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Printing on Dot Matrix Epson LQ Printer
- Thread starter alisaif
- Start date
StefanFoerner
Programmer
Hi,
Yes, that is possible!
I have created Visual Foxpro reports for Epson LQ 300+, Epson LQ 870, etc. - as well as for Oki ML 391, Oki ML 3390, etc.
First You must install the printer driver for Your Epson LQ printer. Don't make this printer the standard printer!!!
The printer itself does not have to be connected to Your PC (I do not own any of the printers listed above!).
Now create a new report, open the page setup and select the Epson LQ printer and the desired paper size and the desired print quality.
The lower the print quality (e. g. 180 dots per inch) the faster the report will be printed!
Later if You or Your customers runs this report the Epson LQ printer and the choosen paper size and the choosen print quality is selected automatically - no need to do this manually
This automatic selection only works, if the Epson LQ printer was not the standard printer at design time!
Regards, Stefan
Yes, that is possible!
I have created Visual Foxpro reports for Epson LQ 300+, Epson LQ 870, etc. - as well as for Oki ML 391, Oki ML 3390, etc.
First You must install the printer driver for Your Epson LQ printer. Don't make this printer the standard printer!!!
The printer itself does not have to be connected to Your PC (I do not own any of the printers listed above!).
Now create a new report, open the page setup and select the Epson LQ printer and the desired paper size and the desired print quality.
The lower the print quality (e. g. 180 dots per inch) the faster the report will be printed!
Later if You or Your customers runs this report the Epson LQ printer and the choosen paper size and the choosen print quality is selected automatically - no need to do this manually
This automatic selection only works, if the Epson LQ printer was not the standard printer at design time!
Regards, Stefan
- Thread starter
- #3
Mike Lewis
Programmer
Saif, I see that Stefan has given you a detailed answer, which I hope you find useful.
However, there is a shorter answer to your question: Yes, you can print to a dot-matrix printer in exactly the same way that you print to any other printer. You simply need a driver for that printer. Once you have the driver, just use it in the normal way. You can SET PRINTER to it, or select it as the printer in the Print dialogue, just as you would with a page printer.
You specifically asked about multi-page invoices. There's nothing special about a multi-page invoice. As far as VFP is concerned, it is just another report.
One important point (which Stefan mentions) is that you must be sure to select the correct "print quality" in the printer's settings. The lowest quality (sometimes called draft quality) is the fastest, but it can only print in the printer's native fonts, and only at a standard pitch (characters per inch). If you want to be able to choose different fonts, styles and point sizes, you can do that, but the printing will be much slower.
Mike
__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads
However, there is a shorter answer to your question: Yes, you can print to a dot-matrix printer in exactly the same way that you print to any other printer. You simply need a driver for that printer. Once you have the driver, just use it in the normal way. You can SET PRINTER to it, or select it as the printer in the Print dialogue, just as you would with a page printer.
You specifically asked about multi-page invoices. There's nothing special about a multi-page invoice. As far as VFP is concerned, it is just another report.
One important point (which Stefan mentions) is that you must be sure to select the correct "print quality" in the printer's settings. The lowest quality (sometimes called draft quality) is the fastest, but it can only print in the printer's native fonts, and only at a standard pitch (characters per inch). If you want to be able to choose different fonts, styles and point sizes, you can do that, but the printing will be much slower.
Mike
__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads
Olaf Doschke
Programmer
Just a note: I think with multiple pages alsaif meant carbon copies done by the needle printing, only possible with a dot matrix needle printer. Well, that's automatic, once you have a driver, the printer will of course print as usual, how should the printing mechanism change.
What may be another option and be more comfortable in my opinion is replace the physical carbon copies with a normal report on a faster and more silent inkjet or laser printer and just print 2 or 3 copies as you want. No need for carbon copy paper and needle printing today. Even though you need more paper and ink or toner, it may still be cheaper than the paper having a carbon sheet embedded for double or even triple printing.
Bye, Olaf.
What may be another option and be more comfortable in my opinion is replace the physical carbon copies with a normal report on a faster and more silent inkjet or laser printer and just print 2 or 3 copies as you want. No need for carbon copy paper and needle printing today. Even though you need more paper and ink or toner, it may still be cheaper than the paper having a carbon sheet embedded for double or even triple printing.
Bye, Olaf.
Mike Lewis
Programmer
Olaf said:
Tht's probably right. We call that multi-part printing (rather than multiple page).
Nowadays, you don't use carbon paper for that. You use a so-called NCR multi-part set. NCR stands for "no-carbon required". The underside of the paper has some sort of ink capsules embedded in them which automatically creates a copy on the paper beneath it. Saves a lot of hassle in removing the carbon paper (a process we used to call decollation).
It's still possible to obtain NCR paper for dot-matrix printers from office supply companies.
Mike
__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads
Olaf Doschke
Programmer
I also know such paper types, they work just about the same, and also obviously don't work for inkjet or laser printing. Nevertheless, as stated, it's merely a number of copies setting to get this without carbon copy or NCR paper.
