What image formats can I create using the Raster Image Printer?

Image Types	Compression Method	Bit Depth
Adobe PhotoShop 3.0 (*.psd)	RLE	1, 8, 24
CALS Files (*.cal)	CALS Types 1 - 4	1
Dr.Halo Files (*.cut)	Uncompressed	8
Encapsulated PostScript (*.eps)	Uncompressed	8
Exif TIFF Files (*.tif)	Uncompressed YUB	24
Exif 2.0 TIFF Files (*.tif)	YUV	24
FAX,raw (*.fax)	CCITT Groups 3 and 4	1
FlashPix Files (*.fpx)	Uncompressed Single Color Compression JPEG	8,24
GEM Image Files (*.gem)	Uncompressed	1
GIF Format (*.gif)	LZW	1-8
IFF Multipage Files (*.iff)	RLE	1-8, 24
IFF Serialized Files (*.iff)	RLE	1-8, 24
Intergraph RLE Files (*.itg)	RLE	1
IOCA Files (*.ica)	CCITT Groups 3 and 4	1
JPEG Files (*.jpg)	YUV Progressive YUV Lossless JPEG Uncompressed	8,24 8, 24 8, 24 1, 8
LEAD CMP Files (*.cmp	Compressed Non-progressive Progressive	1, 8 24 24
MAC Picture Files (*.pct)	Uncompressed	1, 4, 8, 24
Microsoft Paint Files (*.msp)	Uncompressed	1
MODCA, raw IOCA Files (*.ica)	CCITT Groups 3 and 4	1
OS/2 Bitmap Files 1.x (*.bmp)	Uncompressed	1, 4, 8, 24
OS/2 Bitmap Files 2.x (*.bmp)	Uncompressed	1, 4, 8, 24
PDF Multipage Files (*.pdf)(Raster)	Uncompressed CCITT, CCITT Groups 3 and 4 JPEG	1,8,24 1 1 24
PDF Serialized Files (*.pdf)(Raster)	Uncompressed CCITT, CCITT Groups 3 and 4 JPEG	1,8,24 1 1 24
Portable Bitmap Files (*.pbm)	Uncompressed ASCII Uncompressed Binary	1 1
Portable Greymap Files (*.pgm)	Uncompressed ASCII Uncompressed Binary	8 8
Portable Network Graphic files (*.png)	RLE	1, 4, 8, 24
Portable Pixelmap Files (*.ppm)	Uncompressed ASCII Uncompressed Binary	24 24
Sun Raster Files (*.ras)	Uncompressed	1, 4, 8, 24
TARGA Files (*.tga)	Uncompressed	8, 24, 32
TIFF Multipage Files (*.tif)	Uncompressed CCIT CCITT Groups 3 and 4 Packbits JPEG	1-8, 24, 32 1 1 1-8, 24, 32 24
TIFF Serialized Files (*.tif)	Uncompressed CCIT CCITT Groups 3 and 4 Packbits JPEG	1-8, 24, 32 1 1 1-8, 24, 32 24
Windows Bitmap Files (*.bmp	Uncompressed RLE	1, 4, 8, 24, 32 4, 8
Windows Metafiles (*.wmf)	Uncompressed	8, 24
WinFax Files (*.wfx)	CCITT Groups 3 and 4	1
WordPerfect Graphic Files (*.wpg)	Uncompressed	1, 4, 8
Xbitmap Files (*.xbm)	Uncompressed	1
Xpicmap Files (*.xpm)	Uncompressed	8, 24, 32
ZSoft DCX Files (*.dcx)	RLE	1, 4, 8, 24
ZSoft PCX (.PCX)	RLE	1

Licensing Questions

How do I find my product serial number?
From the Start menu, click Programs, then select Raster Image Printer - License to view your licensing information.

How do I move my license from one computer to another?
Please email peernet@peernet.com with a request to move the license from one computer to another. Remember to include your serial number and contact information.

How do I license my software if my computer is not connected to the Internet?
Please review the User Guide for full details on licensing without an internet connection.

I am trying to install my software and I am getting a request for a serial number. Where do I find my serial number?
You will receive an email shortly after you have made your purchase or requested an evaluation. This email will include your serial number. The serial number is case-sensitive, so be sure to type exactly what you see. As well, ensure that you type the hyphens ( - ) that are part of the serial number. Finally, ensure that you type 0 (zero), and not the letter O.

