Why does the printer give you two options? In some cases, setting the form length by inches is more convenient. If you know how many inches long the form should be, the printer will calculate the correct setting for you, regardless of the current line spacing. On the other hand, setting the form length by number of lines is the only way you can set extremely long form lengths.

If you set the line spacing to its maximum of 85/72-inch and you also set the form length to its maximum of 127 lines, you get a form that is nearly 150 inches long. Compare this to the maximum of 22 inches that you get when you set form length in inches. Except for this difference, your choice of form setting command is a matter of personal preference.

Either format of CHR$(27)“C” sets the form length in the line spacing that is in effect when the command is given. Subsequent changes in line spacing will not affect it. This can be important in the graphics programs later in this manual.

Paper Perforation Skip

You can avoid printing on the paper perforation by setting the top of form properly and making sure the printer is informed of the correct form length. Then your appropriately placed form feeds will keep the printing off the perforation.

But there are some situations in which you will find that sending form feeds on every page is inconvenient, and others in which you can’t control the process with a BASIC program. A good example of the latter is printing a listing of a long BASIC program. If your computer system’s LLIST command doesn’t automatically skip perfora- tions, most printers can’t compensate. Your FX, however, can; it can automatically output a form feed at the bottom of every page to clean up those listings. You can think of it as an automatic skip-over- perforation command.

Skip command

ESCape “N”, the skip-over-perforation command, can automatically skip lines at the bottom of each page to avoid printing right on the perforation, but you must first inform the printer of two things: 1) where the correct top of form is and 2) how long the current forms are.

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