From: cameron@symcom.math.uiuc.edu (Cameron Smith)
Subject: using native fonts on LaserJet IIIsi
Organization: none
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 05:32:37 GMT

I'm working on a project that involves using TeX to typeset
documents to be printed on an HP LaserJet IIIsi that is *not*
equipped for PostScript.  We want to use the native fonts of
the printer (CGTimes, Univers, Courier) to do the typesetting.
Unfortunately, my knowledge of PCL is nearly nonexistent --
I have heretofore used mostly PostScript output devices.

I have a couple of questions about how to go about this.
I cannot believe that nobody has worked this out already,
and I'd be hugely grateful for any information anyone
could furnish.

My first question: how does one get TFM (*TeX* Font Metric)
files for the LJIIIsi's fonts?  If it were PostScript I was
dealing with, I'd get the AFM files for the fonts and use
the afm2tfm utility that comes with dvips.  Apparently the
equivalent for PCL fonts of AFM files is a format also called
TFM, but this time it means *Tagged* Font Metric.  I had
simply assumed that there was a TFM2TFM converter in existence,
and I even hoped that the T(eX)FM files for the fonts in question
would be retrievable from an archive somewhere, but alas,
I've found no hint that this is true.  The tech support
person I talked to at HP never heard of TeX, and seemed unwilling
to believe that there could be two different formats with the
same initials; he finally gave up and referred me to Agfa,
who apparently devised the font format that these fonts use.
The tech support person I talked to at Agfa understood what
I wanted, and had even heard of TeX, but he was absolutely
certain that he couldn't supply either TeX Font Metric files
for the fonts or a TaggedFM-to-TeXFM converter.
Obviously I have to have TeX Font Metric files for these fonts
if I'm to use TeX to typeset with them; can anybody tell me
where or how to get them?

Second question: is there a DVI driver for the LJIIIsi that
supports the use of native fonts?  Another programmer working
on this project has looked over three DVI-to-PCL drivers and
not yet found one that supported anything but downloaded bitmap
fonts (as created by Metafont).  Again, I simply can't believe
that nobody has yet thought of using this device's built-in fonts
with TeX; can somebody then point me at a device driver that
supports the use of those fonts?

It may be that the EmTeX driver allows this, but since I am eventually
going to be working on multiple platforms and none of them is remotely
like a PC, I need source code.  I've looked literally all over the world,
but the only EmTeX packages I've found provide pre-compiled binaries
and no source.  Of course, since I'm not a PC user and have no
experience with EmTeX, it's possible that I browsed right past
what I need and didn't recognize it.

I would be profoundly grateful for any help or information that
anyone can furnish on either of the above questions.  Even if
it's trivial or impossible, I'd like to be told; I'm so new
to this environment that I wouldn't be able to tell for myself
if it was either.  E-mail is OK, but I'd just as soon have it
posted; that way perhaps others can benefit as well.
I'm a devout follower of this group, so I'll see it.

Thanks in advance for any help!
--Cameron Smith
  cameron@symcom.math.uiuc.edu