Laser Printer Operations Manual

Interfacing With

Applications Programs

If this wem the best of all possible computer worlds, every software

applicationwouldrunautomaticallyontheStarLaserPrinter4 or anyother

printer.The fact is that softwareapplications-word processing,spread-

sheets,databases,orothers-m designedto workwitha specificprinteror

a limitedgroupof printem.

Someverypopularsoftwareapplicationswerewrittenbeforelaserprinters

becamecommon,and requirea dot-matrixor daisy-wheelprinter. Some

softwareis linkedto a particularbrandof computerandprinter.Andsome

can be used on onlyonebrandof laserprinter.

As youhaveread,someof thecommandsneededfor printingareresident

intheStarLaserPrinter4.Somecanbeprogrammedfromthecontrolpanel.

And somemustbe issuedby the computer,fromwithina program.Some

applicationsprogramsallowtheuserto specifya printeror printers,either

by name or by type. Once the selectionis made, it becomespart of the

programffle.Asaresult,printingusuallyrequiresnothingmorethanissuing

a oneor two keystrokecommand.

In thischapteryou willlearnhowto specifytheStarLaserPrinter4 forfour

popularapplicationsprogramsfor IBM-compatiblecomputers:Lotus 1-2-

3, WordPerfect,MicrosoftWord,andMicrosoflWindows.TheStarLaser-

Printer 4 will print graphics as well as words and numbers, emulating

HewlettPackardgraphics,alldensitiesof theEpsondotmatrixprinters.It

canalsobe used withthetwo populardesktoppublishingprograms,Aldus

PageMaker,andXeroxVentu~Publisher,whichusestheGEMdesktopen-

vironment.Both are compatiblewith the HP LaserJet IIP. For further

informationconsultthe ApplicationsManual.

Before you begin printing,be sum your Star LaserPrinter4 is correctly

cotilguredforyourcomputerbyhavingeithertheparallelorserialinterface

selectedandthecorrectcabling.Priorto printing,makesurethatyouhave

selectedthesameemulationfromthefrontpanelastheoneyouspecifiedin

the application.