MacDraw II: Polygons Shift When Printed

There is a confirmed issue with MacDraw II, all versions, that occurs when you paste objects into other applications, including MacWrite, WriteNow and PageMaker, then print to a LaserWriter. Some objects will be shifted slightly.

This information was provided by Claris Corporation on 16 March 1998, and incorporated into Apple Computer's Tech Info Library.
This can be reproduced as follows:
1. Draw a polygon in MacDraw II. Place other objects near the corners of the polygon as a reference.
2. Copy the objects to the clipboard.
3. Paste into another application.
4. Print the document to a LaserWriter.

The objects look correct on screen but may appear to be shifted up and to the left by a pixel or two in the printout.

Important Notes:A partial workaround is to use even pen widths (i.e., 1 point, 2 point, 4 point, etc.) and zoom to 400% to align the objects. Also, if at all possible, use either all polygons, or arcs with non-polygon objects.

This might be related to the differing coordinate systems that PostScript and QuickDraw use to place objects. QuickDraw places objects from the upper left corner, while Postscript places objects from the lower left corner.
Published Date: Feb 18, 2012