Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!shrinkit
From: shrinkit@Apple.COM (Andrew Nicholas)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: StyleWriter printer
Message-ID: <51289@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 8 Apr 91 10:41:21 GMT
References: <5675@vela.acs.oakland.edu> <51273@apple.Apple.COM> <5703@vela.acs.oakland.edu>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA
Lines: 46

In article <5703@vela.acs.oakland.edu> mkheintz@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Michael Heintz) writes:

>>>For your information: the StyleWriter comes with TrueType versions
>>>of Times, Helvetica, Courier, and Symbol built-in.

>>For your information: the StyleWriter comes with an INIT for the MAC which
>>does TrueType.  It does -NOT- have -ANY- fonts built-in (ie, in ROM in the
>>printer itself).  To drive the printer you send it bitmaps and it prints stuff

>Then how come the person who wrote the technical specifications section
>on the spec sheet bothered to specifically mention those fonts and then
>added later:  "The StyleWriter printer can support additional TrueType
>fonts from Apple and other suppliers"  ???

Because the person who wrote the spec sheet probably thought "It comes with the
TrueType INIT, so they get THESE fonts along with the INIT."  The INIT
doesn't work on anything other than a Macintosh.

>And, while I have your attention:  If the IIgs were to send a bitmapped
>font to the StyleWriter (with the correct driver of course) would the
>printer print a font with ragged edges, or does TrueType smooth it for
>us?  Or... would we need special support in the driver for certain
>TrueType fonts??

The printer doesn't come with TrueType (built into the printer).

The printer comes with an INIT that you have to run in your Macintosh that
gives your Macintosh TrueType so it can send smooth bitmaps to the StyleWriter.

Any printer driver on anything other than a Macintosh won't be using TrueType.
It might be using some other kind of font technology (old or new), and the
result might be good, or it might be bad -- it would depend on how good a
printer driver and how good the font technology was which was making it all
go.  TrueType provides for reasonably smooth fonts on a Macintosh, and only
a Macintosh.

And, if someone can write a driver which can incorporate support for TrueType
fonts on the GS (considering that I don't think that the spec for it is
published outside of Apple), I would be *SERIOUSLY* impressed.

andy

-- 
Andy Nicholas			GEnie & America-Online: shrinkit
Apple IIGS System Software		    CompuServe: 70771,2615    
Apple Computer, Inc.			      InterNET: shrinkit@apple.com