Star Micronics 8 Series - Page 35

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Moving the print position: a preview
Wlthdot-matnxanddaisywheelprinters,youpickwheretoprintonthepage
eitherbymovingthepnntheadbackandforthorbymovingthepaperitself.
Laserpnntemdon’thaveprintheads,buttheprincipleremainsthesame:you
havetosayexactlywhereonthepageeachpictureandstringoftextistogo,
so eachpagecanbe constructedin theprinter’smemory.
Insteadoftalkingaboutprintheadswetalkaboutmovingtheprint
position
(some people call it moving the “cursor,” using the computer-screen
analogy).Horizontally,youcanmovetheprintpositionwithbackspaceand
carriageretumcommands.Vertically,youcanmovetheprintpositiondown
thepagebyprintingsomanylinesperinch,orbysendingline-feedandhalf
line-feedcommands.Youcan alsomoveto tab settingsbothhorizontally
andvertically(handyfortablesandblankforms,or makingroomforyour
diagrams).
Butthosearen’tall.Dependingon whichprinteremulationyou areusing,
you”cantellthe StarLaserPrinter8 to movetheprintpositionverticallyor
horizontallyin incrementsof:
1/10,1/12or similarfractionsof an inch(pitchsettings),
1/48,1/60,1/72,1/120or 1/216inch (lineor columndefinitions),
l/3CN)inch(dots),or
1/720inch(tenthsof apoint).
These incrementsreflectthe historyof twentiethcenturyprinting.
Pifch,
referringtothenumberofcharactersprintedineachhorizontalinch,derives
fromhowtypewritersspacetheircharacters.
Lines andcolumnswerefirst
usedbyearliercomputerprinters(on whichtheyarecalledhorizontaland
verticalmotionindexes).YoualreadyknowabouttheStar LaserPrinter8
beingableto print300dotsto the inch.Andtheunitby whichtypesetters
havemeasuredtextforcenturiesisthe
point, aboutl/72ndof an inch.
Onehintaboutmovingtheprintposition:youcan confuseyourselfif you
usemorethanoneortwodifferentunitsduringthesamesession.Sodecide
beforehandhow accuratelyyou need to move the print position (not
forgettinganygraphicsyouwantto include).Thenstickto theunit(s)you
choose.
Thecommandsthatmovetheprintpositionin allthesewaysaredescribed
inchapters4 through7,withthespecificprinteremulationyouwanttouse.
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