AMT Datasouth 400 Printer User Manual


 
User's Guide 38
PAL
TM
Print and Program Coordinate System
The default coordinate system used by PAL
TM
Print and Program Language is a traditional Cartesian
coordinate system with the origin at the lower left-hand corner of the drawing surface:
(
0,0) x
PAL Coordinate System
An internal “cursor” is maintained by PAL
TM
that keeps track of where to put the next print object,
i.e. text or lines, etc. At power up this internal cursor is set to the origin or (0,0).
The default unit used for measuring distance in this coordinate system is the point. A point is a
common typographical unit equivalent to 1/72”. There are 72 points to an inch. The example sets the
“cursor” to 72,72 to place text at a point 1 inch to right of the origin and 1 inch above.
Some printing commands such as show will change the location of the cursor. This happens for
example after a text string is put on the label. After the text has been written to the label, the cursor
is updated to point to the end of the text in preparation for the next string.
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