How many licenses do I need if Raster Image Printer is installed as a network printer?
One license is required for each user/computer who will be connected to the print driver.

How many licenses do I need if Raster Image Printer is installed on a Terminal Server?
One license is required for each user/computer who will be connected to the print driver.

Installation Questions

I ran the Raster Image Printer installation program, but I cannot find the print driver. Where is it?
When you install Raster Image Printer, it appears as a printer in your Printers folder, and in your list of available printers when you print from an application. In addition, a program folder is set up under the Start menu at Programs/Raster Image Printer with shortcuts to the user guide, samples, and printer properties. To use the software, just print to Raster Image Printer as you would print to any other printer. See the Quick Start Guide for more details.

I want to upgrade from a previous version of Raster Image Printer. Do I need to uninstall the old version before I can install a new one?
No, you don’t have to uninstall the old version. The two versions can reside side-by-side.

I downloaded the installation program, but when I run it I get an error saying it is not a valid Win32 application. Why?
You have an incomplete download. Download the installation program again and retry.

I downloaded the installation program, but when I run it I get an error saying the installation package could not be opened. Why?
You have an incomplete download. Download the installation program again and retry.

When I run the installation program, I get the error message INTERNAL ERROR 2889. Why?
You will get this error if your computer is infected with the Nimda virus. Please refer to Microsoft Article Q308357 for details.

When I run the installation program, I get the error message INVALID COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS. Why?
You will get this error if your computer is infected with a virus.

The installation completed successfully, but the printer does not appear in my Printers folder. Why?
Try re-running the installation program. If the printer still does not appear in the Printers folder, browse to the installation directory (by default, C:\Program Files\Raster Image Printer). In the Setups subfolder, run the file PNSetup.exe. This should resolve the issue. However, if problems persist, contact support@peernet.com.

Can Raster Image Printer function as a network printer?
Raster Image Printer can be shared out from a machine in a similar fashion to any other printer. However, every user/computer that connects to the shared printer will require a license.

How do I install more than one copy of Raster Image Printer on a machine?
Use the installation program to install the first copy of Raster Image Printer. Rename the printer in the Printers folder, and then re-run PNSetup.exe again to install a second copy. This results in two copies of Raster Image Printer installed on your machine.

We plan to install multiple copies of Raster Image Printer. How do I prepare an unattended installation, including the printer configuration?
If you are using Microsoft SMS or another product with software push capability, you can install multiple copies of Raster Image Printer with all the special prompts answered (including licensing and registration). The ultimate goal is to distribute this package with SMS. We normally use SMS Installer and Wise installer to prepare the packages. To automatically license the installations, have the SMS installer create a product license information file (see below) before invoking the print driver's installation program.

NOTE: If the recipient of a SMS installation is not connected to the Internet, the License Wizard will open and the user will be required to license the software manually or connect to the Internet in order to complete this installation.

Create/edit the product license information file at: <WINDIR>\PNEPRO5.INI
The file should contain the following information:

[License]
;
; Purchased product serial number
; This is the serial number that will be used to license all users
;
SERIALNUMBER=PN-EPRO-V5_-____________
;
; Company Contact
;
name=Your Name
;
; Company Name
;
ORGANIZATION=Your Organization
;
; Company Contact Email
;
EMAILADDRESS=Your email address
;
[Install]
;
; Set silently to number of times to license product before
; prompting with the PEERNET License Wizard interface.
; For SMS installations set this to 1 or more.
; For Terminal Service Servers, set this to number of licenses available
; from the product serial number purchased
;
Silently=20
;

How can I install Raster Image Printer on multiple workstations using my settings so that users do not need to configure the driver?
Use the installation program to install the driver on one machine. Make a copy of the Setups subdirectory of the installation tree for use by your installation program. Have your installation program call PNSetup.exe to install the driver, then call the API to configure the driver.

Why do I get the error message "Cannot find the file'MSIEXEC' (or one of its components)" when I try to install?
You need to download and install the Windows Installer Redistributable. Click the link to the Microsoft website relevant to your operating system:

Windows Installer Redistributable for Windows 95, 98, and Me

Windows Installer Redistributable for Windows NT 4.0 and 2000

Note that the Windows XP operating system contains Windows Installer 2.0 and therefore cannot be installed or upgraded by this redistributable.

Why do I get the error message "AddPrinterDriver failed with error 126" when I try to install?
You will get this error if the system file framedyn.dll is missing or cannot be found. This is usually the result of a bad environment path. For more details about this issue, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 319114.

