When you want to set all your laser printer’s parameters back to their
initial default values (some people call this “initializing” the printer), send
this command:
<ESC> E
.The printer will finish printing any pages left in its memory before
resetting the parameters. Resetting clears unneeded temporary fonts from
your printer’s memory. Any permanent fonts or macros you have down-
loaded, however, will still be there after you send a reset command.
Permanent and temporary fonts are described at the end of this chapter’s
“Controlling Fonts” section.
4.2.5 Example: Printer controls
Let’s see what happens when we put these commands together. Say you
have just turned on your laser printer. What happens when you send the
following commands to your printer?
<ESC>
Z
<ESC> E
<ESC> &/2h 2X
As a BASIC program these would look like this:
NEW
10 WIDTH “LPT1:“,255
20 LPRINT CHR$ (27);“Z“
30 LPRINT CHR$ (27);“E”
40 LPRINT CHR$ (27);“&12h2X”
RUN
First, if it is working properly the printer prints a test print with all the
characters in its default font (Courier).
Next the printer sets all its parameter values— including feed selection and
number of copies — to their initial settings.
‘ The last command does two things: it tells the printer to accept paper you
will feed in yourself, and to print each page two times. This is handy when
you want two copies of a letter on preprinted letterhead.
45