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- DOCUMENT:Q104557 30-SEP-1993 [W_NT]
- TITLE :Win16 PostScript Printing Features Disabled Under Windows NT
- PRODUCT :Windows NT
- PROD/VER:3.10
- OPER/SYS:WINDOWS
- KEYWORDS:
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
- The information in this article applies to:
-
- - Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
- - Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- When running under Windows NT, PostScript-specific printing features
- in 16-bit Windows-based applications may not be enabled or may not
- function correctly. Examples of these features include printing EPS
- (encapsulated PostScript) graphics and performing color separations.
- In general, these applications will behave the same with a
- nonPostScript printer driver under Windows NT as they do when they run
- under Windows 3.1.
-
- MORE INFORMATION
- ================
-
- Many 16-bit Windows-based applications designed for graphics
- production and desktop publishing have printing features that assume
- the use of a PostScript printer driver. The application typically
- disables these features if it does not sense a PostScript printer
- driver. Most applications use the GetTechnology printer escape (API)
- to determine the type of printer driver. Under Windows 3.1, this
- escape returns "PostScript" when the current printer driver is a
- PostScript driver. Under Windows NT, this escape always returns
- "WinSpool", regardless of the current base driver or minidriver. As a
- result, the 16-bit Windows-based applications will assume the current
- printer driver is not a PostScript driver and will disable its
- PostScript-specific features.
-
- A common end result is that EPS graphics do not print correctly. EPS
- graphics are composed of PostScript commands that generate a graphic
- image. Therefore, they cannot be printed except on a PostScript
- printer. The EPS graphic can optionally include a TIFF (Tag Image File
- Format) graphic that roughly represents the image the PostScript
- commands should produce. When an application knows it is printing with
- a PostScript printer driver, it sends the PostScript commands
- contained in the EPS graphic as part of the print job. If the
- application does not sense a PostScript printer driver, it typically
- sends the TIFF graphic (if there is one) or simply prints a rectangle
- to show the size and/or position that the EPS file would have occupied
- on the page. If the application sends a TIFF graphic, the output may
- appear jagged and blocky compared to the normal EPS output on a
- PostScript printer.
-
- 32-bit Windows NT-based applications do not rely on the GetTechnology
- escape. Instead, they can call Windows NT-specific APIs to determine
- the capabilities of the base printer driver, thus PostScript-specific
- features function normally.
-
- Additional reference words: 3.10
- KBCategory:
- KBSubCategory: prt
-
- =============================================================================
-
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-
- Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1993.