ruslan@ecsvax.UUCP (Robin C. LaPasha) (03/09/89)
[First, my original posting, abbreviated - RL]
I'm looking for a few good b & w graphics printers (and drivers)
[...]
Does anyone have a favorite printer/driver combination that gives nice,
solid black (bitmapped/graphics) letters at high dots/inch density,
without the streaks cutting the letters in half?
[...] I'm looking for some info on different models - and hoping for some
success stories ;^)
----------------
[Answers follow, separated by dash-lines - RL]
----------------
First, an answer about printers supported by AmigaTeX - RL]
----------------
From: Tomas G. Rokicki <rokicki@polya.Stanford.EDU>
[i.e. the horse's mouth for AmigaTex and printer drivers for it ...- RL]
Howdy!
All of the 24-pin printers, with the exception of the
Toshiba series (and perhaps one or two others I've never seen)
talk Epson LQ escape codes, so the same
output' should be
generated for all of them. Exception: early Epson printers
(like before 1988?) and some other non-NEC printers don't support
the 360 dpi mode in all NEC printers. I use and am very happy
with a plain jane original P6.
AmigaTeX supports the Epson LQ/NEC command set, so it
will drive all 24-pin printers except those Toshibas. I also
support PostScript, HP LaserJet II and Plus, QMS Kiss and
SmartWriter, DeskJet, Epson MX, FX and compatibles, and the
ImageWriter II. Also the CLtd PLP. I have other drivers, though,
and can work through preferences for any not mentioned above.
Send me mail about your alternatives and I'll give all of my
comments . . .
-tom
----------------------
[The next few are about what seems to be the new favorite, the
Panasonic KXP1124 - RL]
----------------------
From: ames.uucp!csustan!coughr@mcnc.org (Dave Coughran)
While shopping for 24 pin printers, at least look at the Panasonic KXP1124
I have one and I love it.
some of its features:
5 built-in letter quality fonts (three sizes each x double width x double
height) lots of combintions. plus draft that uses all the pins so the
horizontal lines are uneven by half a dot. (common to all 24 pin ?)
no dip switches - everything set from front panel and stored in non-volitle
memory.
push, pull, or tractor feed.
paper park -- feed single sheets in from the front (8.5 x 11 or 11 x 8.5)
works with 1.3 EpsonQ driver - four densities up to 360 dpi horizontal (always
180 dpi vert.)
[note the following message on this point - RL]
has paper-cut that advances paper out so you can tear off the sheet printed
and then it goes back to TOF. Never have to waste a sheet of paper to get
one torn off clean.
lots more I can't think of right now. I got mine from Midwest Micro (ad in
Computer Shopper) for about $360.
hope this helps.
David Coughran
---------------------
From: higgin@cbmvax.UUCP (Paul Higginbottom MKT @ Commodore Technology,
West Chester, PA)
In article <1931L30CC@CUNYVM> L30CC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU writes:
$I just got my hands on a brand new Panasonic KX-P1124 24 pin printer. The
$manual states it is Epson LQ-2500 compatible so I've been using the EpsonQ
$printer driver in Workbench 1.3. However, the printer is capable of printing
$in resolutions higher than those supported by the EpsonQ driver. So I was
$wondering if anyone knows if a specific driver for the Panasonic has been
$written.
I've been waiting for an opportunity to talk about this printer! Some may
recall I asked for any info people had on this printer (via email) and the
response was great (thanks everyone). Basically everyone who wrote to me
likes Panasonic printers. So I got the very same one you have (the KX-P1124).
I think the printer is --in a word--: AMAZING.
The printer:
- prints graphics at up to 360x360 dpi.
[you'll notice that these last 2 messages are contradictory on the
details of max dpi. It's the use of a different driver. The previous
message mentioned the Epson LQ driver, but here NEC Pinwriter driver
is used; see the following message by Dave B. - RL]
- can feed paper from the front, back, and underside.
- takes single sheets without unloading the tractor paper.
- allows tractor paper to be torn off without wasting a sheet.
- prints in 5 different fonts (each at 4 or 5 different pitches).
- emulates Epson LQ2500 & IBM ProPrinter.
- prints at around 200 cps in draft, and 63 NLQ (twice as fast as 9 pin)
- can be had for around $320 mail order!
(What makes you think I like this puppy?)
Anyway - to your specific question! Use the Nec Pinwriter driver. As
far as I know, it's the same as the EpsonQ driver with more resolution
modes.
Paul.
Disclaimer: the above opinions are my own and this message does not
in any way represent an endorsement by my employer.
---------------------
[A bit of printer driver info follows; I include it because I was a
bit fuzzy on the issue myself, and it matters when you're deciding
on a printer to buy - RL]
From: daveb@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Berezowski @ Commodore Technology,
West Chester, PA)
In article <1931L30CC@CUNYVM> L30CC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU writes:
[same question, omitted - RL]
The only resolution mode that the EpsonQ driver does not support is
360x360 dpi graphics. This is due to the fact that Epson did not have this
mode when the EpsonQ driver was written.
