From: joeles@cup.portal.com (Joel Edward Swan)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.applications,comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: Re: Excellence V3.0 + HP DeskJet500
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 93 01:35:24 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

>
>I hope no one considers this *terribly* off-topic, but I'm DESPERATE
>for an answer here...
> 
>I purchased my brilliant HP DeskJet 500 about 6 months ago, and, as
>yet, have been unable to make it work to its fullest capacity.  My
>setup is: Amiga 2000HD using Excellence! V3.0, printer on parallel port.
> 
>This is my problem:
>1.  The DJ500 has an excellent internal font called CGTimes (6,12 pt.)
>2.  It can print this font at something like 240 cps.
>3.  It appears to me that because my software does not know the
>dimensions for the font, there's no way in hell I'm going to get my
>documents to print out (formatted properly) in CGTimes.
>4.  This is very disappointing for me.  I'd have been prepared to give
>up and blame the printer, until last weekend when I hooked it up to a
>Toshiba clone laptop that I brought home -- and Word 5.5 will output in
>flawless CGTimes. :-(
> 
> 
>The solutions I have thought of and why they're unsatisfactory:
>1.  Buy a Toshiba laptop -- can't afford it.  Don't like MS-DOS machines.
>2.  Buy a 2/386 emulator -- see above.
>3.  Output everything in non-proportional Courier -- naturally, this
>works, but that's hardly the point.
>4.  Use a DTP program to output in CGTimes based in software -- once
>again, I can (and do) do this, but it's not the point.  For one thing,
>it's damn slow, and DTP software doesn't have anything like the WP'ing
>flexibility I need.
> 
>So:  If *anyone* is currently making an Amiga successfully talk to a
>DeskJet500 using *any* software or *any* trick/magic/witchcraft, then
>PLEASE let me know.  Email me if only to comiserate!
>^^^^^^
> 
>email to: paulh@pax.tpa.com.au


The printer is fine.  It's the crappy Amiga word processors that stink.  I
also use Word (5 and 5.0.  BTW 5.0 is MUCH faster, try to get IT if
possible.).  Excellence and the other crummy Amiga WPs still don't know how
to use internal printer fonts.  For the longest time all they could do is
what you are experiencing - dumping the low resolution of the screen to the
printer - worthless!  None of the software developers have caught on yet as
how to use a printer's font effectively and painlessly (like Word).  Word,
as you know, has printer drivers that contain all the needed info for letter
widths, etc, and the ruler on top stretches out to let the letters fit in.
It's the best of both worlds - super fast "text mode" screen updates and the
accurate letter placement of WYSIWYG.

Until, and IF, a company finally moves this route, the best way to get clean
output from Amy is to purchase Final Copy II (or Prowrite).  These packages
do not use the printer's internal fonts well (if at all) but use outline font
technology to print.  Unfortunately, this makes for SLOOOOOOW printing
compared to internal fonts BUT there are many more font options than what
the printer can supply.

FinalCopy II works wonderful with the DeskJet, has the best looking output
as well.  Beyond the bunch of fonts you get with the packagem you
can purchase more of the NimbusQ fonts it uses for outline printing.
Prowrite uses Compugraphic fonts (what CBM uses) but the output has
problems and the program operation lacks in many areas.

>
>email to: paulh@pax.tpa.com.au
>

-Joel
-------
   =================================================O======================
  / Joel E. Swan....Pres./...Media Specialties, Ltd., Oak Forest, IL.USA  /
 / & Senior Producer..../...Moody Broadcasting Network, Chicago, IL. USA /
/ Portal ID: joeles..../...joeles@cup.portal.com                        /
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Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.applications,comp.sys.amiga.misc