterns in Excel 5.0 may not come out as shown on the
screen. If you are having this problem, we recommend using "Manual
Color" and selecting "No Adjustment".
Microsoft Word for Windows (v2.0/v6.0) users
Problems exist in v2.0 that cause the bottom line of double underlines
for ATM (PostScript Type 1) fonts to be clipped. For v6.0, the problem
seems to only occur if the double underline text is also a subscript.
(#F101)
Software Publishers Harvard Graphics (v2.0) users
Problems exist that cause some pattern fills to be printed incorrectly.
We recommend using a hatch fill if you see this problem. (#F80)
QuarkXPress (v3.12) users
When used with our driver, there is a limitation on image width of 26
inches. (#F72)
Tiff files are printed with poor quality. (#F73) The "Using QuarkXPress"
manual (page 7.21) states the following:
"When you print a document containing an EPS or TIFF picture to a non-
PostScript printer, QuarkXPress prints the low-resolution image stored
in the document. Non-PostScript printers cannot print the information
contained in an EPS file."
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.