Configuring Questions

How do I change Raster Image Printer properties?
From the Start menu, select Programs - Raster Image Printer - Properties.

Why have the changes to the printer properties I made not been retained?
The steps to saving the printer properties globally have not been followed correctly. Refer to the User Guide for complete details.

How can I avoid being prompted with the Save As dialog every time I print?
On the Save tab, enable the Prompt Only When Needed and Overwrite Always options.

I read that Raster Image Printer supports 30+ different output formats, but I can only see three. Why?
On the File tab, select the Serialized radio button. The other formats will then appear in the file type list.

How can I reduce the size of the output file?
To reduce the output file size, you can reduce the resolution, print in black and white, select a different compression method, or select a smaller paper size.

Questions Related to Performance Issues

I have been using your driver for some time without any problems. Now, when I print to Raster Image Printer nothing happens (my image file is not created). Why?
There may be a job stuck in the printing queue. Click the Start button and select Start - Settings - Printers to open the Printers folder. In the Printers folder, right-click the Raster Image Printer icon and select Cancel All Documents. Double-click the Raster Image Printer printer icon to open the queue window. If any jobs remain in the queue, you must reboot the machine to clear them.

If the problem persists, download and install the latest update for the product.

What are the minimum system requirements for using Raster Image Printer?
Although there are no minimum requirements (virtual memory must be enabled) for using Raster Image Printer to process full color images, the following are recommended in order to achieve real-time processing of an 8.5" X 11" image in full color (no swapping to disk):

Resolution	RAM
600 dpi	1,024 MB
300 dpi	256 MB
200 dpi	64 MB

Why is the printing process extremely slow?
The raster printing process is very demanding on system resources. The printing process will be slow if you are printing in color at high resolutions and your machine does not meet the minimum memory requirements. If you find that the process as a whole takes an inordinately long time to complete, you can remedy the situation in any of the following ways (choose one):

• lower the resolution.
• print in black and white.
• decrease the paper size.
• add more RAM (memory) to the machine.

Administrators are able to print but regular users receive an error. Why?
Change the security settings for the %SystemRoot%\System32\Spool directory to include the Everyone group with Change privileges.

The printer properties are slow to display. Why is this?
It is likely that a virus scanner is repeatedly scanning some of the printer's configuration files. You need to search your hard drive for files with the following pattern, and (if found) exclude them from your virus scanner's scan list:

*PRO5S.INI
*PRO5C.INI

Format Output Questions

I’m trying to print in color, but all I get is black and white. What am I doing wrong?
Make sure you have color printing enabled:

• On Windows 2000/XP, on the Paper/Quality tab, set the Color property to Color.
• On Windows NT 4.0, on the Page Setup tab, set the Color Appearance property to Color
• On Windows 95/98/ME, on the Graphics tab, click the Color button and select one of the Color options.

Then, check the color reduction settings:

• On the File tab, increase the depth to 24-bit.

Why is the layout of my document different when I print to Raster Image Printer compared to my laser printer?
The layout of a document depends on the printing resolution. To get the same layout as your laser printer, the resolution of Raster Image Printer must be set identical to your laser printer.

Why does the output image appear fine on the screen, but when I print it on my printer, it comes out all black?
To resolve this issue, please refer to Microsoft Article Q189764. 

Why are some of the lighter shades in my document lost in the output image?
To retain the subtler shades in your document, Raster Image Printer must be set to print in color.

Make sure you have color printing enabled:

• On Windows 2000/XP, on the Paper/Quality tab, set the Color property to Color.
• On Windows NT 4.0, on the Page Setup tab, set the Color Appearance property to Color
• On Windows 95/98/ME, on the Graphics tab, click the Color button and select one of the Color options.

Then, check the color reduction settings:

• On the File tab, decrease the depth to 1-bit.

Why are the colored lines in my drawing coming out black and white?
This is a documented bug in Windows 95/98/ME for which there is no known resolution. The only option is to print the document on Windows NT4.0/2000/XP.

Why is the image produced by Raster Image Printer huge?
The dimensions of the image correspond to the paper size selected. Viewers such as Microsoft Paint, however, display the image based on the screen resolution (96 or 120 dpi). Try opening the image in another viewer, such as the Windows Imaging application.

The image created by Raster Image Printer is too large to fit in my browser window. What do I do?
To create images that fit in the browser window, reduce the resolution to 50, 60, 75, or 100 dpi. If you are using Raster Image Printer, you can also trim off the white spaces around the image by enabling trimming on the Processing tab of the printing preferences.

