Lines appear on technical illustrations (whose native format is CGM) after printing

Question

Good morning everybody.
I'm a technical author and since many years, We've got always and always the same problems when we publish the customer's technical manuals.
We work with SGML and XML files and CGM files for the illustrations.
When the update of the technical documents is done, we print the document for the customer.
There's 2 years, we used distiller to convert the files towards PDF format and nowadays, we use Adobe pdf (converter).
In the past (my ancient company), we had two problems: Straight lines on the illustrations IN the pdf and on the printing.
But it would be too easy if these lines appeared always at the same locations !
No ! They appear randomly...
So we have tried a lot of solutions:
- Check and try other export parameters for the generation of the CGM (in the drawing software but we have hands tied because of normes),
- Print with different printers (because we had and have 3 or four different printers),
- Print, for every printer, the post script drivers and the other driver.
- Generate new pdf files with different distiller issues
- Print the file with different acrobat or reader issues...
But the result is always the same: there's some straight lines on some illustrations.
In my new company, with the electronic technical documentation, we don't have to publish.
But with the previous generation of documentation or for validation purpose, we have to publish and print.
And todays, it's always the same problem: lines appear on illustrations but not in the pdf file. Only on the printing.
This bug is old like the world but as I work with formats that are not common (SGML, XML, CGM: common for technical authoring but not for the people), I don't find any discussion or question about my problem.
I saw problems which look like similary but in these kind of bugs, it's important to be accurate and pdf is a final format for so many formats before the conversion...
What's the matter ?
Is there a issue or are we compulsary to have this troubles for the eternity ?
It's boring.
The publication is a non-value added work and we spend hours and hours to publish documents which make us loose money and time.
Todays, I'm going to try to put a area (rectangle) with a white background to, perhaps, hide these unwanted lines. I hope the area will be pasted at the same location without to move and adjust it or else I kill a dog !
I must do that on all illustrations (if it works) of the document because the problem appear randomly and on the screen where these lines doesn't appear: very, very boring when you are prefessionnal (and even for a particular).
I tried to print with the 3 different printers and with acrobat 7.0 and Reader 10: with no effect...
So I really hope that I will find an answer on this forum.
Thanks for your answers and for the time you spent to read me.
Best regards.

Answer 1

Hi,
Is this problem only affect Word program with Electronic Signatures?
Please try to test Printing with different printer drivers.
If the Word printing problem occurs only when you print documents with a certain font or a certain type of graphics image, try to print to another printer.
If no other printer is available, contact the manufacturer to find out whether there is an updated version of the driver or a different driver that works with your printer model.
You may also follow other methods in this KB article troubleshoot print issue in word:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/826845
Best regards.
William Zhou
TechNet Community Support