PREFACE
About this manual
ThisSrarLuserPrinter8 ApplicationsManual givesyou the information
youneedto programthe StarMicronicsLaserPrinter8.
Whywouldyoureadthisbook? Mostpeopleusinga laserprinterjust run
softwarepackageswithbuilt-inprinterdrivers,whichlookaftereverything
theircomputerssendtheirprinters.Butmanyofus-small businesspeople
and home computerusers, not to mentionthe wizardswho write those
softwarepackages—wanttobenefitfromallthenewfeaturesofferedbyour
printers.
Doyouwantcompletecontroloverthecharactersandimagesyoupnnt? Do
youwantto makeyourStarLaserPrinter8 worklikesomeearlierkindof
printer? Thismanualprovidesthe softwarehelpyouneedto getthemost
fromyourLaserPrinter8.
Thoughthis ApplicationsManual is really intendedfor intermediateto
advancedcomputerusers,we’vetriedtoaccommodaterelativenovicestoo.
The informationis organizedso youcan walkthroughthe generaltheory
underlyingprinterprogrammingbefore dancinginto specificdetails. It
makessense,therefore,to readthefirstthreechaptetxbeforejumpinginto
themiddle.
There’sagoodreasontoreadeachchapterfromitsstarttoo.Peoplelearning
howtouseanewprinteroftenfindtheterminologyabarrier. Soinsteadof
buryingwhatmaybencwjargonin a Glossaryattheback,wedefineeach
newtermthefirsttimeitappears.Thewholefirstpartofthechapteronfonts,
forexample,definesdifferentaspectsofafont (acollectionofcharactersof
thesamesizeandstyle).