Autocad printer + Chant
  • AndrewSincerelyAndrewSincerely
    Posts: 36
    I have stumbled across access to a Canon ipf 700 printer. I would like to print large scale sheets of paper with chants for my schola. Does anyone have any experience with this? Do I need any particular software? Or can I just select the printer and push "print" and it will automatically scale it up? I am picking up the printer today, but just looking for advice from anyone who has used one before. I'm coming into this project a little outside of my experience level.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,821
    the only thing I would recommend is to use vectorized (if that is even a word) chant files which would be distilled from GABC code so that it scales up without worrying about resolution. if you use a scan from a book and it is not scanned at very hi rez, you might get the jaggies and then be singing nothing but quilismas.

    i think you could use this website as I believe these are vector files.

    https://www.institute-christ-king.org/resources/sacred-music
    Thanked by 2tomjaw AndrewSincerely
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,311
    Well, they're PDFs, but they should print nicely at scale. Gregobase has vector graphics which you can download.
    Thanked by 3ServiamScores AndrewSincerely tomjaw
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,885
    Second the vector thing, so the prints are crisp.

    Really all you have to do is either find something and have the print driver scale it, or, if you want finder control, create large documents in something like affinity publisher, where you can scale things exactly as you’d liked and then hit print. I’ve been genuinely tempted to try this myself.
    Thanked by 2AndrewSincerely tomjaw
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,467
    If the pdf files prove unsatisfactory, there are tools for converting them, such as
    https://tools.pdf24.org/en/pdf-to-svg
    Thanked by 2AndrewSincerely tomjaw
  • francis
    Posts: 10,821
    Actually, I just zoomed in on one of the ICKS files and those are not vector files
    Thanked by 2AndrewSincerely tomjaw
  • AndrewSincerelyAndrewSincerely
    Posts: 36
    Thanks for everything so far, everyone. I got the printer into my office. It'll be a summertime project when the school part of my job is finished at the end of May. I'll let you know what I discover. If you have any other tips or ideas on this, feel free to continue the thread.
    Canon iPF700.pdf
    14M
  • francis
    Posts: 10,821
    How large are you shooting for?
  • AndrewSincerelyAndrewSincerely
    Posts: 36
    I have a white board that is about 6’x4’ that I wouldn’t mind utilizing as a display for the chants.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,821
    What is maximum size of print area?
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    I've used Gregorio (installed on my PC) to make a poster-sized score of an Alleluia for a class demonstration, and sent the resulting PDF file to be printed on foamboard at a Fedex Office shop. The output was about 24 x 36", and it was costly (about $30), but the result was attractive and readable.

    If you'd like to try printing that out as a test, let me know and I'll try to dig up the files.

  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,311
    I’d be interested actually. I use the default staff size and some other slight modifications (pretty much regardless of — geometry or physical — paper size) so I’m curious as this may be something that I do in the future.
  • PaxTecum
    Posts: 314
    I learned from a friend to print the chants from ICKSP on (2) 11x17 sheets (typically 170% of actual size of the pdfs)

    Tape them together

    And boom you have a poster for the schola

    sang all the chants like this for Holy Week this year
    Thanked by 4rich_enough tomjaw MatthewRoth AndrewSincerely
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    I couldn't find my old files from that project, but here is a new PDF file, 2 ft x 3 ft (attached).
    big-alleluia-main.pdf
    16K
    Thanked by 1AndrewSincerely
  • bhcordovabhcordova
    Posts: 1,164
    Andrew,
    I use wide format printers quite often (I'm an estimator for a construction company and often have to make copies of plans). As others have said, a vectorized PDF would be the way to go. And all you have to do is select the paper size, and fit to print and it will print to whatever size you have loaded.
    Thanked by 1AndrewSincerely
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,311
    (I love how all sorts of people are into sacred music and know all sorts of other things, like this from their jobs and hobbies, as an aside.)
    Thanked by 3tomjaw PaxTecum bhcordova
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