A4 / Rotating of text

["Timothy Olson" TLO@xxxxxxxx]

The Xy3 manual describes how to use the embedded command PC to send a control string to a printer. 
Control strings are used to communicate directly to a printer and, among other things, can be used 
to (1) set the paper size; (2) change the orientation/direction of what is being printed (two 
issues that have come up on the list in the last few days). Control strings are case sensitive.

Several years ago we got an HP4si printer in our department. It accepts print jobs using both PCL
and Postscript. It came with an extensive manual. The manual describes various PCL printer commands
that can be sent with a print job. One of these sets the paper size. The following escape sequence
sets the paper size to A4:
{ASCII 17}&l26A

The following escape sequence (re)sets the print direction so that text following is at 90 degrees
different:
{ASCII 17}&a90P
One could send repeated escape sequences to have the text print right, up, upside-down, then down
(i.e., in a box shape). Or, one could use different values of 180 or 270 (according to the manual,
it only works in 90-degree increments).

I'm not sure of the syntax for sending these escape sequences (I've deleted the files from years ago
where I played around with making the text start out left-to-right, then go straight up), but I
believe you just issue the command PC followed by the argument (the escape sequences listed above)
at the place in the file where you want the formatting to change/begin. So for the A4 that would be
at the beginning of the file. For rotating text it would be at whatever point the new direction of
text should begin.

Good luck, and may your printer accept PCL!

--TLO
Timothy_Olson@xxxxxxxx
(630) 784-5327


>>> Morris Krok  11/27/00 07:14AM >>>
from Morris

  essence@xxxxxxxx

  Thanks Tim. Robert Hemenway also suggests Click Books. I have also been
told that PageMaker should have the answer.

  For XyWrite to be able to achieve the layout that I desire, it should
have the function to rotate text 180 degrees. It does not appear that it
presently has this ability. I doubt if Click Books is still available but
will check up on the web.

    With regards