Plotting Color Scope Shots to Mono Printer

Thread Starter

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,031
Kind of an odd request for an Electronics forum but I hope someone has some experience here. The problem is when trying to print this scope shot to a monochrome printer it is really hard to read. Maybe I can change some colors on the scope? But does anyone have any advice here?

1601752337447.png
 

Thread Starter

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,031
I think I may have found it. There is an invert option on the display menu for the scope. Looks like hell on the scope but prints much better. Still not perfect the color for channel 2 is almost invisible even on the print. Still room for improvement. Don't see any way to change colors on the scope.
@tautech any advice?
1601752732680.png
 

Thread Starter

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,031
OK, can't change pen colors but there was another style selection on the display menu that kinda works. At least better and apparently about all I can do at the scope. At least I can read the print better.
1601753384710.png
EDIT: Gah... That looks so bad... At least it looks better printed mono.
 
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Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
Just about any photo editor program should let you convert to grayscale (B&W). I used an old version of Paint Shop Pro 7.0 by JASC software. GIMP as mentioned is good free software as is Infranview. Just about any photo editing software which will allow changing a color image to greyscale.

Scope Greyscaled.png



Ron
 

Thread Starter

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,031
I installed Gimp but now I'll have to learn to use it or at least look at it. Not a big fan of paint programs but I do use them for grabbing schematics to print/edit and my scope shots. Thx guys!
 

Thread Starter

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,031
Yeah, that is the trick it seems although it looks terrible on the scope screen it isn't too bad printed. I could find no way to do it within the paint program. Kind of a hassle to change the scope settings back and forth. I did leave the screen color scheme set to a "classic" blue mode that I can live with so I only need to hit the invert button before I do a screen save to get a printable screengrab.
 

Alec_t

Joined Sep 17, 2013
14,280
Whether gray-scale or black and white, it's better to have dark traces on a light background if you want to economise on printer ink/toner.
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
The setting changes I mentioned are made at the print level, not the scope (raw png scope image on left):

1601806872271.png1601807602957.png

I save as png (default Rigol). Then open in Photoshop (CS3, now free*), not some disabled tool like Win7 Windows PhotoGallery. At that point, you have several options. You can convert to B&W (as above) or leave be. The simplest is to just go to the print dialog and click negative:

1601807983498.png

My printer is a Brother HL2270DW. That usually prints just fine (maybe its printer dependent) without having to go through the B&W. I do the same with LT Spice images.


*I bought my PS version CS3 in 2007. It is way outdated. A few years ago, I noticed it was available from Adobe for free. I don't know if that still exists or whether later versions are now available free.
 

ci139

Joined Jul 11, 2016
1,898
any advice
you likely want to save the ink/toner so everything unimportant shouldn't print

basically you need a b/w framework and the traces to be distinguishable either by luminosity or pattern

doing it manually

or
you can select the "background" transparency so if the background matches some color then pasting a cut image back onto another color replaces the background color of the entire paste block

or you can save your image as 24-bit bitmap and alter the content programmatically say with the MSO VBA or whatever you got ? a QBasic perhaps
 

Thread Starter

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,031
I tried the color change with "paint fill" and the results were terrible. Transparency didn't really do anything. So far the easiest with good results is using the "classic" color scheme on the scope and the scope's display invert before saving the screenshot. After that simply open the file and print with good results. The blue frame with the "classic" scheme is a bit bright and not my prefered scheme but tolerable and one less button to have to push before saving. Seems the best solution, for me, was on the scope and not by manipulating the image on the computer other than framing for printing. I am also using a Brother Laser Printer/copier/scanner/fax. Gave up on color/photo printers long ago now.
 
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ci139

Joined Jul 11, 2016
1,898
if you have the Photo-Shop you could brake the image to R,G,B vectors reweigh them ?? blue darkest . . . green lightest , re-merge , monochromize , adjust the gamma and the lightness (the last two must be tested out for best printout contrast and brightness)
 
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