Dot Matrix Printing

rbuser

Hi there, This is my first post here. My problem is with an Epson LX-300 Dot
Matrix report Printer in combination with a report. The report is really
simple and even specifies this printer model in it's page setup. I
configured the margins all to 0 and still could not fit the 8.5 inches of
content within the printed page. The print preview looked fine, but the
printout added about 1/4 inch to the left margin. subsequently I changed the
paper size to 9 Inches and managed to fool the printer into fitting all the
intended text on the page.

My question... Why doesn't an 8.5 Inch preview print 8.5 Inches?

Regards,

Dave.

digitalmetaphors

Here are a couple of helpful articles if you haven't found them already on
the newsgroups.

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Article: Printing to Dot Matrix Printers
-----------------------------------------------

Dot matrix printers are natively line and character based. Most dot matrix
printers can emulate graphical (i.e. pixel based) printing, but there is
additional overhead which degrades printing speed.

Some options for maximizing performance:

1. Use native printer fonts.

Each dot matrix printer normally has some built-in fonts. You can choose
these fonts when using the ReportBuilder Report Designer. Choose File |
PageSetup and select the dot matrix printer (or optionally use the object
inspector to set Report.Printersetup.PrinterName). The fonts displayed in
Report Designer's font drop down list located on the format toolbar will
display the printer native fonts (indicated by a special printer icon next
to the font name).

2. Vertically position and size objects in 1/6 inch increments.

A standard dot matrix printer can print 66 lines per 11 inch portrait page.
This translates to a line height of 1/6 inch. Therefore the height of each
band should be a multiple of 1/6 as should the size of the margins, the
vertical position of each object etc.

3. Keep the layout simple, avoid using graphics of any kind.

Alternatives to using the dot matrix printer driver:

1. Use the generic text printer driver.

When using the generic text printer you will need to use the courier or
courier new font and apply the layout techniques described above.

2. Use ReportBuilder's ReportTextFile device output format.

This ReportTextFile device can exports the report to a .txt file which you
can then send to the printer. Demo dm0107.pas in the main reports demo app
shows an example of printing a report to a .txt file and previewing the
results.

--
Tech Support mailto:support@digital-metaphors.com
Digital Metaphors http://www.digital-metaphors.com

-----------------------------------------------
Tech Tip: Send TextFile to Printer
-----------------------------------------------

I designed a application that exports the report to a .txt
file using ReportTextFile device.

How can I Send the text file to the printer?

The following procedure will send the .txt file to
the printer using Delphi's TPrinter object.



uses
Printers;


procedure SendTextFileToPrinter(aFileName: String);
var
lsLines: TStringList;
lOutputFile: TextFile;
liIndex: Integer;
begin

lsLines := TStringList.Create;

try
lsLines.LoadFromFile(aFileName);

AssignPrn(lOutputFile);
Rewrite(lOutputFile);

for liIndex := 0 to lsLines.Count-1 do
Writeln(lOutputFile, lsLines[liIndex]);

CloseFile(lOutputFile);

finally
lsLines.Free;
end;


end;




--
Tech Support mailto:support@digital-metaphors.com
Digital Metaphors http://www.digital-metaphors.com






Cheers,

Jim Bennett
Digital Metaphors

rbuser

Most printers have a fixed unprintable margin... this might be what's
happening here. When I want to print dot matrix labels starting right
at the edge I have to convince the printer that the labels are actually
wider than they really are and then move the labels to the right.

This basically would seem to be a printer issue (typical of just about
every printer).

Jon

rbuser

The TExtraDevices has an output device designed especially for Dot Matrix
printers and is worth checking out.

Peter Grimshaw