Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!lll-crg!mordor!sri-spam!ames!ucla-cs!sdcrdcf!trwrb!cadovax!keithd
From: keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: The trouble with the Amiga
Message-ID: <1257@cadovax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 12-Dec-86 16:49:05 EST
Article-I.D.: cadovax.1257
Posted: Fri Dec 12 16:49:05 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 15-Dec-86 21:43:21 EST
References: <819@ulowell.UUCP> <2179@well.UUCP>
Reply-To: keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle)
Organization: Contel Business Systems, Torrance, CA
Lines: 57

In article <2179@well.UUCP> bj@well.UUCP (Jim Becker) writes:
>I still have my Mac Plus, and the only thing that I use it for is MacWrite,
>because nothing on the Amiga supports text and graphics and fonts. Why ?
>The IIGS already has these packages announced and reviewed in InfoWorld.

This bring up a point that some of the *gang* around here have been wondering
about.  I personally don't use word processors much, and I don't even use
PRINTERs much, as I like most of my output in sound or video.  BUT,
periodically I'd like to use something like DPaint to print out text using
various fonts and the like.

I've found it difficult, or rather virtually impossible to get DPaint to
print stuff out that includes text fonts cleanly.  I'm using a Canon 1080a
color ink jet, with a driver I found on Compu$erve.

I know DPaint II seems to be better at it, but I'd like to know, where is
the problem.  Can the printer driver correct this better, or is it a 
DPaint problem?  

What about the NotePad?  I've tried to use it to print out good looking
text fonts, and have been pretty disapointed in the output.  It seems that
the drivers are too busy re-sampling the image in order to re-size it, to
notice that the text comes out looking like sh**.

Or is it the programs that use the drivers?  The fact that DPaint II works
better than DPaint would make me think that it is up to the program to make
effective use here.  I know the drivers are probably trying to make the
same image come out the same size regardless of the resolution of your
printer, but that seems like a graphic oriented solution, not a text-font
oriented solution, when re-sampling causes weird things to happen to the
text.

Is it possible to produce printer drivers that will force a more 1 to 1
pixel mapping screen-to-printer?  My Canon has 640 dots across, and that
seems like a pretty good fit!  I've been able to set up DPaint to give me
a good 640 across fit by adjusting the page width with preferences, but
then the page length seems to have no effect, and the mapping comes out
1 to 1 horizontally but not vertically.  I then end up with several
horizontal lines being replicated in various places apparently to compensate
for the aspect ratio.  I'd like to turn this off, and get a more 1 to 1
mapping both horizontal and vertical.  Not just with DPaint, but with the
NotePad and whatever else I can muster.

So what should be the answer here?  Better guidelines for applications
programmers?  Better guidelines for printer-driver-writers?  New features
/options in the drivers?  

Has everyone been having these problems?  Or is it just me with my Canon?


Keith Doyle
#  {ucbvax,ihnp4,decvax}!trwrb!cadovax!keithd
#  cadovax!keithd@ucla-locus.arpa

P.S. Anyone seen an Epson LQ-800 driver around somewhere that takes 
advantage of the 24 pin head while doing graphics?  A friend of mine
could use one.