GIF2DJET.PRG
by Rufus Developments

This program prints a GIF picture file on a Hewlett-Packard DeskJet
Plus or compatible printer.  No fancy options, it just scales the
picture to fit the page, grey-scales it, gamma-corrects it, contrast-
enhances it, dithers it, and prints it.

It has no particular monitor or memory requirements, and will print any
size GIF file, whether or not your ST can display it.

It will alert you to any problem in decoding the GIF.

How to use
==========

You can run it by double-clicking from the Desktop as normal.  It
displays a File Selector whereby you can select the file to print.

If you pass a GIF file parameter then it will print that file without
further ado.  One way to do this is to rename it as GIF2DJET.TTP, run
it from the Desktop, and type the filename.  A better way, if you use
Neodesk, is to drag-and-drop a GIF file on to the program icon.

For Neodesk users, we have created a special icon, GIF2DJET.NIC,
supplied along with the program - hope you like it!

Limitations
===========

It won't work on a plain old DeskJet, because it uses data compression
(for faster printing), and DeskJets don't support compression.

It doesn't print in colour!

It doesn't support interlaced GIFs, local colour maps, or multi-image
GIFs, because I've never seen such things.

Not all colour pictures look good when printed in black and white. 
This is a problem with life, not with GIF2DJET.

Background colour
=================

There is just one option in GIF2DJET.  But you can ignore it if you
like.  To understand what it does, and why it's needed, you need to
know a little more about GIFs than the average person probably does. 
So here goes:

Most GIFs start life displayed on a monitor screen of some sort.  If
the picture is not the same shape as the screen (normally 640x480 or
1024x768) then there will be some blank background around the actual
picture, normally coloured black.  

GIF files also contain a 'background colour' field, which tells us
which of the 256 possible colours is used for the background.  By
setting this colour to White, we can at least avoid wasting expensive
ink on several square inches of solid black.

GIF2DJET's one and only option is to set the background colour to
White.  To activate this option, hold down the ST's Alternate key when
running the program.  A message will confirm activation.

Unfortunately, some of the programs that create GIFs use the background
colour (normally black) in the picture.  Heaven knows why, with 255
other colours to choose from, but they do.  In this case, if you use
the option, parts of the picture, that should be black, are printed
white.  For this reason the option is not activated by default.

Summary:  if your printed GIF has a black background around it, then
hold down the Alternate key, either when running GIF2DJET, or when
selecting a file.  This will make the background white, but may cause
erroneous white areas in the picture.

Small print
===========

This program is copyright 1992, Rufus Developments.

It may be freely used and distributed, provided that (1) neither the
program nor this file is modified in any way, (2) no charge is made for
the program, other than a reasonable distribution charge, and (3) Rufus
Developments will not be liable for damage, including consequential
damage, arising from its use.

GIF and 'Graphics Interchange Format' are trade marks of CompuServe
Incorporated, an H & R Block company.

Plug
====

If you own a DeskJet then you may like to know about HPChrome, also
from Rufus Developments.

As the name implies, HPChrome is a COLOUR printing program, for 16-
colour DEGAS and Neochrome pictures.  You can crop your picture as you
wish, and print it any size, anywhere on the page.  There is a range of
adjustments to provide accurate colour rendering.  It supports all
DeskJets:  not just the colour DeskJet 500C and 550C, but also, with a
Colour Kit, the DeskJet, DeskJet Plus, and DeskJet 500.

The Colour Kit consists of ink cartridge refills in cyan, magenta and
yellow, plus cleaning solvent to remove all traces of black from your
empty cartridges.  They are widely available from computer suppliers.

HPChrome is shareware.  The registered version includes a printed
manual, updates, and technical support, and costs just œ5.00, direct
from Rufus Developments.  The unregistered version, which is fully
functional, is available from PD libraries and bulletin boards or
wherever you got this.

(We also do BJChrome - same features, same deal, for Canon BubbleJets.)

Coming RSN
==========

OK, you know we can print in colour, and you know we can decode GIFs,
so what would you expect?  Well, we're planning to exceed all your
expectations.  Target release date is early 1993 - contact us for info.

Rufus Developments
==================

PO Box 562, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 2YD.

Email:  mdryden@cix.compulink.co.uk