I only know the real carbon paper from my childhood, I sometimes used it to copy a drawing with something penlike not drawing on the original, making copies of a shape or logo I'd like to include in some of my drawing. Today and with computer image process that'd be much easier either taking a photo with a mobile or scnning it in.
Bye, Olaf.
I only know the real carbon paper from my childhood, I sometimes used it to copy a drawing with something penlike not drawing on the original, making copies of a shape or logo I'd like to include in some of my drawing. Today and with computer image process that'd be much easier either taking a photo with a mobile or scnning it in.
Bye, Olaf.
- Thread starter
- #8
Thanks Mr.Olaf
Couple of reasons to use the multiple copy:
1. We have bulk quantity in stock
2. Not feeling well to sign the second and third copy.
3. In back side of the invoice all the rules, regulations and instructions are pre-printed which is mandatory.
4. With the color copy, it help us to identify the copy belongs to the concerned department.
Also, I mean multiple pages NCR or Carbon copy.
Thanks
Saif
Couple of reasons to use the multiple copy:
1. We have bulk quantity in stock
2. Not feeling well to sign the second and third copy.
3. In back side of the invoice all the rules, regulations and instructions are pre-printed which is mandatory.
4. With the color copy, it help us to identify the copy belongs to the concerned department.
Also, I mean multiple pages NCR or Carbon copy.
Thanks
Saif
Mike Lewis
Programmer
I had a client a few years ago who printed many thousand of invoices per month, using three dot-matrix printers. They needed two copies of each invoice, so they used two-part NCR paper. The printers were encased in large sound-proof boxes, which between them took up a lot of valuable office space (and didn't completely cut out the noise).
The worst thing was that the person who designed the invoices didn't know about standard paper or envelope sizes, so the client had to have special window envelopes made to show the recipient's address.
Add to that all the effort of manually decollating the copies and folding the invoices, and you can see that the whole thing was a major operation - and an expensive one.
I was able to replace all of that with two laser printers. These only printed the top copy of each invoice, the second copy (the one that the client retained) being sent to PDF. We changed the invoice layout to fit on A4 with the address in the standard window position. The terms & conditions (see point 3 is Saif's post above) were pre-printed by a commercial printer on the reverse side.
So there was no decollating; the folding was easier; there were huge savings in stationery costs; we liberated a lot of office space (both for the printers and the storage of stationery); and office was quieter.
Saif, you listed some good reasons for staying with dot-matrix, but what I have described would overcome all of your objections. Perhaps your stongest argument in staying where you are is that you still have a stock of dot-matrix stationery. But keep these points in mind when you need to order new stock.
Mike
__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads
The worst thing was that the person who designed the invoices didn't know about standard paper or envelope sizes, so the client had to have special window envelopes made to show the recipient's address.
Add to that all the effort of manually decollating the copies and folding the invoices, and you can see that the whole thing was a major operation - and an expensive one.
I was able to replace all of that with two laser printers. These only printed the top copy of each invoice, the second copy (the one that the client retained) being sent to PDF. We changed the invoice layout to fit on A4 with the address in the standard window position. The terms & conditions (see point 3 is Saif's post above) were pre-printed by a commercial printer on the reverse side.
So there was no decollating; the folding was easier; there were huge savings in stationery costs; we liberated a lot of office space (both for the printers and the storage of stationery); and office was quieter.
Saif, you listed some good reasons for staying with dot-matrix, but what I have described would overcome all of your objections. Perhaps your stongest argument in staying where you are is that you still have a stock of dot-matrix stationery. But keep these points in mind when you need to order new stock.
Mike
__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads
Olaf Doschke
Programmer
> Not feeling well to sign the second and third copy.
In regard of that we introduced signature pictures in an application, the signing was done by clicking from whoever processed the document electronically before printing it. That procedure was protected with some permissions and identity check and you could only add your own signature. To be clear: This was an image of the actrual persons signature, it's not about a cryptographic signature.
And it also was one of the few things only those could/can do and no Administrator acccount. But you see, even that can be managed differently. As Mike said the most sensible reasoning is using the stock of paper you already have. You also have to think about the case a printer fails and you get no replacement for it or only more expensive than usual ink/laser printers.
Bye, Olaf.
In regard of that we introduced signature pictures in an application, the signing was done by clicking from whoever processed the document electronically before printing it. That procedure was protected with some permissions and identity check and you could only add your own signature. To be clear: This was an image of the actrual persons signature, it's not about a cryptographic signature.
And it also was one of the few things only those could/can do and no Administrator acccount. But you see, even that can be managed differently. As Mike said the most sensible reasoning is using the stock of paper you already have. You also have to think about the case a printer fails and you get no replacement for it or only more expensive than usual ink/laser printers.
Bye, Olaf.
Mike Lewis
Programmer
That makes a lot of sense. The signature doesn't have to be actually written by hand.
Come to that, why do you need to have a signature at all? I've never seen a business where invoices had to be signed. Maybe an order needs a signature, and certainly a cheque does. But invoices? Maybe it's normal practice in some industries or companies, but I've never seen it.
Mike
__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads
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