[net.micro.mac] Command-K for Postscript files

bates@8702.dec.com (Ken Bates DTN 522-2039) (06/27/86)

>In article <1888@utai.UUCP> lamy@utai.UUCP (Jean-Francois Lamy) writes:
>>In article <1001@tesla.UUCP> othello@tesla.ee.cornell.edu writes:
>>>	You must have apple talk and the laserwriter connected to your
>>>machine for the control-k option to function correctly. Unfortunatly
>>
>>This is dead wrong.  I will post a small application that selects the
>>LaserWriter as the current printer even if there is no LaserWriter in
>>sight.  The <control-K> "feature" then works as advertised.  You seem
>>to be confused by the fact that 'Chooser' will not let you select an
>>inexistant printer...
>>
>I am still unable to use the control-K feature.  The application
>mentioned above doesn't seem to do anything.  You are always able to
>select the laserwriter if you use the Control panel to "turn on"
>Appletalk, (even if it doesn't really exist), so this is not the problem.
>I continue to get the "Looking for Laserwriter" box.  As before, the
>control-f feature works.  Mr. Lamy, have you tried this without a
>Laserwriter attached?  I am clicking on the Laserwriter box's OK and
>immediately pressing control-k.  Am I doing something wrong?  (I've got
>a Mac+ and System 3.0)
 
As pointed out, you do *not* need a Laserwriter connected for the control/L
trick to work. What you must do is as follows:

    o	Make sure you have the latest version of the System, Laserwriter, 
	and Laser Prep files.
    
    o	Check the "Appletalk connected" box in the control panel DA. You do
	*not* need to have Appletalk connected, you merely have to check
	the box.
    
    o	Check the Laserwriter icon in the chooser DA. You do *not* need to
	have a Laserwriter.
    
    o	After selecting the print options and responding to the Laserwriter
	print box, hold down command-k. You *must* hold this down until the
	"Creating postscript file" message appears; merely pressing and
	releasing the key is insufficient.

Following the above sequence will generate a postscript file on the disk, which
(with suitable munging) you can send directly to the Laserwriter. I use this
method to generate files at home, then download them to the local Laserwriter
(which is connected to a VMS system), and it works very nicely. Be forewarned
that the postscript file can be quite large, so allow plenty of disk space. 

-- Ken Bates
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