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Printers that will print with WS for DOS

Started by Morris, December 16, 2002, 04:45:21 PM

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Morris

Hi all,

I wonder: does anybody know of a source of info on what printers currently in production will print from WS for DOS? I thought it might be useful to WS/DOS users to have this data or compile it. I have found that asking printer suppliers for this data is useless.

My contribution is: the Epson C80, just recently at "end of life" but maybe still on sale, does print from WS/DOS, but will only produce two resident fonts - Roman and Draft. Epson have taken out the "Roman T" and "Sans H" that existed on earlier Epson Stylus printers (like the Stylus 850 and 820 that I still use). I don't know whether the C80's replacement, the C82, will still do resident fonts - I asked Epson and they say they don't know yet.

One further thought: is there such a thing as a software gizmo that will convert WS/DOS output of fonts, into a form that will be recognised by a WINDOWS-based printer?? That would be great! Mike, have you written one? (And, better still, could there be a software gizmo that allows ALL MSDOS based programs to output Windows-printer readable fonts??)

Looking forward to your replies and thoughts.



PGAGA

#1
Here is how I print from WSDos using the Windoes printer driver.  All my printing is done with Adobe Type 1 fonts.

Phil

============

         Printing WordStar DOS Files under Windows Using GSPrint

With a Postscript printer driver WordStar DOS can create files which can be printed by Ghostscript (http://www.ghostscript.com). This can be done [1] by using a Ghostscript device printer driver, either using a Ghostscript driver for a specific printer or by passing the file print job to a Windows printer driver, [2] by creating an Acrobat PDF file and then printing, or [3] by using GhostView, the GUI front end for Ghostscript. All these methods can be made automatic by using a freeware program by Peter Lerup called PrintFile (http://http://www.lerup.com/printfile).

PrintFile monitors a directory. When a file of a certain type (for example: in the case of WS, Postscript files generated with the extension of PRN) appears in the PrintFile monitored directory, a Postscript conversion is run on the file. Any of the above the above conversions may be run.

Working with recent versions of Ghostscript (7.05) and GhostView (4.3), I discovered a little 32 bit command line program which comes with GhostView, GSPrint.  (Note this does not work with Ghostscript versions after 7.22).

For a person with Ghostscript and GhostView installed in their default locations, running the following from the command line

     C:\Ghostgum\gsview\gsprint.exe WSFile.ps

would result in the file generated by WSDos being printed on the system default printer.

To use GSPrint in combination with PrintFile to automatically print WS files using the Windows system default printer:

[1] Set up a WSDos Postscript printer driver to print to file in a specific directory; for example, i:\temp. This is done by using PDFEdit to change the PDF's Redirect to: i:\temp\*.prn.

[2] Download and install Ghostscript, GhostView, and PrintFile.

[3] Run PrintFile and choose the following settings.

[4] Under "Current Settings" create a settings called "Print Using GSPrint". Under "General" select "Enable spooler function" and "Show icon on the taskbar". For mandatory file type enter:

     PRN

For Printer select "Use default".

[5] Push the "Postscript" button. Under "General" select "Use end of file character (^D)", " Enable page selection", and "Warn for non Postscript printers". Leave "Prolog file" empty, since WSDos uses its own Prolog file. Under "Encapsulated Postscript" select "Keep original size and place". Push "OK".

[6] Push the "Conversion" button. Under "Enable conversion of:" choose "Postscript files" and tick the box to activate the option. Under program enter:

     C:\Ghostgum\gsview\gsprint.exe

Under "Parameters" enter:

     -config "C:\Ghostgum\gsview\gsprint.cfg" &i

Leave "Show conversion program window" empty and check "Conversion program handles printing". Push Ok.

[If you want the file to print colour change the "Parameters" statement to

     -color -config "C:\Ghostgum\gsview\gsprint.cfg" &i

Since Black and White printing is quicker than the color printing, I recommend creating two PrintFile settings, one for black and white and one for color. I keep the Black and White shortcut in the StartUp folder and cancel it off and start the Coloured PrintFile session when I have coloured printing to do.]

[7] Back at the main PrintFile Settings window push "Save". Then push "Shortcut". Stay with the name and directory automatically generated (that way you can quickly update the shortcut if you change settings for this setting. For "Type", check "Desktop". When you push "Ok", a shortcut will appear on the Desktop which will start PrintFile with the "Print Using GSPrint" settings.

[8] Open the Properties of the newly created icon. At the end of the "Target:" line add:

     /s:i:\temp\*.prn

with a preceding space after the final quotation mark.

[9] Move or copy the shortcut to the Startup folder.

[10] In the GhostView directory create a text file named GSPrint.cfg with the following entries:

 -noquery
 -sFONTPATH=c:\psfonts;c:\progra~1\adobe\acrobat5.0\resource\font;h:\programf\pagetech\atmfonts;C:\ALADDIN\ATMFONTS;C:\GS\FONTS
 -dNOPAUSE
 -dBATCH
 -noprinter

The -sFONTPATH statement is only necessary if your are using Type 1 fonts other than the Ghostscript default and they are located in a place other than the Ghostscript font directory.

Now when a Windows starts a PrintFile icon will appear in the Taskbar. PrintFile will monitor the defined directory. When a file is printed by WSDos (that is printed to file to the monitored directory), the file will print on the system default printer.

If you want to print to another printer, then use the Start menu Printer option to change the Default Printer before printing. I have successfully tested this on an HP832c, WinFax, eFAX Messenger, and Jaws (to create a PDF file).

Morris

#2
Dear Phil,

Thanks a lot for your detailed reply and suggestions. This gives me lots to chew on!

I'll dig around for the software you mention and set it up - will post here re. progress.


