Cannot print 132 columns using Generic Text printer

[piperent]

I have several reports which are created under Unix (simple character mode print) that are passed using the Unix 'lpd' spooler to a remote Windows XP network PC for printing. I also have a Windows LPD spool utility which runs on the XP. The reports use the full 132 column format, the printer is hardware configured to print at 17 CPI (this is a simple Okidata 320 Turbo printer) and the printer is configured as a Generic Text printer. But, when the XP PC prints them, it wraps the lines at 80 columns. Is there some way to tell Windows not to perform it's 80 column wrap?

This is apparently a very common problem for older app's. But, the printers are rock solid and the app's aren't going to be re-written to accommodate newer printers. My only hope is to get them to work properly thru Windows XP.

I have tried using different print drivers but they all seem to do the same wrap, and the XP 320 drivers will even over-ride the hardware configured font settings and force a larger print size.

Any thoughts?

Thanks for any assistance.

Joel P

 

[gbaughma]

You can try setting the printer directly to 132 column mode (the Oki ML320 Turbo will let you do this in the printer setup menus), then turn off the printer control codes (or null them) in the software. Instead of using the windows OL320 drive, try finding one that is just "Text"... perhaps a daisy-wheel driver or something, so that it's not sending control codes to the printer.

The ML320 is one of the best dot-matrix printers out there, IMHO. It really does sound like a driver issue, and I would try different "text only" printer drivers.

There may also be a setting in the driver itself for the CPI; even though the printer is set to it, if the driver thinks that it's printing 80 columns instead of 132, it will text wrap.


Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[DTracy]

Years ago we used an OS command:

WIDTH LPT1 132

which would set the width of a device, could be the
SCRN or PRN. Take a look at that print driver and see if it requires or permits system changes like this.

Maybe it won't, perhaps a setup string such as gbaughma suggested.

David

 

[linney]

Is this something that printing in "Landscape" rather than "Portrait" would overcome?

 

[gbaughma]

linney: Not on an old ML320. "Old Skool" Printing. hehe



Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[BadBigBen]

and the XP 320 drivers will even over-ride the hardware configured font settings and force a larger print size.

See:

Problem 1:
My word processor files do not print the way I have the menu and front panel set.

Solution:
Before sending a file to the printer, many word processors send either an "initialization string" or an I-Prime signal to the printer.

The initialization string contains codes that override the panel and menu settings. To change your printer to ignore the reset code, enter the Menu Mode, go to the Set-Up group and change the setting for Reset Inhibit to Yes. Refer to "Using Your Printer, Menu Mode."

The I-Prime signal will automatically override any front panel settings you have made. To eliminate this problem, enter the Menu Mode, go to the Parallel Interface group and change the setting for I Prime to Invalid. Refer to "Using Your Printer, Menu Mode."

Source: Okidata ML320 Turbo Manual





Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[gbaughma]

That's a good point, Ben... except it sounds like his software is doing a line wrap at 80 columns... so ignoring the codes wouldn't solve his problem.... but if he can tell his software to do 132 columns, and then ignore the init strings, that should work.



Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[BadBigBen]

Greg, it has been ages since I worked with a DotMatrix printer (C64,Amiga and Win95) so I am not up to par what XP is concerned, but the following quote, prompted me to take a look at the manual and that is what I found:

and the XP 320 drivers will even over-ride the hardware configured font settings and force a larger print size.

also the fact that it does not have a XP driver but does have a VISTA driver made me wonder...

but using the Epson FX-850 driver should work (according to the manual), which is PCL6 compliant, and if that does not alleviate the problem, then perhaps a PCL5 (or earlier) compliant driver might solve it then... and also he might have to set the driver to print RAW instead...

other suggestion from my side would be to try either PostScript (Adobe) or its counterpart GhostScript...

Adobe PostScript Driver

http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=1500

GhostScript

http://www.ghostscript.com/

also noteworthy would be GhostPDL, but to utilize the PDL you would have to compile it from source first, or find the executable on the net somewhere...



Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[piperent]

Thanks for all the input. Sorry it's been so long since I started this post, but I've been trying to resolve this issue at the customer site and haven't had opportunity to check back.

The problem is not with what is being sent by Unix, but instead, with what the Windows driver does with it. The same output when printed on my Unix system will produce a 132 column report with no hiccups. All of my sites run Windows XP (no Vista allowed) . It might be that inhibiting the reset will keep the cpi settings, but, the 80 column wrap seems to be a direct product of the 'Printer Driver'. I have even tried setting this up as a 321 (wide platen) printer and it then automatically changes to 'landscape' and prints at 12 cpi (over-riding the control panel settings AND the Windows Printer Setup configuration). Maybe there is a device signature that tells the driver what physical hardware is attached which forces the 80 column wrap. I don't know - just guessing here.

I'm going to look at BigBen's suggestion and see if that might fix this. I'll post back ASAP.

Again, Thanks to everyone.

JP

 

[piperent]

Well, this is my final post on this topic. I finally gave in. No matter what I tried, the spooler seemed to get in the way (I even tried using a separator page which fails miserably). The solution I have resorted to (and this certainly is not how I would prefer to do it) was to use pass-thru print thru the emulator. Again, this comes with it's own set of problems, but at least it is workable.

Maybe I'll come back to it at some point, but for now I've had my fill of trying to figure out how to get Windows to do what I want rather than what it wants.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in with their input. It is very much appreciated.

JP