At 07:19 �� 31/1/2002 +0000, you wrote:
>Don't quote me on this - it's too early in the morning - but >I believe that some progress has been made with some >winprinters under linux. The problem as I understand it is >that unless you are running windows one size definitely does >not fit all as the implementation varies bwetween what is in >s/ware and what is in h/ware from manufacturer from >manufacturer. The problem is, therefore, that the SMS >solution would have to emulate the hardware function (just >like windows!!) and different (complex) drivers would be >needed for each printer. > >Tony Gordon Hi Tony, this part (in part ...sic!) is already done by ProForma which is in a sense the Windows GDI equivalent... The trick is instead of creating the final output you serve the printer with semi-raw bitmapped GDI data... However ProForma does things a lot different than Windows in that aspect although in principle they are the same... Marcel is right... every printer manufacturer does things differently, the point is though that every manufacturer has a uniform way of addressing their models line (no point of reinventing the wheel even for a company the size of Epson), so if we could "emulate" at least ONE we would be somewhere... I managed to reverse-engineer part of the format of Lexmark Z series printers by applying a simple technique. In one given paper size I had 1 point printed at the maximum allowed resolution in each corner and the center... Results of this I was able to replicate and create points for virtual every place in that given paper size using the QL... However there is a long way to go still (and I haven't even touched colours) Phoebus