I am using AutoCAD 2000i. What steps do I need to take to plot a drawing in Landscape mode to Raster Image Printer?

1. Close AutoCAD.
2. Open the Raster Image Printer properties through the Start menu link at Start - Programs - Raster Image Printer - Properties.
3. Set the paper size to the size of your drawing.

NOTE: If you choose a custom paper size, make sure that the width is less than the height.

1. Set the orientation to Landscape.
2. Click OK to apply the settings and close the property sheets.
3. Open your drawing in AutoCAD.
4. From the File menu, select Page Setup.
5. On the Plot Device tab, select Raster Image Printer.

NOTE: Do not select a .pc3 file (if you have one).

1. On the Layout Settings tab, set the paper size to the desired size and set the orientation to Landscape.
2. Click the Plot button.

NOTE: If the drawing does not fit on the page properly, return to the Page Setup dialog in AutoCAD. On the Layout settings tab, adjust the Scale setting until the entire drawing fits on the page.

Why is there a black border around the image when I print from Internet Explorer?
This is a documented bug in Internet Explorer 5.5. See Microsoft Article Q272081for details on how to resolve this issue.

Why when I try to open the output file in the Windows Imaging application does it display INTERNAL ERROR?
The image is too large for the Windows Imaging application to open. Try using another viewer.

Why when I try to open the output file in the Windows Imaging application do I get an error saying the document’s format is invalid or not supported?
The Windows Imaging application only supports a subset of file formats. Select a different file type or image compression technique.

If you desire compatibility with the Windows Imaging application, make sure you are using TIFF Image Printer. It provides the greatest level of compatibility with the Windows Imaging application.

Questions Related to Programmatically having Control

Where can I find documentation on the API for configuring driver settings programmatically?
The API files and supporting documentation can be found in the \API and \Samples subfolders of the installation directory (by default, C:\Program Files\Raster Image Printer)

I need to do further processing on the output file. How can I know when the file has been closed?
PEERNET Image Printers allow you to signal Win32 event objects each time an output file has been closed or a print job has completed. See the User Guide for details.

How much of the Raster Image Printer functionality can I automate?
All aspects of Raster Image Printer can be automated. See the User Guide for details.

Other Questions

Is the trial version limited in functionality?
No, the trial version is identical in every respect to the retail product. It just includes an evaluation watermark, and expires after 30 days.

Do any of your drivers support printing to PDF?
Yes, the PDF Image Printer print driver allows you to print directly to Adobe® PDF format.

I want to convert directories of DOC/PDF/HTML files to TIFF/JPEG without having to open each document and print. Can any of your products do this?
Yes, the PEERNET File Conversion Center allows you to print multiple files into image or PDF format without having to open and print each individual file.

Can I print to Raster Image Printer from DOS?
Yes. To enable printing from DOS, configure the printer as follows:

1. Open the Printers folder (Start - Settings - Printers).
2. Right-click the Raste Image Printer printer icon and select Properties.
3. On the Ports tab, change the port to LPT1: (or LPT2:, COM1:, or COM2:) and click Apply.
4. On the Advanced tab, click the Print Processor button to open the Print Processor dialog.
5. In the Print Processor dialog, set the Default data type to TEXT and click OK.
6. Click Apply and OK to close the properties.

To print from DOS, send text to the port using the "print" command or the redirection operator (>). For example:

C:> print /D:LPT1: report.txt
C:> type report.txt > LPT1:
C:> echo hello world > LPT1:

I’m worried about all the recent computer viruses. If I send image files by email, do I risk sending viruses too, if the source file or my computer has a virus?
No, the files created by Raster Image Printer are guaranteed to be 100% virus-free, even if your source files or computer have a virus.

When I send image files to people, will they be able to open them?
Most versions of Windows contain image viewers that can open TIFF, BMP, and JPEG file formats. Just double-click the file to open it, or from the start menu select Start/Programs/Accessories/Imaging and do a File/Open from the imaging application.

When I send image files to people, can they change the files?
The files created by Raster Image Printer cannot be easily changed. However, they can be annotated.

How can I find out what version of Raster Image Printer I have?
Print a test page from the Printer Properties; the information will be on the printed page.

How can I view the product user guide if I cannot open it or it does not display correctly in my viewer?
For Adobe PDF files, use the Adobe Acrobat Reader.