Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!farrier
From: farrier@Apple.COM (Cary Farrier)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Amiga Print Quality
Keywords: Desktop Publishing, Word Processing
Message-ID: <47347@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 13 Dec 90 17:39:14 GMT
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA
Lines: 40

I recently received an HP DeskJet 500 printer, but when I went to use
it with my Amiga 500, I was very dissappointed.  Even though the printer
can output up to 300x300 dpi (for $499!), the quality of the output from
my word processor (ProWrite 3.1) is terrible (even though ProWrite is 
excellent!).

After a little reading on printer drivers, I found out that (I think) 
that the printer drivers require the application to do all the imaging, 
then pass a bitmap or rast port to the driver to dump.  Isn't this backwards?  
I mean, the application should tell the driver "Draw this text in this
font at this location in this point size", and then the driver can 
do the best that it can, and remove the burden of some quality optimizing
techniques from the application (or even the user).  For example, if
I want to use an 8 point font for my document, and if I print it out
to a 300x300 dpi printer, then the driver should look for a font that is
three to four times larger than 8 point, and substitute it for my 8 point
font while scaling the overall size of the document down by three or
four.  This technique yields excellent quality output, and is relatively
simple to do.

The ProWrite documentation also covers this technique, but their solution
is to have the user shrink the document down to 34% and then use 3x fonts,
which is pretty unfeasable (I like to see the width of my document on
the screen).

Also, why aren't there any large font sizes included with the system
software?  I mean up to 72 point and beyond?

Perhaps these have been addressed in WB2.0, I hope so.  If not, however,
then Commodore may wish to consider them.  

Cary
-- 
+---------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Cary Farrier                          | Internet  : farrier@apple.com   |
| Apple II Systems Software Engineering | UUCP      : apple!farrier       |
| Apple Computer, Inc.                  | Fax       : (408) 974-1704      |
| 20525 Mariani Ave.                    | AppleLink : FARRIER             |
| Cupertino, CA 95014                   |  or farrier%applelink@apple.com |
+---------------------------------------+---------------------------------+