Unix users:
Even if you do NOT have a postscript printer attached to your computer,
we recommend using the postscript setup, and filter the output through
a software processor (such as ghostscript).
"lp"
or "lpr"
. However, for previewing, or if you do not
have a postscript printer available, you can also define it to save the
output in some file:
cat > preview.ps
or filter it through ghostscript
with:
cat > tmp.ps; ghostview tmp.ps
Processing the output with a postscript filter (like a2ps
or enscript) is done by setting the printers type to dumb,
and defining a command like:
In order to find out a fonts size (especially height), ST/X asks
the windowServer for the size of the corresponding screen font,
and scales the returned value for the printer, using the displays resolution
as a scaling factor.
Copyright © Claus Gittinger Development & Consulting, all rights reserved
a2ps | lpr
Page format
Page format setting is only possible (required) with a postscript printer.
Various standard formats are offered: the US formats letter,
legal and ledger (which is landscape 17x11).
The DIN formats include A4 through A6 and B5.
Margins
Margin setting is only possible (required) with a postscript printer.
You can set the margins either in inches or in millimeters.
Color printing
Tells the system that the attached printer is a color printer.
If turned off, documents are printed in b&w.
Notice that most b&w postscript printers DO interpret color information,
and use dithering techniques to simulate greyscales. Often, this
does not produce the desired output, and better results may be obtained,
by disabling this to force printing in black & white mode.
(for example: the HTML documents' blue anchor texts
looks ugly on a low resolution b&w printer).
Changing the default settings
The default settings and the list of offered printCommands can be
defined in a host-specific startup file. The original defaults are
set in the "host.rc"
startup file.
To change these, create a file called
"h_
myHostName.rc
" and add
printer setup to this file (take the stuff found in "host.rc"
as a starting point.
To provide an example, our in-house setup is included
(within a conditional based upon the systems domainName) in that file.
Special note on postscript printing
The ST/X postscriptPrinting classes currently do not know about
correct font sizes on your printer (it will parse postscript font metrics
files in later versions - if your system provides those metrics files).
If your screen size in the display settings is wrong, that computation
will lead to wrong results - be certain to give the correct dimension in
the screen setting dialog.
Wrong printer font sizes are also computed,
if the displays font sizes are not correct (for example, when using
75dpi fonts on a 100dpi display).
Further reading
For more information, read
"Configuration & Customization".
Copyright © 1996 eXept Software AG
Doc $Revision: 1.12 $ $Date: 2008/03/31 13:48:16 $