JDK-4258020 : Java 2D printing API : images are B&W on PCL printers on win95/98 only
  • Type: Bug
  • Component: client-libs
  • Sub-Component: 2d
  • Affected Version: 1.3.0
  • Priority: P2
  • Status: Closed
  • Resolution: Fixed
  • OS: windows_95,windows_98,windows_nt
  • CPU: x86
  • Submitted: 1999-07-29
  • Updated: 2001-01-30
  • Resolved: 2000-09-11
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1.3.1 betaFixed 1.4.0Fixed
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Description
Build  : 'L'
OS     : Win95/98  (Sol, NT...ok)

Everything is printed in B&W  on 95/98.  No levels of gray to represent color.

See attached testcase.
===============
This problem appears specific to PCL printers on win95/98.
The printers are not colour printers.
The same code works fine on NT
There are two different manifestations depending on whether the page
is printed using the raster or path graphics implementations.

If the raster path is invoked inside the implementation the page is
completely mangled with the scan stride appearing incorrect.

This is true as far back as 1.2FCS.

In kestrel beta, images can now be printed through the path graphics pipe.
There the page appears correct in pixel alignment, but a thresholding effect
is now apparent which makes the image pixels either black or white, rather
than using the printer's resolution to create a greyscale effect.


channasubbanna.prasad@eng 2000-08-11

We are experiencing problems printing images (PNG, JPEG, GIF) from an
applet running inside Java Plug-in 1.3 on Windows95 machines. Our
problems range from "no graphics at all" to "very unusable quality
images". The printers are of PCL type. The same applet prints 
beautifully from NT 4.0 boxes to the same printers.

This internet application is aimed at our 43 million members who have
low end deskjet printers that do not have postscript capabilities.
Case in point is an HP DeskJet 950C Color printer.

The text on the page prints very well on all printers tested so far.
The rectangle around the image (drawn with a drawRect) shows up in all
cases.  The image does not.  

List of printers reporting problems:
HP 950C Color DeskJet (majority at beta sites - no image at all)
HP 2100TN (no image at all)
HP LJ3 Laser B&W (no image at all)
HP LJ5N Laser B&W  (no image at all)
HP 4500N (works well with a PS driver, prints very bad graphics with a PCL 
driver)


Please find attached a testcase which demonstrates this problem.
(AAAtestcase.tar.Z - you will have to supply your image to test this applet.)
===========================

heidi.chen@eng 2001-03-14
Verified on Ladybird build 14 with win98/95.
===========================

Comments
CONVERTED DATA BugTraq+ Release Management Values COMMIT TO FIX: ladybird ladybird-beta merlin-beta FIXED IN: ladybird ladybird-beta merlin-beta INTEGRATED IN: ladybird-beta merlin-beta VERIFIED IN: ladybird-beta
14-06-2004

PUBLIC COMMENTS Cause: Apparently, some Win 9x printer drivers cannot handle 32-bit top-down DIBs and/or new bitmap header. Fix: Use the old Bitmap header and 24-bit bottom-up DIBs. This is more of a workaround to accomodate these printer drivers' lack of capability. jennifer.godinez@Eng 2000-09-07
07-09-2000

EVALUATION This is under investigation, but what is in kestrel beta is arguably a real improvement over what was the results for 1.2FCS and 1.2.2, so fixing this is not urgent for kestrel beta Cause: Apparently, some Win 9x printer drivers cannot handle 32-bit top-down DIBs and/or new bitmap header. Fix: Use the old Bitmap header and 24-bit bottom-up DIBs. This is more of a workaround to accomodate these printer drivers' lack of capability. jennifer.godinez@Eng 2000-09-07
07-09-2000