Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!cornell!johnhlee
From: johnhlee@piccolo.cs.cornell.edu (John H. Lee)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Amiga Print Quality
Keywords: Desktop Publishing, Word Processing
Message-ID: <49751@cornell.UUCP>
Date: 14 Dec 90 23:25:28 GMT
References: <47347@apple.Apple.COM>
Sender: nobody@cornell.UUCP
Reply-To: johnhlee@cs.cornell.edu (John H. Lee)
Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept, Ithaca NY
Lines: 44
Summary:
Followup-To:

In article <47347@apple.Apple.COM> farrier@Apple.COM (Cary Farrier) writes:
>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!).
[...]
>Perhaps these have been addressed in WB2.0, I hope so.  If not, however,
>then Commodore may wish to consider them.  

I believe this is the fault of ProWrite rather than the O/S.  The printer
driver accepts only two things:  ANSI character output, and rastport bitmapped
graphics dump.  ProWrite uses the latter but scales the bitmap fonts so they
look rather bad on your deskjet.  Excellence! also gives poor results on
my 180x180dpi PaintJet when using "normal" output mode.

What you are asking for is system support for scalable fonts.  However, since
you can't ask the O/S to handle variable font sizes automatically without
implementing something like TeX or Quickdraw, applications (ProWrite) must
request the font and draw the rastport itself.  Bitmapped scaled fonts are
(will be?  I'm not sure) supported in 2.0, with true outline fonts supported
in the next release.  The former does close to what you suggested, take the
closest available font size to the needed resolution and scale.  The latter
takes a mathematical model of the font and creates the individual glyphs with
the at the exact resolution desired when needed.  In both cases, however,
ProWrite is responsible for requesting the font at the right size, draw to
a rastport, then dump it to the printer.  Why do this?  This allows the
applications to do things like include graphics on the same page.

On the other hand, you can do what I did and buy and use software that already
supports outline fonts internally:  Professional Page and Professional Draw.
The Compugraphic Fonts are outline fonts that are created when needed
(screen and printer) for maximum resolution.  The output on my PaintJet looks
absolutely gorgeous.  I use it for reports.  It's nice to turn in almost
laser-sharp reports with color.  With your DeskJet, output should look just
like it came from a laser printer.

Disclaimer:  I have no connection to Gold Disk, other than being a satisfied
customer.  I am, however, awaiting notice of my upgrade to PPage 2.0...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The DiskDoctor threatens the crew!  Next time on AmigaDos: The Next Generation.
	John Lee		Internet: johnhlee@cs.cornell.edu
The above opinions of those of the user, and not of this machine.