*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*¢ HOW TO PRINT THE OHAUG NEWSLETTER¢ by Alan Sharkis¢ OHAUG NEWSLETTER LIBRARIAN¢ ¢ The OHAUG Newsletter is disk-based.¢ It comes with very good screen-reader¢ utility, and many people prefer to¢ read it on the screen. This is my¢ preferred method when I want to scan¢ a single article. However, many of¢ us prefer to print out the¢ newsletter, particularly when we want¢ the whole thing in front of us, and¢ might not necessarily be near the¢ computer. The print routine that¢ accompanies the newsletter was¢ originally written by KRIS HOLTEGAARD¢ and revised several times by THOMAS¢ J. ANDREWS, of Print Star fame. The¢ routine is just as good as the screen¢ reader, and even more flexible.¢ However, some members and clubs with¢ whom we exchange have asked for a¢ step-by-step tutorial on using this¢ print routine. Here goes.¢ ¢ The first thing you have to consider¢ is printer configuration. You have a¢ printer, I hope, and it's connected¢ to your system and working. Turn it,¢ and its interface, if necessary, on.¢ Turn on your disk drive. Put the¢ newsletter disk into your drive, and,¢ with BASIC enabled, boot the disk as¢ usual. You will get the title¢ screen, a delay of several seconds,¢ and then the main menu. Press 3 from¢ the main menu. You are then¢ presented with a series of options.¢ The first, [E], is the default option¢ and is for Epson and Epson-compatible¢ printers. It's also the most¢ flexible. If your printer falls into¢ this category, press the [E] to go to¢ the next screen. Here you are asked¢ if you want draft quality [A] or¢ double-strike [B]. The first choice¢ gives you fast printing; the second¢ gives you darker, fancier printing.¢ Press the appropriate letter, but¢ remember that double-strike is the¢ default. The next screen is for¢ layout. Four possible layouts exist.¢ There's 2-column, 6 lines per inch¢ [A]; 2-column, 8 lines per inch [B];¢ 3-column, 6 lines per inch [C]; and¢ 3-column, 8-lines per inch [D]. The¢ number of columns determine whether¢ your printer will use standard or¢ condensed print to produce two or¢ three columns across a page. I¢ prefer 6 lines per inch for improved¢ readability, but if you need to save¢ paper, go with the 8-lines per inch.¢ It produces text that's still¢ readable, though a little cramped. I¢ actually printed one file in each of¢ the four methods, and I'll say more¢ about that later. The next option¢ that you have to choose is Continuous¢ Paper [A] or Single Sheets [B]. If¢ you have pin-feed paper, go with¢ option A, or you'll be interrupted at¢ the end of each sheet. If you have¢ single sheets, choose B, or you'll be¢ printing on your platen roller (not¢ nice!) The setup remains in memory¢ and is not saved to disk. That means¢ that as long as your printer and¢ computer are powered on, the¢ configuration stays alive and the¢ codes are transmitted to the printer¢ before each print job.¢ ¢ If you don't have an Epson or Epson¢ compatible, the next choice remaining¢ on the first screen is for [A], Atari¢ 1025. This printer has the¢ capability of doing condensed print,¢ so hitting [A] will take you to the¢ column/lines-per-inch choices¢ described above for the Epsons. Make¢ that choice, and you are once again¢ asked for Continuous or Single-Sheet¢ printing.¢ ¢ If your printer is neither an¢ Epson/compatible nor an Atari 1025,¢ you are left with the final choice,¢ [N]. This is for Non-Epson¢ compatibles and Daisy Wheel printers.¢ Your choices here are, unfortunately,¢ limited to Continuous or Single-Sheet¢ printing. Having set the¢ configuration, you are returned to¢ the main menu. Happily, there's¢ even more flexibility waiting for¢ you! Each article in the¢ newsletter that you choose presents¢ you with a choice screen. You can¢ choose to go back to the menu, to¢ print the article, or to read it on¢ screen. You'd select [P] for print.¢ It's that simple, or is it? Well, a¢ funny thing happened to the¢ newsletter recently. Someone¢ suggested that a user might select an¢ article without having first¢ configured his printer. Could he get¢ several pages of gibberish for his¢ efforts? Nah! We fixed that. If¢ you haven't configured the printer at¢ this stage, you automatically get¢ directed to do so. Instructions are¢ exactly as above. Next, you're faced¢ with more choices, as I mentioned¢ before. You're asked if you want Odd¢ pages, Even pages or All pages. This¢ allows you to print on both sides of¢ the sheet. Here's how. Set your¢ printer at top of form. Select [O]dd¢ for the first run. The article will¢ be loaded into the buffer, and then¢ printed. You can pause printing at¢ any time by holding the CONTROL key¢ and pressing P. While paused, you¢ can use any key to continue¢ printing. Suppose you want to cancel¢ the print job in the middle.¢ CONTROL-C will do that for you. When¢ all the odd-numbered pages have been¢ printed, you are returned to the main¢ menu. Take your pages out of the¢ printer, turn them around so that the¢ back of the sheets will come up¢ through the printer with page 1¢ first, set at top of form, and select¢ the article to print again. This¢ time, select [E]ven numbered pages.¢ I suggest having an extra sheet as a¢ "leader" if you use continuous feed¢ and your pin-feed or tractor¢ mechanism is at all finicky. Note¢ that you can also print [A]ll pages¢ of the article, in order, if you so¢ choose.¢ ¢ If you wish to print all of the¢ articles on any one side of a¢ newsletter disk, simply select [A]¢ from the MAIN menu, and follow the¢ prompts.¢ ¢ I usually print out the entire¢ newsletter using the double-side,¢ odd/even technique. I use an Epson-¢ compatible (Okidata 320) printer and¢ configure it for three columns, 6¢ lines per inch. It is remarkable¢ that the newsletter usually prints¢ out to eight or more pages per side¢ of disk, and there are no ads! So, I¢ wondered how much room is saved by¢ the various page formats available.¢ To test this, I printed the November,¢ 1992 meeting minutes in each of the¢ four formats. Two-column, six lines¢ per inch ran close to three full¢ pages. Two columns, eight lines per¢ inch ran two pages and about a third¢ of one column on the third page.¢ Switching to three columns, six lines¢ per inch yielded almost a full two¢ pages (quite a savings!). Changing¢ that to three columns, eight lines¢ per inch dropped the paper required¢ to one full page and about one-and-¢ one third columns of the third page.¢ ¢ If you have a printer with the¢ capabilities of an Epson-compatible,¢ but it doesn't utilize Epson codes,¢ you might want to hack into the¢ program to change those codes,¢ remembering, of course, that it's¢ copyrighted material. But you had¢ best do this by copying the¢ newsletter disk to a disk you can¢ afford to lose. Or, you send a copy¢ of your printer code list to me, care¢ of the club, and I'll see what I can¢ do for you.¢ ¢ You see-its that simple to get a hard¢ copy for bathroom reading, (grin). We¢ have to thank TOM J. ANDREWS for this¢ wonderful printing addition to the¢ OL' HACKERS NEWSLETTER! THANKS TOM!¢ <><><><> end <><><><> ¢