Epson FX-286 Changing Widths, Figure 4-2.The three widths of the FX-286

Changing Widths

In addition to pica, in which there are 10 characters per inch, the FX-286 can also print in other widths. It does so by reducing the distance between pin firings. In the elite mode it prints 12 characters per inch and in the condensed mode it prints slightly more than 17 characters per inch. The pattern of the dots is not changed, but the horizontal space between them is reduced.

Figure 4-2shows enlargements of four sample letters in each of the three widths. These letters are chosen to show how the FX-286 prints letters that are uppercase and lowercase, with and without descenders (the bottom dots of the j and y), and wide and narrow.

Figure 4-2. The three widths of the FX-286

The dot pattern of each character is carefully designed so that in pica no dot overlaps another. The reason is that in normal high-speed printing the pins cannot fire, retract and fire again quickly enough to print one dot overlapping another.

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