Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!leah!jh0576
From: jh0576@leah.Albany.Edu (Joe Houghtaling)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Imagewriter trouble & possible replacement
Summary: Just to clarify
Keywords: imagewriter printer quality
Message-ID: <2221@leah.Albany.Edu>
Date: 2 Dec 89 02:38:21 GMT
References: <5502@internal.Apple.COM> <7247@hubcap.clemson.edu> <877@pmafire.UUCP>
Organization: The University at Albany, Computer Services Center
Lines: 40


  Just wanted to add to my prior posting that I really like my IW II!  I 
just got a little hot about the paper getting occasionally scrunched up.
Otherwise my IW II has given me excellent service for the two years + that
I've owned it.  (And since I had the print head cleaned, it works even better!
Yet another point in favor of regular servicing!)
 
  Just wanted to make that clear.  And thanks to Tom Dowdy @ Apple for 
responding so quickly to explain why the IW II driver does that shuffle.
I hope he doesn't mind if I reprint his explanation, since some other folks
on the net might be interested.

Regarding my theory that the IWII driver does the shuffle to tighten the paper:

 No, that is not the reason.  Gear-lash takeup is handled by the firmware, 
 if at all.  Additional dancing is not done by the driver for gear-lash 
 purposes.  The reason is so that paper margins and sizes are the same on 
 both IW printers.  The IW 1 has a smaller paper margin with "no waste tear 
 off".  As a result, on the IW II, the paper must be moved backwards to 
 preserve the margin.  If you wish to avoid problems, leave the additional 
 sheet in the printer and don't tear off towards the top.
 
 The new print drivers may have an option to "avoid the little dance."  
 However, there will be different drivers for each of the IW models, and 
 there can be special paper sizes for the IW II that will NEVER require the 
 little dance.  In any case, as the person making the drivers, I'm trying 
 to stamp out the little dance in all cases where it isn't needed.  Just be 
 aware that if you are printing a document that was formatted for IW 1 top 
 margins, there will ALWAYS be the little dance if you want to be able to 
 tear off paper right at the top.
 
  Tom Dowdy                 Internet:  dowdy@apple.COM
  Apple Computer MS:81EQ    UUCP:      {sun,voder,amdahl,decwrl}!apple!dowdy
  20525 Mariani Ave         AppleLink: DOWDY1
  Cupertino, CA 95014       
  "The 'Ooh-Ah' Bird is so called because it lays square eggs."

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joe houghtaling
jh0576@leah.albany.edu