Thanks again,

Ian (aka Morris)

Mycroft

#3
I have found the the HP IIP driver will work for the newer laser printers, you just don't have all the new features.

This includes Deskjets and the like.  The reason is that HP extends the printer commands, but they don't subtract old commands.

Morris

#4
Dear Mycroft,

Thanks a lot for your info about the HP lasers printing WS for DOS. That's something I'll certainly follow up.

By the way, for you and anybody else following this topic: I've realised there is a "quick and dirty" solution to printing WS files on a Windows printer - which probably applies more to a user (like me) who has hundreds of existing WS files on disk that need to be printed out periodically, rather than somebody who is writing new material in WS for most of the time. It goes like this:

Install the WS <> Word converter available from Microsoft's web site (the file is Supplementary Converters, WDSUPCNV.EXE). When you want to open a WS file to print, simply open it in Word, through the converter. (This process is speedier if you give all your WS files the extension .WS7). Then, without saving the file, just hit "print". I've found that the converter gives a very accurate rendering of the type faces that would have come up in the original WS printout, using say an Epson Stylus 850 printer.

When the file has printed out, then hit "Close" in Word, and of course say "No" to "Do you want to save changes?"

The only fly in the ointment is that the Word converter does not convert INSET pictures - it just leaves them out. So, if you have any letterheads etc. that have symbols or logos in them, you need to get letterheads pre-printed on the paper you use for the printout.


Cheers,

Morris


Benjamin

My answer to the question used o be my Okidata Okipage 6, 10, 12, and 15 series printers, but my 6e at home needs a new drum and at $180 it hardly seemed worthwhile.  Okidata's B4250/B4350 specs don't seem to make it clear, saying:

    Printer Language(s) Supported:   Epson FX   
       HP PCL 5e   
       HP PCL 6   
       IBM Proprinter III XL

but nothing about resident fonts except:

    PCL Menu      
    This menu controls the printer's PCL emulation.
    Item   Default   Remarks   
    FONT SRC   RESDENT      
    FONT No.   I000      
    FONT CPI   10.00      
    FONT HGT   12.00   Not displayed in default setup   
    SYMBOL   PC-8      
    A4 WIDTH   78 COL      
    BLNKSKIP   OFF      
    CR FUNC   CR      
    LF FUNC   LF      
    PR MGN   NORMAL      
    PEN ADJ   ON      

which indicates a single font.  Besides, the printer runs about $300.

OTOH, the Brother HL-2070N says:

Resolution   Windows? 95/98/ Me/NT4.0/ 2000/ XP   HQ1200, 600dpi, 300dpi   
                       DOS   600dpi
Emulation   PCL6, Epson FX-850, IBM ProPrinter XL   
Resident Fonts   (PCL)
    49 scalable fonts
    12 bitmap fonts
    11 barcodes

and is about $200 (and this week Office Depot and OfficeMax have a $20 instant rebate and a $30 mail in rebate).  I'll report on performance when it arrives in a few days.  

Benjamin






Morris

Dear Benjamin,

Thanks a lot for this info.

I'll await with interest hearing how your new printer works. If it works with the driver for Epson 820/850, that will be excellent!


Regards,

Ian (aka Morris)

Benjamin

No need to do the 2-step.  Print with an HPLJ4.PDF direct from WS.

The Brother HL-2070N is fast, prints the first page in under 15 seconds when at a rest.  Rated at up to 20 ppm.  

It's here and it works.  

Don't forget to change the properties to print direct to printer (don't spool).  

The 39k HPLJ4 PDF for WS7D that I use has 17 fonts, 16 scalable:

1 Albertus PC 15
2 AntOli PC 15
3 Arial PC 15
4 ClarenCB PC 15
5 Corone I PC
6 Courier PC 12 #
7 Garamo PC 15
8 Gothic PC 12 #
9 Line Pr 17 PC [not scalable]
10 Marigold PC 15
11 Optima PC 15
12 Symbol 15
13 Times PC
14 TNRmn PC 15
15 Univer PC 15
16 UniverC PC 15
17 Wingdings 15

#  fixed pitch, variable

Benjamin

PGAGA

Thursday, July 21, 2005

A Euro ready version of this driver can be found on my Web Site.

Phil

Morris

Hi Phil,

Thanks for letting us know the driver is on your web site.

What's the address of your web site, please?

Thanks,

Morris


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Morris

Bingo! It works! The Brother HL2070N. Just copied the driver to c:\ws, plugged in, switched on, and there was WS7 doing different fonts as it always used to - even did the logo in Inset without a murmur.

Benjamin, thanks for your suggestion of using this printer. Phil, thanks for your hpljeuro.pdf driver, which I downloaded from your web site. Mycroft, thanks for your alternative suggestion of using a HP Deskjet or Laserjet, which I'm also going to try. Phil, as regards your Ghostscript formula, I didn't manage to get my head round that yet (I'm not an aficionado of Postscript) but will do so, in advance of the inevitable time when there will be no printers that have resudent fonts in them.

Meantime, my only question for myself is: how many HL-2070N printers should I buy now, just in case Brother stop doing them?

Thanks again all. Maybe worth leaving this thread open, in case other people are still looking for printers that print WS from DOS, or discover other printers that do?

Sincerely,

Morris


Jack Prentice

There is a small utility which allows to DOS programs print to the any Windows printer and emulates drivers for matrix printer (Epson FX-80 and similar)

If you have any problems you can contact authors. They answer quickly.

You can download this program from http://www.dosprn.com


dosuser

I use Lexmark Optra E312 for printing WS7.0A files directly. The E312 is set for Postscript and WS7.0A installed to use a generic Postscript printer. Works perfectly for me with most Adobe Type 1 fonts available.