twong@civil.ubc.ca (Thomas Wong) (03/14/91)
We've been having funny problems with our Laserjets (from Laserjet IIs to Laserjet III) all these years and I think we've finally found what is wrong. We have a lab of computers and every once in awhile, the Laserjet would stop printing graphics (regardless of program). It would either come out with a blank sheet or a 21 ERROR. We've tried rebooting (computer & printer) all sorts of things. So what we've adapted to doing is label that printer as text printer only until the graphics comes back. This has been happening on all Laserjets so we know it's not a problem with one printer. So finally, one guy saw a pattern. And after many tests, we found the problem. If someone sets a landscape font on the Laserjets panel, or sets orientation=L on Laserjet III, the graphics no work. And since Lotus 123 is used extensively here, printing of worksheet in landscape mode is a common thing. Then when someone sets thing back to portrait on the printer side, things work again. We've tested this on all our Laserjets and the same thing happens (some have garbage printout instead of blank sheet or 21 ERROR though). So I think we've found a bug in the way Laserjet does things. I can't see why this won't work. And I can't understand why it hasn't been detected/fixed by Laserjet III. Can others please confirm this bug? On Laserjet II, choose a landscape font on panel (something like I12 would do), then print graphics with your favorite graphics program (not word processor which somehow works!) On Laserjet III, choose orientation=L, then print graphics using your favorite graphics program (again not word processor). Then we can decide to flame HP or not. ;) Thomas.
amichiel@RODAN.ACS.SYR.EDU (Allen J Michielsen) (03/15/91)
In <9103132037.AA25656@crayola.cs.UMD.EDU> twong@civil.ubc.ca (Thomas Wong) >It would either come out with a blank sheet or a 21 ERROR. >If someone sets a landscape font on the Laserjets panel, or sets >orientation=L on Laserjet III, the graphics no work. And since Lotus >a bug in the way Laserjet does things. I can't see why this won't >work. And I can't understand why it hasn't been detected/fixed by >Laserjet III. This isn't a bug, it's a feature. And it's documented in the HP Technical & programming manuals. I'd recommend doing (basically) what HP recommends that properly written programs should do... Include the printer default string in your lotus printer setup string. This will reset the printer into the state which lotus (and other poorly written LaserJet drivers {according to HP}) assumes the printer is already in. al -- Al. Michielsen, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University InterNet: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu amichiel@sunrise.acs.syr.edu Bitnet: AMICHIEL@SUNRISE