Printer User's Manual

ASCIICock 6(>

Leftspace

Charamerw,dtl, 31

Rght space

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Figure 5-2. Telephone symbol with normal LQ pica

Assigning a value of character space

Besidesbeingableto specifythe actualwidthof the character,thisprinter

allowsyou to specifythepositionin the standardgrid wherethe character

willprint.Youmustspecifythedotcolumnin whichtheprintedcharacter

startsandthedotcolumnin whichthe characterends.Why,youmay ask,

wouldyouwanttodefineacharacterthiswayinsteadofmerelydefiningthe

overallwidthofthecharacter?Becausethisprinter’sproportionalcharacter

definitionscan also be used to print normal width characters, and by

centeringeven the narrow charactersin the completegrid they will look

goodeven if you are notprinting~em proportionately.

Thethreebytesareusedto specifythewidthof thecharacterandthespace

tobeallowedoneithersideofit.Theleftspace(indotcolumns)isspecified

bymOandtherightspaceisspecifiedbym2.Thesecondbyte(ml) specifies

thewidthofthecharacterindots.Byvaryingthewidthofthecharacteritself

and the spaces around it, you can actually create proportional width

characters.