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From: laser-lovers@ucbvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.computers.laser-printers
Subject: Re: Troff cut marks
Message-ID: <8512072326.AA16856@mcvax.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 7-Dec-85 18:26:39 EST
Article-I.D.: mcvax.8512072326.AA16856
Posted: Sat Dec  7 18:26:39 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 13-Dec-85 01:45:09 EST
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
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Approved: laser-lovers@washington.arpa

[Maybe this should go to net.text as well, since this subject keeps popping
up]

Removing (commenting out) the line .tl '--''--', printing out the cutmarks
unconditionally is a bad idea when you run troff in a mixed environment of
output devices.
You want them left out on page printers (like laser writers) but have them
in on real typesetters (which most times uses a roll of paper).
So you want to make this depending on your output device.

I suggest the next solution:

1) Old style troff

	Replace the offending line with
		.if \\nx .tl '--''--'

	(The double backslash is not really needed, if you have the -rx1
	before the -m<favourite macros> but safety first here...)
	and if you print on the roll of paper call troff as
		troff -rx1 [other options]

	This will set register x to 1 and consequently, the cutmarks will be
	printed.

2) New style troff (also known as [dt]itroff or DWB).

	Still replace the offending line as in case 1. But now also bote that
	the -Tdev option sets the string ".T".

	If your device with rolls is called "rolls" you add in the beginning
	of each macro package:
		.if '\*(.T'rolls' .nr x 1

	This last method is preferred over the -rx1, since you are likely to
	forget the -rx1 option and you likely need -Tdev anyway.

	jaap akkerhuis (mcvax!jaap)

PS. I prefer .tl '\(rn\(rn\(rn''\(rn\(rn\(rn' as cut marks.
PSS. Good old vtroff, when used with the rotated fonts (rvsort, rvcat) tried
     find the cutmarks in the first inch of a page and removed them. If I
     remember it well, there was even an option (undocumented) which forced
     the cutmarks to be removed (and on some versions you could specify which
     cutmarks it should look for).