Technical Problems > Charts

1. The charts I want to print are too large for the paper. What can I do?
   
   The problem comes from the fact that all web browsers print only with screen resolution to your printer, making the images too large and not using the much higher resolution the printer is capable of.
   You can either choose a smaller chart size (please, use the option "Options for HQ charts" in the Extended Chart Selection.
   Or alternatively, use this easy work-around:
   Choose the largest possible online graphics format for your chart (150%), then click on the image with the RIGHT mouse button and select 'save image as'. Save it to your local hard disk under a file name like 'mychart.gif'. Now start a suitable graphics program on your PC, and open this GIF-file with it. Use the features of the graphics program to print it with high resolution to your printer, scaled to the size of your paper.
   The most elegant solution is to subscribe to our high quality PDF charts. You can open, save and print these with Acrobat Reader. Just tick the option "Shrink oversize pages to paper size" in your printer settings.
   
   
2. How can I save a chart on my PC?
   
   The chart drawings are temporary GIF files on our server which exist only for the time you look at them in your browser. If you would like to save them permanently, you have to save them on your PC. This cannot be done with your browser option "Save HTML page", because it only contains a link to a drawing which has existed only temporarily on our server, but is not available permanently. To save the drawing instead of the page, please click on the image with the right mouse button and select 'save image as...'. Save it as a .gif file and open it with a graphics programme on your computer.
   The most elegant solution is to subscribe to our high quality PDF charts. You can open, save and print these with Acrobat Reader.
   
   
3. The PDF data sheets come out with black blotches. What has happened?
   
   We deliver screen content. If a file shows correctly on screen, this is proof that it is OK (if it were not, it could not be shown by Acrobat).
   Printing something which is shown correctly on screen is a complex process happening exclusively in your computer, between your browser, Adobe Acrobat Reader, your printer driver and your printer. If an Acrobat file does not print correctly, you can expect support from: Adobe (for Acrobat), Microsoft (for your printer driver), the maker of your printer.
   We cannot offer more support on these kinds of technical questions, because we do not have access to the particular combination of hardware and software you are using.
   
   
4. Printing charts does not work, is Astrodienst preventing it somehow?
   
   Our web server delivers information to your browser (html files, gif images) which the browser shows on your screen. There is nothing in our code which prevents printing.

   All chart images are simple GIF files which can be saved locally on your computer and printed locally.

   Printing is a process happening locally between your browser, your operating system, your printer driver and your printer. Please contact the makers of these items if you have problems printing content shown on your screen. Such problems have nothing to do with Astrodienst's service, and are not caused or influenced by it.