Printer form for OpenVMS

[Brian A.]

We have a new application that requires a landscape print form that is 132 characters wide. I have a form on the system called landscape_sml, but the font is too small. I have another form on the system (landscape) that is too large, and the data is either truncated or it wraps (neither of which is acceptable). Is there any information anywhere to help me create a form (or rather a setup module) that sets a different font size or character pitch?
btw, I'm not a programmer...

OpenVMS 7.3-2.
HP printers

thanks...

[Lawrence Czlapinski]

Brian: There is no font selection in the VMS form definition help. /width=132 is all that would be in the form definition.
$HELP DEFINE/FORM
$type define_forms.com
$! Define forms
$ ! Set special characteristic for the DEFAULT form
$ define/form/notruncate default 0
$!
$! Define form 'postscript' to be used to print SAS plots on some
$! laser printers.
$!
$define/form/stock=default/length=255
/width=512 /margin=(top=0,bottom=0,left=0,right=0) /wrap postscript 1
$define/form/length=18/stock=default
/width=132 label 10
$define/form/length=88 88lpi 88
$ exit
Lawrence

[Jan van den Ende]

Brian,

IF you are NOT using LPD and
IF you have the codebook with the printer escape sequences (brand dependant) (they used to come with every printer, nowadays they are hard to come by)
THEN you can use any text editor to create your own setup form, the way you like it.

The fact that you already mention setup modules suggests trere are good chances for you.
Now all you need is the escape specs for YOUR specific printer.

If you locate those and need more help, by all means, come back here!

Success

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[Steven Schweda]

What are you printing, plain text?

Which HP printers? Connected how?

Have you looked into DCPS? It can do
approximately everything, and the price is
right.

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/openvms/print/index.html

[Ian Miller.]

If you can supply the result of
$ SHOW QUEUE/FULL
and
$ SHO QUEUE/FORM/FULL LANDSCAPE_SML
$ SHOW QUEUE/FORM/FULL LANDSCAPE

[Jan van den Ende]

Brian,

sorry, 1st time I missed your mention of HP printers.

You mention Setup Modules, so I consider that known stuff.

The module to set character spacing ("PITCH") to 16 char/inch:

( = escape char, ASCII 27
all text is case SENSITIVE,
spaces added for readability, REMOVE them!)

( s 0 P & k 2 S

for non-integer number it gets slightly more complex, eg 11.5 ch/in:

( s 0 P & k 10.233888 H ( s 11.5 H

( 0 in this text is the character ZERO, not the letter Oh )

Insert those modules in the library associated with the queue, and DEFINE a form that names thea moduke as a /SETUP module.

Success.

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[Phil.Howell]

You need to consult a PJL manual for codes specific for your printer, however this is the setup module that we used for landscape purchase orders on a laserjet 4.
&l0H
&l1x1o26a1e50f1H
*t300R
(0N
(s4099T
(s0B
(s0S
*p225X
*p62Y

Phil