Text is pixelated only when I print

[lindadvs77]

I am a novice to illustrator, so I'm not real knowledgeable .  I am making a wedding program for a friend and when I print the program the smaller font - Bellucci - is pixelated.  It does not look pixelated on the screen. It is only pixelated when I print it.  Is there anything I can do to correct this problem?  I've saved it as ai file and as a pdf and both look pixelated when I print them.

[Monika Gause]

Please show a photo of the print. "Pixelated" can be anything and maybe the term is even wrong.

Also: which printer is this? Which system? Which version of Illustrator? Which color is applied to the text? Any effects? How large do you print this?

[lindadvs77]

I'm printing it with an Epson WF 4630.  I'm using the highest quality offered when printing.  The color is gray with no effects.  I tried two different font sizes.  12 pt and 19pt.  The bigger one is a little better.  I believe I have the latest version of illustrator.  This is the release date 2015.3.0 release.

[Monika Gause]

This is not pixelaisation. This is rasterization. You get this because your text is gray. And of course it looks a little better with larger text.

Make your text black and it will be much better.

[lindadvs77]

Thanks For your help.

[kellic1127]

I'm having the same issue. I've tried printing via a PDF file and directly from Ai. The type is just not as sharp as I want it to be. My text is black, so I don't believe color is an issue. I'm printing on a Canon Pro-100.

[Monika Gause]

kellic1127  schrieb

I'm having the same issue. I've tried printing via a PDF file and directly from Ai. The type is just not as sharp as I want it to be. My text is black, so I don't believe color is an issue. I'm printing on a Canon Pro-100.

I don't think anyone of us wants their answer to be based on "beflief". So can you please show us photos of your print?

Also: what kind of printer is that?

Which document color mode?

Which settings exactly when creating the PDF?

[Eternal Warrior]

Also what resolution are you printing at? Is the text rasterised or embedded? We need more details.

[lindadvs77]

This is my first time on the forum.  How do I upload something?

[Larry G. Schneider]

Take a screenshot of your file and use the 7th icon from the left in the Reply dialog menu bar. A JPG or a PNG will be best.

[JJLAPIN]

You could also try outlining your type before printing. Select all, Create Outlines.

Be Sure to save this file with a different name in case you need to make alts to the original.

[Monika Gause]

JJLAPIN  schrieb

You could also try outlining your type before printing. Select all, Create Outlines.

If printing from PDF (through Acrobat) does not help, then this won't help either.

We need to see what "pixelated" actually means.

[lindadvs77]

I'm printing it with an Epson WF 4630.  I'm using the highest quality offered when printing.  The color is gray with no effects.  I tried two different font sizes.  12 pt and 19pt.  The bigger one is a little better.  I believe I have the latest version of illustrator.  This is the release date 2015.3.0 release.

[Wingnut222]

I was trying to print a return on a A6 sized envelope, I had the same problem. This was the ONLY thing that worked for me:

1) Save your .ai file as a .pdf file

2) Open your .pdf file in Acrobat & save or export as a .docx file

3) Open the .docx file in Google Docs

4) Print using the system dialog box

5) Change the paper size to A6 (or whatever you need)

6) Select "auto select" as the paper feed to print multiple copies for A6 envelopes, if you select Manual Bypass, it will

only feed one envelope at a time.

[Monika Gause]

I was trying to print a return on a A6 sized envelope, I had the same problem. This was the ONLY thing that worked for me:

1) Save your .ai file as a .pdf file

2) Open your .pdf file in Acrobat & save or export as a .docx file

3) Open the .docx file in Google Docs

4) Print using the system dialog box

5) Change the paper size to A6 (or whatever you need)

6) Select "auto select" as the paper feed to print multiple copies for A6 envelopes, if you select Manual Bypass, it will

only feed one envelope at a time.

By @Wingnut222

Uhm, no.  This workflow will not solve anything.

[Wingnut222]

It worked for me. If I printed anything from Adobe, Adobe Illustrator or
Adobe Acrobat, it was pixelated. If I printed an email from Gmail or a file
from Google Docs, it looked fine.
Try it, at least to see if that will solve your issue.

[Monika Gause]

WHen you export an Illustrator file from Acrobat to Docx you are essentially rasterizing it and it will potentially be pretty distorted (I just tried that part).

Your problem is a different one than what the thread opener has: your printer does not support PostScript.

[Wingnut222]

Strange, then it looks it looks MUCH better printed through Google Docs, I'm using the same printer.