When you want to set all your laser printer’s parameters back to their initial default values (some people call this “initializing” the printer), send this command:
<ESC> E
.The printer will finish printing any pages left in its memory before resetting the parameters. Resetting clears unneeded temporary fonts from your printer’s memory. Any permanent fonts or macros you have down- loaded, however, will still be there after you send a reset command. Permanent and temporary fonts are described at the end of this chapter’s “Controlling Fonts” section.
4.2.5 Example: Printer controls
Let’s see what happens when we put these commands together. Say you have just turned on your laser printer. What happens when you send the following commands to your printer?
<ESC> Z
<ESC> E <ESC> &/2h 2X
As a BASIC program these would look like this:
NEW
10 WIDTH “LPT1 :“,255
20LPRINT CHR$ (27);“Z“
30LPRINT CHR$ (27);“E”
40LPRINT CHR$ (27);“&12h2X”
RUN
First, if it is working properly the printer prints a test print with all the characters in its default font (Courier).
Next the printer sets all its parameter values — including feed selection and number of copies — to their initial settings.
‘The last command does two things: it tells the printer to accept paper you will feed in yourself, and to print each page two times. This is handy when you want two copies of a letter on preprinted letterhead.
45
