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From: mjs@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Marc Sabatella)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Printer recomendation wanted
Message-ID: <7340089@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM>
Date: 19 Feb 91 23:35:11 GMT
References: <91043.203820CXS128@psuvm.psu.edu>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Lines: 29

> When I was investigating printers (I bought a LaserJet IIP :-)  I remember
> reading (in STart I think) that, while 24 pin printers are much better at
> printing their internal fonts, 9 pin printers are better for graphics, which
> is really what you are doing when you use GDOS fonts.  Can someone confirm
> or deny this?

Deny.  The resolution of a 24-pin printer is simply better than that of a
8/9-pin.  If your software doesn't know to to generate the bitmap for the
higher resolution, then your are stuck with the 24-pins 8-pin emulation mode,
which may indeed be somewhat worse than a true 8/9-pin.

GDOS does support different font resolutions for 8/9 and 24 pin printer, so
programs using GDOS fonts should indeed get better resolution with the 24 pin.
I *know* the music I print with Notator looks a lot better; it uses GDOS fonts
for chord symbols and a few other things.

> While a laser printer may be out of your budget, an HP Deskjet can be had for
> not much more than your nicer 24 pin printers.

Far be it from me to discourage someone from buying an HP product :-), but most
24-pin printers support a "hex density" mode in which the resolution is
technically a little better than a laser/Deskjet.  Various factors conspire to
keep the output from actually looking better.

--------------
Marc Sabatella (marc@hpmonk.fc.hp.com)
Disclaimers:
	2 + 2 = 3, for suitably small values of 2
	Bill and Dave may not always agree with me