Chapter 5
DOWNLOAD CHARACTERS
With this printer you can create new characters and symbols, download their dot data, and have them printed in place of selected characters in the regular character set. Characters that can be generated in this way range from simple but useful symbols like the check mark through complex Chinese or Japanese characters.
Regular characters are permanently stored in the printer’s ROM, but char- acters you design are downloaded and stored in RAM for use.
DEFINING YOUR OWN CHARACTERS
Designing and printing your own characters has two requirements: firstly, designing the shape of the character, calculating the data necessary to make the shape, and sending that data to the printer, and secondly, sending the command to print the downloaded characters instead of the regular charac- ters. There are a number of design constraints for download characters:
•The matrix or grid on which you design the characters is depending on the print mode as shown below:
Character mode | Horizontal | Vertical |
Draft characters | 9 | 24 |
LQ pica characters | 29 | 24 |
LQ elite characters | 23 | 24 |
LQ | 15 | 24 |
LQ proportional | 37 | 24 |
Draft super/subscript | 7 | 16 |
LQ super/subscript | 23 | 16 |
LQ prop. super/subscript | 23 | 16 |
•The minimum width of a character is five dots.
•Dots cannot overlap.
•You may define any position in the ASCII table, except the block graphics area when you are downloading in the IBM mode.
