terrell@druhi.ATT.COM (TerrellE) (04/04/89)
EPSON printers (and clones) have a two pass letter quality mode. Each line is printed twice, with the second pass deliberately off-center. This results in printouts that are more attractive than they would have been with only a single pass. However, my copy of DEGAS only does one pass. So is there a program around that will print DEGAS high-res (.pi3) files on an EPSON clone using the 2-pass mode? Do graphics printed in this fashion really look better? I know that text does! If this program is not available, I'll write my own. Let me know if you want a copy... Thanks, Eric Terrell (att!druhi!terrell)
Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com (04/08/89)
Eric Terrell asks about a "multi-pass" DEGAS file printer program.. There is a program called DENSITY.PRG which does a high-density printout from DEGAS .PI3 pictures on either a monochrome OR color system. It uses only one pin of the printhead, and advances the paper only 2/3 of a dot per pass, resulting in an extremely high resolution printout, although at the cost of an incredible amount of time per picture. This is an older ST program, from about three years ago, and should be available from most of the usual sources of PD programs. BobR
c60c-3ds@web-1b.berkeley.edu (John Kawakami) (04/10/89)
In article <16853@cup.portal.com> Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com writes: >Eric Terrell asks about a "multi-pass" DEGAS file printer program.. > >It uses only one pin of the printhead, and advances the paper only 2/3 of > >BobR Please, DON'T USE THIS PROGRAM! DENSITY.PRG will almost certainly destroy your printhead. There must be a better way, like using all 8 pins, pushing the paper 2/3 a dot, and making another pass. Each pin will do 1/8 of the work. ( ( John Kawakami ) ) Death by co-opt ) ) c60c-3ds@web.berkeley.edu ( ( ( ( ) )
jpexg@hermes.ai.mit.edu (John Purbrick) (04/12/89)
In article <22854@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>, c60c-3ds@web-1b.berkeley.edu (John Kawakami) writes: > In article <16853@cup.portal.com> Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com writes: > >Eric Terrell asks about a "multi-pass" DEGAS file printer program.. > > > >It uses only one pin of the printhead, and advances the paper only 2/3 of > > > >BobR > > Please, DON'T USE THIS PROGRAM! DENSITY.PRG will almost certainly destroy > your printhead. There must be a better way, like using all 8 pins, pushing > the paper 2/3 a dot, and making another pass. Each pin will do 1/8 of the > work. Over a year ago I wrote a program which substantially does this task, and I uploaded it to one of the archives (sorry, I forget which). What it does is to print a Degas file (monochrome only) on an Epson-compatible 9-pin printer, using all NINE pins. Because the pin spacing is 1/72 inch, the printing is done sideways, which is the only way it fits an 8.5x11 sheet. The result is much better than Atari's partial printout of a distorted screen (ie, X and Y scales are different using plain alt-help, and the right hand side of the screen is missed completely). I haven't used the program for a while, though, because I got a 24-pin printer and rewrote the program for it. That baby will print a screen horizontally either in 1x scale (1 dot = 1 pixel) or 2x (2 dots = 1 pixel). The 1x printout is only 3.5 inches wide. This program still needs a little work before going public. John Purbrick jpexg@hermes.ai.mit.edu
Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com (04/15/89)
Commenting about a high density DEGAS printer program, John Kawakami says: >Please, DON'T USE THIS PROGRAM! DENSITY.PRG will almost certainly destroy >your printhead. There must be a better way, like using all 8 pins, pushing >the paper 2/3 a dot, and making another pass. Each pin will do 1/8 of the >work. Actually, DENSITY.PRG allows you to select which pin is used to make the printout, and the Help File instructs you to rotate the pin used for each printout done... assuming you did 8 pictures and selected a different pin each time, each pin would end up doing the same amount of work as if all 8 were used.. Of course, it's up to the user to remember to change pins, and the real problem would arise when you only wanted to make one printout and didn't bother to change pins before doing it.. On the other hand, the program works well, and is available now... BobR
john@stag.UUCP (John Stanley) (05/02/89)
[Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com writes...] > Actually, DENSITY.PRG allows you to select which pin is used to make the > printout, and the Help File instructs you to rotate the pin used for each > printout done... assuming you did 8 pictures and selected a different pin > each time, each pin would end up doing the same amount of work as if all 8 > were used.. All this really doesn't matter... Using a single pin to print something as large as a screen dump means that that single pin is going to have to do lots and lots of work. It will heat up (while the rest of the pins won't) which will cause heat stress which will further weaken the print head. If it used all the pins, the print head would warm up fairly evenly, and when it was done, each would have only done 1/8th the work and now be given a chance to cool off to be ready for the next time. The typical print head isn't designed to be able to hit the paper every dot or every other dot for long periods of time. They hit maybe 5-10 dots and then they get 5-10 dots to rest before they get to the next character. They really aren't designed to be used for screen dumps. > Of course, it's up to the user to remember to change pins, and the real > problem would arise when you only wanted to make one printout and didn't > bother to change pins before doing it.. To quote a message I reciently saw in comp.sys.ibm.pc, this is a "bogus design". If something's a "good idea", simple, and critical to using the program without damaging parts of the system, the program should do this for you. > On the other hand, the program works well, and is available now... Works "well" in whose definition? I don't consider a program that has the potential to prematurely age my printer and takes 5+ times as long to print a screen than a program that was written properly (my definition: used all 8 or 9 pins on the printer...) as "working well". So what if it's "available now"? So are cigarettes, but I don't use them either (for similar reasons)... ;^) > BobR ... John STanley --- John Stanley <dynasoft!john@stag.UUCP> Software Consultant / Dynasoft Systems