edwards@bgsuvax.UUCP (Bruce Edwards) (11/20/88)
In article <6852@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>, hurf@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Hurf Sheldon) writes: > > Flame on: > > I consider this a 'make work project' courtesy of Apple Computer's > totally uninformative manual. Considering the number of Apple > customers that do have LaserWriters on serial connections it should > work or be explained in the documentation why it doesn't. Especially > when earlier models do work correctly. At the very, very least the > dealers who are supposed to provide technical support should have > a bulletin about changes between models. Considering the technical > sophistication of the printer, a little more detailed information as > standard equipment is in order. Considering the needs of a large share > of customers who do other than hook the wonderful printer to the cute > computer, a few explanatory comments about what is going on in whatever > version of the LaserPrep would be a boon. > > Flame off: > > Hurf Sheldon Network: hurf@ionvax.tn.cornell.edu AMEN Hurf! LaserPrep has been a pain for me more than once while trying to send PostScript from applications we're writing without having to do all the LocalTalk protocol com stuff to bypass the Print Manager. Why I understand Apple's commitment to maintain their proprietary QuickDraw environment from a purely business perspective, their silence on Laser Prep has always confounded me. Glenn Reid (Adobe and here. Hi Glenn.) has written a commentary on an old LaserPrep version which proved useful to me in the past, but needless to say, I don't know how relevant it is to LaserPrep as it has evolved. You might e-mail him for a copy or better still obtain it from the Adobe server if its on-line. The most infuriating thing about LaserPrep to me is the way it screws up the "normal" graphics state before you get hold of it. I'm aware that this is probably necessary because of "QuickDraw-ness" but then Apple provides no information on how to "UNDO". To be more precise, if you send PS to the printer direct, say with SendPS or some other utility, and then send the same PS code from an application via then Print Manager after LaserPrep is installed you don't get the same thing. Why? and How can I fix it? Example: image is flipped horizontally for a start and the imaging area is clipped from maximum allowable for the print engine. Now I know you can play around with: pse T T 0 0 761 582 100 72 72 1 F F T F T T psu od psb | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | reverse graphics state | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | set in parameters | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | fNote | | | | | | | | | | | | | | fBitStretch | | | | | | | | | | | | | scaleby96 | | | | | | | | | | | | yflip | | | | | | | | | | | xflip | | | | | | | | | | invert | | | | | | | | | pages | | | | | | | | ybits / inch | | | | | | | xbits / inch | | | | | | scale * 100 | | | | | xwidth | | | | yheight | | | xtrans | | ytrans | portrait mode ??? But I don't have a lot of confidence in this because with no published standards from Apple, you're asking for trouble. So let's have it Apple "Everything you wanted to know about LaserPrep, but knew better than to ask", and get it out "just in time for Christmas" won't ya?! :-) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Disclaimer: My name is Ken Jenkins and I am here as a guest of Bruce Edwards to whom this account belongs. Although he may be interested or even amused by my ramblings, he should not be held accountable for them in any way. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Politics is ,in the ultimate analysis, religion applied to economics" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ken Jenkins (as a guest of Bruce Edwards) CSNET: edwards@bgsu.edu ARPANET: edwards@andy.bgsu.edu UUCP: ..!osu-cis!bgsuvax!edwards ------------------------------------------------------------------------------