Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!know!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!vsi1!daver!versatc.versatec.COM!arisia!ebert
From: ebert@arisia.Xerox.COM (Robert Ebert)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Freedom of Press Light and the DeskWriter
Summary: Problems solved.
Message-ID: <14153@arisia.Xerox.COM>
Date: 14 Nov 90 04:21:15 GMT
References: <1990Nov12.140009.11574@rodan.acs.syr.edu> <14110@arisia.Xerox.COM>
Reply-To: ebert@arisia.UUCP (Bob Ebert)
Organization: Xerox Sunnyvale System Software Unit
Lines: 50

In article <14110@arisia.Xerox.COM> ebert@arisia.UUCP (I) write:
>...the top margin (about 1/4 inch) was
>lost.  That is, the image was higher than it should have been.  However, when
>I had FOPL image to QuickDraw and print on the DW, it printed correctly.
>
>....if they used a non-basic Font that was installed
>in their printer, then I'm stuck.  I plan on calling the FOPL people and
>seeing about preserving my investment in Adobe fonts.

I called FOPL today and talked to their tech support.   They were very helpful
and solved both my problems.

The solution to the missing top margin was to edit the STARTUP.PS file in the
Freedom Of Press(R) Folder (in the System Folder) and add the line:

statusdict begin 90 0 setmargins end

after the other line in the file that starts with 'statusdict'.  Apparently
this sets the top margin, or something like that.  (Hey, I know beans about
PostScript.)  I came up with the '90' after lots of playing around, and didn't
check this fix against too many files, but it worked for all the ones I tried.
The FOPL tech support people had only just heard about this problem, so the
fix they gave me to try was untested by them.  I assume they've got it worked
out by now.

There also is a way to use my Adobe fonts with FOPL, even though there is no
font downloader.  You need to use an application called unAdobe (I found it
on Sumex-Aim) to turn the Adobe outlines into plain old ASCII PostScript.
You can then add this text to the PS file that needs the font, and, well, it's
just as if the font was included in the PS file.  (Because it is.)  Actually,
the FOPL tech support person said I could just print the font PS files
followed by the files that use that font, but that didn't work.  Apparently,
FOPL throws away previously 'downloaded' fonts when it starts each new file.
(I tried with and without the 'force page printing' -- it didn't matter.
But that seems reasonable, since 'force page printing' is supposed to be the
same as adding a 'showpage' after each file.  [Okay, so I'm learning more
about PostScript as I go along...]

So, I expect another version of FOPL to be out soon with (maybe) some bug
fixes, but the package is very usable as it is, and it's even pretty easy
to work around 'missing font' problems, WITHOUT spending $95 for some
additional FOPL-compatible binary fonts.  I continue to recommend FOPL for
people that need to print the occasional PostScript file to their non-PS
printers.  (Especially the DeskWriter.)  I also promise that this is the
last article I'll post on this subject...

			--Bob

P.S. The FOPL tech support people we helpful, friendly, and polite.  Two
thumbs up for them.  Well, Sherman, at least.