10.  PRINTER



Printer ready


If you send data to your printer (HARDCOPY, LPRINT, etc.), your ST will 
wait 30 looooooong seconds if the printer happens to be not ready. Always 
check if the printer is ready before sending data to the printer, e.g. by 
using GEMDOS 17 (Cprnos):

     DO
       EXIT IF GEMDOS(17)
       ALERT 3," Printer| | not ready !!",1," OK ",k
     LOOP



HARDCOPY


You can send a screendump to the printer by using the command HARDCOPY or 
by pressing <Alternate> <Help>. In both cases you can abort the screendump 
by pressing <Alternate> <Help>.


You can use CONTROL.ACC to change the printer-parameters. Don't forget to 
save the desktop, otherwise these parameters will not be stored in the 
file DESKTOP.INF. Look for '#b' in DESKTOP.INF if you're curious. The 
parameters will only be read from DESKTOP.INF if CONTROL.ACC is installed 
after a reset! I suggest the use of XBIOS 33 (Setprt) in a program instead 
of using CONTROL.ACC. For a screendump from the High resolution screen to 
an Epson-compatible printer, clear bit 1 and set bit 2:

     ~XBIOS(33,&X100)    ! screendump to Epson(-compatible) printer
     HARDCOPY

If you set bit 2, TOS assumes you connected an Epson-printer (which prints 
960 dots/line). Clear bit 2 and TOS assumes you have an Atari-printer 
(1280 dots/line). The following table should look familiar:

     bit       0                 1
      0   matrix-printer      daisy wheel
      1   monochrome          colour
      2   1280 dots/line      960 dots/line
      3   draft               NLQ
      4   parallel            serial
      5   fanfold paper       single sheets


If you use HARDCOPY, the width/height ratio of the printout does not 
correspond with that of the screen. 

It should be possible to send only a (GET-)rectangle to your printer with 
XBIOS 36 (Prtblk) or V_OUTPUT_WINDOW (VDI 5,Escape 21). Anybody out there 
who knows how?


Never, I repeat, never swap disks during a screendump, as this could be 
fatal for the new disk. TOS ignores the write-protect state during a 
screendump, so it will miss the disk-swap completely. TOS will use the old 
FAT for the new disk, and that usually is fatal (no pun intended).


If you have installed a GFA-Basic printer-driver (e.g. PTEPSON.PRG), a 
screendump seems to be impossible. The bit-image mode of the printer can't 
be used after the driver has been installed.



                        Procedures (CHAPTER.10)


Init_star24                                                         STAR24
This Procedures initializes global variables and Functions that can be 
used as commands for a Star LC24-10 (24-dot matrix-printer). You'll 
probably need just a few variables/Functions, so you could delete 
everything you don't need in your program. Compare the definitions with 
your own manual if you have another printer. Please stick to the proposed 
names. One of the strong points of Public Domain GFA-programs is that it's 
easy to adapt a program. Or rather, it should be easy. Using the names in 
this Procedure is one step in the right direction. To send a command to 
your printer you have to LPRINT it (use a semicolon to prevent an unwanted 
linefeed):
     LPRINT prestige.style$;
     LPRINT "This is printed in Prestige style"
     LPRINT "This is ";subscript.on$;"a subscript";subscript.off$
     LPRINT @lf$(5);                ! 5 linefeeds
     LPRINT quad.size$;
     LPRINT "Quadruple size";normal.size$
     LPRINT @epson.special$(5)      ! prints a clubs-symbol in Epson-mode   
     LPRINT ff$;                    ! form feed


Screendump (page 10-1)                                            SCRNDUMP
Ordinary screendump to an Epson-compatible matrix-printer:
     @screendump
Because HARDCOPY is used, the height/width ratio is not correct.


Screendump_atari_laser                                            LASERDMP
Screendump to Atari laser-printer:
     @screendump_atari_laser


Screendump_deskjet                                                DESKJDMP
Screendump to a HP Deskjet:
     @screendump_deskjet


Screendump_epsonfx80                                              FX80_DMP
Screendump to an Epson FX-80 (or compatible 9-needle printer):
     @screendump_epsonfx80
Reasonably fast and correct height/width ratio.


Screendump_hp_jet                                                   HP_DMP
Screendump to HP Laserjet or to HP Deskjet (500/Plus):
     @screendump_hp_jet


Screendump_star24                                                 STR24DMP
Screendump to a Star LC24-10 (or compatible 24-needle printer):
     @screendump_star24
I don't think a faster screendump is possible. The height/width ratio is 
correct and it looks good if the ribbon contains enough ink.


Screendump_star24_degas                                           STR24DEG
Slow but flexible screendump to a Star LC24-10:
     @screendump_star24_degas
The Procedure uses two Degas assembly-routines. You can choose one of the 
following formats (in cm):  27x16  18x11  13.5x8.5  9x5.5


                         Functions (CHAPTER.10)


Printer_ready (page 10-1)                                         PRTREADY
Test if printer is ready:
     IF @printer_ready
       (...)             ! send data to the printer
     ELSE
       (...)             ! user doesn't want to print
     ENDIF