Choosing the Correct Printer

Most application programs let you specify the type of printer you’re using, so that the program can take full advantage of the printer’s features. Many programs provide an installation or setup section that presents a list of printers from which to choose. Table 4-1 lists the printers in order of preference.

A quick test

After setting up your application program, you should print a sample document to be sure the program and the printer are communicating properly If the document doesn’t print the way you feel it should, recheck the program’s printer selection and installation routine. If you’re still having trouble printing, check the SelecType settings. Also consult the troubleshooting section in Appendix D.

Computer-Printer Communication

Computers and printers communicate by using numerical codes to represent characters and commands. To be sure the two devices translate the characters in the same way, a standard code has been developed-the ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) code. Many application programs, in fact, specifically ask for ASCII codes to send printer commands.

The ASCII table. listed in Appendix B, includes codes for printable characters (letters, punctuation marks, numerals, and mathematical symbols). It also includes 33 other codes called control codes, that perform functions such as sounding the beeper and performing carriage returns. The 33 control codes. numbered from O-31 and 127, are not enough to control all possible printer functions. So, most printer commands are actually a sequence of two or more codes.

The escape code, one of the 33 control codes (027), signals the beginning of a sequence of codes. This manual uses the ASCII abbreviation ESC for this code.

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Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programms