I created a simple template on which to place multiple layers, each containing a business card image pasted from another image.

That worked out quite well, except that the smaller text (phone number, address, email address, etc) printed looking rather fuzzy and of low resolution. When I do this using InDesign on the XP side, fonts print nice and sharp, so, I must be missing something.

Advice would be appreciated.

Layout of the grid lines worked pretty well, although something seems to be happening between the layout stage and the printing stage so that I have to adjust the position of my layers to make them print correctly. For instance, the top two rows of cards might print too high on the paper, and the bottom two might print too low, the middle row (of five) prints right where I want them to print.

I have to adjust the layers to work around this.

I've checked my measurements - they seem accurate, even though the symptom I describe would seem to indicate that I have the page laid out so that the "pitch" of the cards is too great.

The work around isn't such a big deal. I just print test pages on plain paper and adjust the layer positions until I have it right, but I'm wondering what could be causing my hit or miss results.

More important is the text rendering. I won't be able to use these cards until I figure out why my text turns out so fuzzy.

I could accomplish this little chore in five minutes with XP and InDesign, but I've been using that combination for years and know it like the back of my hand. I'm more interested in learning how to do this using the Gimp.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

Caruso

On Sunday 27 September 2009 10:37:30 am Carusoswi wrote:

the smaller text (phone number,
address, email address, etc) printed looking rather fuzzy and of low resolution.

after creating the text, do you keep it as text layer, or do you merge it

with

another layer, or by some other means rasterize it?

text should scale without loss of quality as long as it's not rasterized.

once

you do that, you can't change the size anymore without loss.

Well, actually, I created one copy of the business card as an independent

image. Text in that image was flattened along with other elements. I am not certain if I could have copy/pasted it otherwise - maybe, I'll have to try that. In any event, I used that little image and pasted it repeatedly into a new 8.5 x 11 inch image to create a page of 10 cards that would print on the card stock I use. I purposely have not flattened that image so as to preserve the opportunity to make adjustments to the position of the 'cards' after running a couple of test prints.

Naturally, when I go to print, Gimp complains about the state of the unflattened layers, and exports to the printer, flattening them in the process, but that flattening is not saved. However, in answer to your question, I reckon I'd have to say that the text in question has been flattened twice, once in its life in the original 1-card image, and a second time as it is sent to the printer by Gimp.

Should that degrade the quality? I do that (sending unflattened images to the printer) all the time with photos, but I don't notice any degradation in them?

Someone else did tell me to check the resolution of my original - it was set to 72 x 72, and cannot be changed without changing the size of the image.

I'll have to start from scratch trying a much higher original resolution and see if that helps.

Thanks for the reply.

Caruso