[comp.periphs.printers] questions about EPSON Emulation printers

tran@peora.ccur.com (Nhan Tran) (11/02/90)

   Most of dot-matrix printers nowaday (9 pins & 24 pins) have Epson-emulation
and/or IBM Proprinter emulation mode.   But how complete is this emulation
mode.  Do they emulate all commands including user-defined characters commands.

   If this is the case then we need only to support Epson 9pin series (MX, FX,
RX, LX, etc) and 24pin series (LQ) and software would work with most printers
on the market.

   I'd like to hear your views on this.

Nhan
Email: tran@peora.sdc.ccur.com

neff@hp-vcd.HP.COM (Dave Neff) (11/07/90)

>   If this is the case then we need only to support Epson 9pin series (MX, FX,
>RX, LX, etc) and 24pin series (LQ) and software would work with most printers
>on the market.
>
>   I'd like to hear your views on this.
>
>Nhan
>Email: tran@peora.sdc.ccur.com


I don't know what kind of graphics you are intending to support, but
if you do any graphics you should also support the 300DPI HP LaserJet
family.  With 9 and 24 wire dot matrix emulation alone you don't get
300DPI.  In most all HP printers, Epson emulation is not standard,
but an optional cartridge that most HP LaserJet and DeskJet printer
owners will not have.  The DeskJet can be programmed in a very similar
way as the LaserJet, but not identical.

O.K., look who I work for. But there are TONS of HP LaserJet and DeskJet
printers in the field.  Epson emulation is not standard in these printers.

I posted this instead of email because I have seen other software packages
take the "just support the Epson" commands route, which is in my opinion
inadequate.  The HP LaserJet is the standard non-PostScript 300DPI output
device and a software application should at least support it as well.
I would encourage all software packages to at least support LaserJet/DeskJet
style 300DPI output.  This will of course also support most all non-HP
laser printers as well since they try to have LaserJet compatability.

Dave Neff
neff@hpvcfs1.HP.COM