Filter
Top Products
Choosing the Correct Printer
Most application programs let you specify the type of printer you’re
using, so that the program can take full advantage of the printer’s
features. Many programs provide an installation or setup section that
presents a list of printers from which to choose. Table 4-1 lists the
printers in order of preference.
A quick test
After setting up your application program, you should print a sample
document to be sure the program and the printer are communicating
properly If the document doesn’t print the way you feel it should,
recheck the program’s printer selection and installation routine. If you’re
still having trouble printing, check the SelecType settings. Also consult
the troubleshooting section in Appendix D.
Computer-Printer Communication
Computers and printers communicate by using numerical codes to
represent characters and commands. To be sure the two devices
translate the characters in the same way, a standard code has been
developed-the ASCII (American Standard Code for Information
Interchange) code. Many application programs, in fact, specifically ask
for ASCII codes to send printer commands.
The ASCII table. listed in Appendix B, includes codes for printable
characters (letters, punctuation marks, numerals, and mathematical
symbols). It also includes 33 other codes called control codes, that
perform functions such as sounding the beeper and performing carriage
returns. The 33 control codes. numbered from O-31 and 127, are not
enough to control all possible printer functions. So, most printer
commands are actually a sequence of two
or
more codes.
The escape code, one of the 33 control codes (027), signals the
beginning of a sequence of codes. This manual uses the ASCII
abbreviation ESC for this code.
4-2
Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programms