The Nec_Pinwriter driver is IDENTICAL to the EpsonQ driver with the
exeception that it DOES have 360x360 dpi support. So, use the Nec_Pinwriter
driver. :^)
david berezowski
---------------------
I think that the Toshiba 321SL you tried is not capable of full 360x360
dpi graphics, but the 351SX driver is: therefore you got streaks.
Mind you, I don't own a Toshiba, but I intend to buy one soon for
my A1000.
Good luck with your search.
Ike Stoddard
----------------------
[There was a significant "HP ___-jet" contingent of mail messages
(even though I wasn't requesting anything but 24-pin dot matrix
info); those who have 'em seem to love 'em... - RL]
----------------------
From hubcap!ncrcae!ncr-sd!sagpd1!monty@gatech.edu Mon Jan 23 23:24:20 1989
HI,
This is a little out of your price range, but you might consider
it anyway. The HP DeskJet is the best "Dot matrix" black and white(gray)
printer out there. It's resolution is 300 DPI using a inkjet type cartridge.
The cartridges are cheap and usually last about 600 sheets on normal letter
quality printing. I've had one for about 9 months now and it is great. Blacks
solid and NO streaking. If you watch the ads you can get a DeskJet for about
$700.00
One more thing, prior to buying my DeskJet I thought I needed a wide
carriage printer, no longer! What you need is a printer that generates very
clear small type. If you can see the Deskjet at a dealer, have him/her print
out the test page and look at the top left corner.
One other thing is HP's service. I had one cartridge fail after only
about 300 pages of draft quality printing. I went back to my local dealer
and he gave me a run around, but I called the hp 800 number and talked to
them and not only did they force the dealer to replace my bad cartridge
they sent me 5 more UPS blue label the next day. They want a satisfied
customer base out there.
Hope this helps in your search, oh yea The 1.3 drivers are fantastic and
mucho faster then the 1.2 stuff.
Monty
----------------------
From: klm@wang7.UUCP (Kevin L. McBride @ Wang Laboratories, Lowell, MA)
I have been using an NEC P2200 24 pin "Pinwriter" on my Amiga for about a
year now. My only major complaint used to be that the third party driver
I was using under 1.2 was painfully slow and didn't support all of the
printer's nice features.
The NEC printer driver that comes with 1.3 does a very good job of driving
this printer.
I use it in NLQ mode for correspondence, draft mode for program listings
(very reasonable speed), and in 360 dpi graphics mode for doing graphics
type of things like printing bottle labels for my homemade beer.
It's 'demand document' feature allows you to feed single sheets of 'nice'
paper in through the front without unloading your tractor forms. I use
this feature quite a lot. It saves mucho headaches. You also can
supposedly get plug in font cartridges to expand it's capabilities, but
I haven't done that yet.
No regrets. Of course, if money were no object I would buy a PostScript
laser printer...
Kevin McBride
-------------------------
From: adjones@mcnc.org (Amy D. Jones @ Microelectronics Center of NC; RTP, NC)
Hi all,
[posting rather than email; the subject arises again,
and so I'm finally motivated to summarize... - RL]
I would like to know if anyone on the net here has any input concerning the
ALPS Allegro 24 (a new 24-pin printer). There's a review of it in the current
Computer Shopper [...] I looked it up at The Printer Showcase when I was in
Atlanta [...] The sample graphics output they showed me was great--360x360 &
no streakiness at all in the output--NONE! The sample text, however, wasn't
quite as nice as that from the NEC 5200 (which I'm also looking at). I
only saw one font from the Allegro (I now know that it has 3 standard +
optional font cards), so I'm wondering if (hoping that) the other fonts look
better than the one I saw.
Has anyone out there looked at this printer? I'm torn between these two
printers: the NEC 5200--which has great looking text & really good graphics
& costs >$500--and the ALPS Allegro 24--which has GREAT looking graphics
& not-so-great text (for a 24-pin printer) & costs ~$200 less.
aTdHvAaNnKcSe....................<<<<<< Amiga Amy >>>>>>
---------------
From: 3423YKN@CMUVM.BITNET (Dan Bracken)
[request for 9-pin printer info omitted; I include the LQ1050 request
because it brings up _possible_ problems with a new printer model- RL]
Also, a friend is trying to use an Epson LQ1050 with Wordperfect and
having difficulty getting the stock drivers to work for all the fonts and
modes. Short of starting from scratch with Printdef are there any suggestions.
Is the 1050 supposed to be completely compatible with the earlier LQs?
Thanks,
Dan Bracken 3423ykn@CMUVM.bitnet
-----------------
****************
Well, that's all for now ... as you can see, there are new 24-pin
printers being introduced, and there's too many to evaluate. I haven't
decided yet, and it's gonna be a tough one, but at least there's better
graphics-capable stuff to choose from than there was even a few months
ago.
Thanks to everybody who took the time to respond.
Robin LaPasha
--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Robin LaPasha |Deep-Six your
ruslan@ecsvax.uncecs.edu |files with VI! ;^) ;^) ;^)Jasoni@cup.portal.com (Jason Joshua Irwin) (03/11/89)
hi,
this is my first post to the net so please let me know if i get this right
i work for a dealer and just got a friend of mine a KXP 1124 (better price
than $360 too) and it will support the high density mode using the 1.3
NEC driver on the extras disk.
ok how was that?
-Jason