Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hpda!hpdslab!hp-ptp!jim
From: jim@hp-ptp.HP.COM (James_Rogers)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: ditroff + LaserJet II - HELP
Message-ID: <1320001@hp-ptp.HP.COM>
Date: 7 Apr 89 15:31:13 GMT
References: <3660@mva.cs.liv.ac.uk>
Organization: HP Pacific Technology Park - Sunnyvale, Ca.
Lines: 63

>Intro:
>------
>1. We have ditroff, eqn, tbl, pic etc from ATT on our HP workstations.
>2. We have several HP LaserJet II printers (512Kb, no extra fonts - yet).
>
>Problem:
>--------
>We would like to get output on our LaserJets that is similar to the output
>we get from our PostScript Laser Writer ie Times Roman, Bold and Italic in
>6,7,8 ... 24 point etc.
>
>My Solution
>-----------
>1. Get some HP Soft Fonts (probably AD, AF and DA)
>2. Get the appropriate printer manual and width tables for fonts etc.
>2. Write a driver (and I'm sure this has all been done before!!)
>
>Any Comments ???
>----------------
>1. I'm abit worried about the fact that the soft fonts are for downloading
>   from an MS-DOS machine. Presumably I can binary transfer them to the
>   workstations and download them from there ?
>2. How much memory do you lose in the printer with soft fonts resident ?
>   We intend to increase the memory on the printers, but I'd like a feel
>   of the memory requirements.
>
>Thanks In Advance.
>

Alternative solution
--------------------
1. Get Eroff from Elan Computer Group, Inc.
   Eroff understands both Laserjet and Postscript printers.
   Eroff also has some extensions to ATT ditroff et al which will allow you
   to optimize the use of your printers.

2. Get soft fonts for the LaserjetII.  Yes, they do come in DOS format
   but the HP workstations have a utility called doscp which allows you
   to copy files to/from DOS format.  You will want to have a 5.25 inch
   drive attached to your workstation for best use of doscp.

   If you must do a binary transfer from a DOS machine then doscp will
   not be of much use to you.

3. The amount of memory used for font storage in the printer is a function
   of:
      A. The size of the font (larger point size fonts use more memory).

      B. The number of fonts downloaded.

   The laserjetII has a hard limit of 32 fonts which can be stored
   regardless of the memory installed.

   Eroff reserves 270000 bytes of printer memory as a default for font
   storage.  I recommend that you purchase at least another 2 meg of
   memory.  This will not only give adequate room for 32 fonts
   (in my machine 32 fonts take up about 1 meg of memory) but it will
   allow you to print full page bitmaps in your documents.
   The initial 512K of memory will only allow you to print about 0.5
   pages of bitmap.


Jim Rogers at Hewlett Packard in Sunnyvale, California