Technical information

INSTALLATION AND ADMINISTRATION GUIDE
166
Formatter errors
Problem
PostScript documents will not fax.
Solution
The PostScript language is highly standardized, but there is enough deviation from the norm that compatibility
problems still arise. The first test is always to send the document to a real PostScript printer. If the document fails to
print there, the VSI-FAX PostScript formatter will normally not process it properly.
The most common cause of these problems is an improperly configured or invalid PostScript driver in the application
software, or the use of Level 2 options. The VSI-FAX PostScript formatter only supports PostScript Level 1 files.
Most new printers support the more recent Level 2 language as defined by Adobe, and their drivers often use these
additional features. Some drivers can have Level 2-specific features disabled, so select this if available. We have
seen the least amount of compatibility problems with the Apple LaserWriter driver.
Alternatively, you can specify a file type of PS2, which will use the Ghostscript formatter, which supports PostScript
level 2.
Before calling technical support, have the exact name and version of the application that generated the PostScript
code. You may be asked to send a copy of the file that produces the error so we can reproduce the problem in-
house. Do not discard your test programs.
Problem
The quality of halftones in gray scale faxes is poor.
Solution
If you are not satisfied with the quality of halftones in your faxes, you can choose to either change the rendering
engine (by default a 300 dpi write-white engine) or parameters used by the Ghostscript engine provided with VSI-
FAX. To do so, you must open the gs_init.ps configuration file and adjust the settings in the Rendering parameters
section. Refer to the related section in the Ghostscript documentation
for more information.
These adjustments can require some trial and error, but it usually involves reducing the halftone frequency.
Note
Altering these settings is not recommended unless you are an advanced Ghostscript user.
Problem
Lines vary in size.
Solution
This is usually caused by the PostScript driver not rounding to device space coordinates properly. At 300 dots per
inch, it is hard to see the difference between a 2-pixel-wide line and one that is 3 pixels wide. However, at 200 dpi, a
1-pixel-wide line looks different. Some common programming techniques completely eliminate these resolution-
dependent artifacts, but some drivers choose not to use them. Report this to your application vendor.
Problem
Fax fails with the reason for failure BADIMG.
Solution
This error condition indicates that the file submitted for faxing could not be imaged properly.
It can also be caused by a corrupt input file or submitting an input file that is not in a supported file format.
VSI-FAX supports ASCII, TIFF, PostScript Level 1 and 2, PDF and PCL input files.
VSI-FAX uses the following conversion applications for submitting input files to the appropriate formatter. All of the
conversion applications are located in the $VSIFAX/lbin directory.