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| ~I;IENCE FIl;TION | | | |
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Some commercial software programs perform what is called a screen dump, in which whatever is on the computer screen is sent to, and printed by, the printer. This function is sometimes accomplished by a “print screen” command. If you have a program for screen dumps or any other software that produces graphics, all you need to know about Epson dot graphics is how to use the software. If, on the other hand, you wish to do your own programming or merely wish to understand how the LX-80 prints graphics, read on.
Dot PatternsThe LX-80 forms graphic images approximately the same way that pictures in newspapers and magazines are printed. If you look closely at a newspaper photograph, you can see that it is made up of many small dots. The LX-80 also forms its images with patterns of dots. In fact, the resolution of Epson graphics is higher than that of standard newspaper photographs because the LX-80 graphics mode allows as many as 240 dot positions per inch horizontally and 72 vertically. The images you print on the LX-80 can, therefore, be as finely detailed as the one on the first page of this chapter.
If you plan carefully where you want the dots to appear and then use or create a program that gives the proper instructions to the printer, your LX-80 will print nearly any pattern or figure you can imagine.