Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac.hardware:7175 comp.sys.mac.misc:6617 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rice!uupsi!rodan.acs.syr.edu!wwtaroli From: wwtaroli@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Bill Taroli) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware,comp.sys.mac.misc Subject: Re: grayscale on a DeskWriter? Message-ID: <1990Dec11.013424.4070@rodan.acs.syr.edu> Date: 11 Dec 90 01:34:24 GMT References: Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY Lines: 42 In article bh11+@andrew.cmu.edu (Braddock John Hathaway) writes: >if it was possible to get any kind of grayscale output on a DeskWriter. >The manual (page 4-8, paragraph 3) makes reference to using grayscale >on a sample document "The use of grayscale draws attention to the bullet >items and the headings ..." From what I've been experiencing in terms >of output, I imagine that this is a mistake and that the two different >grays they show are based on closer and wider dot patterns (as is used >to give darker and lighter grays in 'patterns' on monochrome macintoshes). I believe that the problem you're encountering (and I've already knocked my head into) is that many programs (ala PageMaker, Quark XPress, etc, etc) are written to use with 1-bit Quickdraw or Postscript for print imaging. The DeskWriter driver, however, is not strictly QuickDraw. It has, to my understadning, extensions from the Agfa imaging model that allow for such niceties as greyscaling. But if the drivers for Postscript are specially coded for some programs and these programs don't support all functions for QuickDraw (read non-Postscript) printers then the DeskWriter is really a high-resolution ImageWriter. (This is not true of text, but that's a different story.) I don't know what programs like Freedom of the Press do, but as manufacturers notice that QuickDraw (read non-Postscript) printers with greater ability and power are purchased in higher numbers, perhaps they'll open the gates for those of us who want inexpensive printers with good output. If you still aren't convinced that the DeskWriter will do greyscaling (at least of a sort compared to Postscript), try printing the standard grey patterns from MacDraw (or even FreeHand, I believe). You'll notice something funny about the lighter ones (10%?)... they don't appear as single dots simply farther apart.. in fact, you'll notice they look a bit better than what a IINT spits out, IMHO. Well, I'm satisfied with my DeskWriter. For now, if I need to do heavy duty greyscale (or Postscript) work, I can find a LaserWriter. Oh, BTW... I believe that the Agfa imager used on the DeskWriter also supports rotated text (although that may only be in 90 deg. incs... not sure). Regards -- ******************************************************************************* * Bill Taroli (WWTAROLI@RODAN.acs.syr.edu) | "You can and must understand * * Syracuse University, Syracuse NY | computers NOW!" -- Ted Nelson * *******************************************************************************