len@rufus.math.nwu.edu (Len Evens) (11/30/89)
We have some Apple Laser Writers (both I and II) connected to Suns running Transcript software. We use TeX and dvi2ps to print documents. I have tried without success printing documents longer than 11 inches by setting the page size longer in the TeX source file, using dvi2ps, and feeding a 14 inch page through the manual feed tray. I have just tried this with the Laser Writer I and a Sun 3/160 running one of the earlier versions of Transcript so far. There are a couple of things I don't understand. First, dvi2ps seems to work, and something may be fed to the printer, but nothing is actually printed. (This sometimes happens with other TeX documents for reasons we don't understand.) Secondly, I thought that when you feed paper manually, the feed from the paper tray is disabled, but this does not seem to be the case for our printer when using say `lpr <document>'; both pages are fed to the printing engine. Presumably, I can get around this by removing the paper tray, but I would like to know if that particular printer is behaving normally. Any information question would be appreciated. Leonard Evens len@math.nwu.edu Department of Mathematics Northwestern University Evanston, IL 60208 312-491-5537
chris@mimsy.umd.edu (Chris Torek) (12/01/89)
In article <1705@accuvax.nwu.edu> len@rufus.math.nwu.edu (Len Evens) writes: >... setting the page size longer in the TeX source file, using dvi2ps, >and feeding a 14 inch page through the manual feed tray [fails]. The LaserWriter (like many/most/all? low-cost PostScript printers) has a chunk of memory that it can divide. Some of the memory has to be used to hold a bitmap for the current page, and the rest can be used as `VM'. The amount of memory dedicated to the bitmap is set by a `mode changing command' (these are actually PostScript procedures defined in systemdict). By default, there is enough memory to write to about 8 inches by about 10.5 inches. The `letter' command reserves more image area, making less memory available as VM. >... Secondly, I thought that when you feed paper manually, the feed from >the paper tray is disabled, You must set `manualfeed' in the statusdict to `true': statusdict /manualfeed true put will do it. Depending on your installation, you may have to set letter mode, and set manualfeed, through the queueing system. -- In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7163) Domain: chris@cs.umd.edu Path: uunet!mimsy!chris