Star Micronics 4 manual Z5 ExamplesPatterngraphics, Usingmacros

4.Z5 Examples:Patterngraphics

To specifya blockfiveincheswideyoucoulduse ahorizontaldimensionof 1500dots (5 inchestimes 300 dots).That commandwouldlook like this:

<ESC> *C 1500A

To print that area with a 25 percentgray-scalepattern,the commandsyou send wouldbe:

<ESC> *C 25G <ESC> *C 2P

Butto printan areafilledwiththehorizontalbar pattern,thecommandsyou send wouldbe:

<ESC> *C IG <ESC> *C 3p

(You couldcombinethesecommandsas <ESG *c lg 3P .)

4.8MACROS

4.8.1Usingmacros

There’sagreatshortcutthatsimplifiesthetaskof sendingcommandstoyour LaserPrinter4:usemacros.Amacrois a singlecontrolcode,whichyoucan define yourself, that does the work of a whole long series of printer commands.Any LaserJet11Pemulationcommandcan go into a macro.

Puttingmacrostogetherto automaticallyrepeatsequencesof tasks is like usinga ml programminglanguage.YourStarMicronicsdealermay know of some pre-wntten macros already availablefor the Star LaserPrinter4. You’llfind macros especiallyhandyfor creatingletterheadsand business forms, and also for settingtabs, subscriptsand superscripts.

Yourpnntercan stemupto 32macroswithouttheoptionalRAMexpansion. To manage printer memory you can make a macro either temporary (it disappearswhenyouresettheprinter)orpermanent(itdisappearsonlywhen you turn off the printer).

You assign each macro an ID number when you first define it. Use this SpecifyMacroID commandto specify(in placeof n) the ID numberof the macroto whichyou wish to refer:

<ESC>&f n Y

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