SHORT INTRODUCTION to the
brq204m3.prn printer descriptor file

Copyright 1996 J.P.H.W. van den Eijnde

PURPOSE
This is a general printer driver for the 9-pin Commodore matrix printer
MPS1500 and compatibles, operating in IBM graphics printer mode. It uses
internal printer fonts, if desired, and *.mft graphic fonts in a resolution
of 240x216 dpi. However, horizontally adjacent dots cannot be printed. All
*.mft fonts are assumed to be in the font\9pin\mft directory. Please change
the corresponding line in the printer driver if the fonts are to be found
elsewhere.

STYLES
QI:    Fixed width letters, in pIca pitch (10 cpi). In letter quality mode
       only graphic i*.mft fonts are used, except computer, which is mapped
       to the standard NLQ internal printer font. In draft mode internal
       NLQ printer fonts are used for standard, small, bold and underlin,
       whereas computer is mapped to the standard draft internal printer
       font. International NLQ characters on the printer are used whenever
       possible (in draft mode). Script and gothic are proportional graphic
       fonts (12 cpi average!).
QE:    Fixed width letters, in Elite pitch (12 cpi). Otherwise similar to
       the QI style, only this time using e*.mft graphic fonts.
QP:    Proportional width letters, with average pitch 12 cpi. In Letter
       Quality mode using alphabetical q*.mft quality fonts, and symbolic
       e*.mft fonts. In draft mode using alphabetical p*.mft regular fonts
       and symbolic e*.mft fonts. The computer font is always mapped to
       the standard NLQ internal printer font (fixed width).
Imap:  Fixed width letters, in pIca pitch (10 cpi). Internal printer fonts
       are used whenever available, not only for standard, small, bold,
       computer and underlin, but also symbols from IBM Table 2, e.g. in
       symbol, greek, linedraw, mathi and mathii. In draft mode draft
       printer characters are used, in Letter Quality mode NLQ characters.
       All non-available characters are taken from graphic i*.mft fonts,
       except gothic and script, which are proportional (p*.mft, 12 cpi).
Emap:  Similar to Imap, only this time in Elite pitch (12 cpi), and using
       e*.mft graphic fonts.

Note that there is no style using internal proportional printer fonts.
Although the printer supports them, printing them from ChiWriter is very
awkward. ChiWriter sends escape characters before and after each word to
switch fonts, and this causes the printer to print each word separately,
the print head moving back and forth in a nervous way. This takes a lot of
time, discarding the main reason to use internal fonts. Moreover, the use
of proportional fonts enforces the application of micro spacing, and due
to a printer bug the line level of NLQ words keeps dropping between each
graphics block.


GRAPHICS PRINTING
Graphic fonts with *.mft fonts are printed with SLOW printer head movement,
with up to SIX graphic passes per line, so printing may be slow. However,
the result is of reasonable quality (of course not like a laser printer).


