Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!ucsd!ucbvax!vax1.physics.oxford.ac.UK!MACALLSTR
From: MACALLSTR@vax1.physics.oxford.ac.UK
Newsgroups: comp.laser-printers
Subject: QMS laser printer blank page / overwriting problem : the solution.
Message-ID: <8802021705.AA21729@brillig.umd.edu>
Date: 3 Feb 88 01:42:31 GMT
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
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Approved: laser-lovers@brillig.umd.edu
X-Unparsable-Date: 18-DEC-1987 15:55:53 GMT +00:00


 Fix for the blank page / overwriting problem on QMS Lasergrafix 800 printers.
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Symptoms.
---------
 Blanks pages between print files.
 Print files 'sticking' in the laser printer and then coming out
  overprinted by the the following file.

Cause.
------
 The QUIC command  ^DC0001  prints one copy of the current page without ending
  the QUIC pass. Some software may use the   ^,  command to force printing and
  may not encounter the problem. Our DVI-to-QMS driver uses the ^DC0001 command.
 A QUIC page could be  99999 dots X 99999 dots  in size (about 27feetX27feet!).
 If the ^DC0001 command occurs less than 5391 dots down the page, the page isn't
  printed; GE 5391 dots down the page and all is fine. I don't know the 
  significance of the 5391/5392 number but that is the breakpoint for the 
  problem.
 If you have FORM-feed enabled on your printer line, you will force output of
  the 'stuck' pages but you then get an extra blank page after every normal
  file.

Solution.
---------
 Instead of sending  ^DC0001  to the laser printer, force the vertical pointer
  down the page to some number larger than 5391. I use 

                     ^J90000^DC0001  in place of  ^DC0001   .

 Set your printer line to NO FORM-feeds to eliminate unwanted blank pages.

 In summary, for a VAX/VMS system, do the following.

   Use  ^J90000^DC001   in place of   ^DC0001  . ( in your DVI-to-QMS driver )
   SET TERM/PERM/NOFORM for the terminal line to which the laser printer
    is attached.

 Easy, isn't it?!

 John.