Harold Forgive me if I take this step by step.
A JPEG is a compressed image format, one that is understood by Windows and some other platforms. But it's not understood directly by printers. You can convert it to a bitmap (in fact, Windows does this internally when it renders it) which represents an image as a series of bits, with the header defining how those bits make up the image: the size of the image, the number of bits required to represent each color, possible color map etc. But the only reason Windows understands that this is an image, is because it looks at the file extension and because it can read and interpret the header and content. So Windows will display it. Windows will also print it, because it runs printers in graphics mode over a subsystem called GDI (Graphics Device Interface). This effectively defines an API through which Windows can make its font and graphics calls, such as Rectangle, Ellipse, DrawText and image placement. Each printer driver is responsible to translating these calls into whatever underlying instructions make sense to that style and make of printer. In other words, the printer itself does not generally understand the same image formats as Windows. Only the printer driver understands those and converts them into something the printer will understand. Now to add to the confusion, printers generally run in either text mode or graphics mode. Windows runs your printers in graphics mode so any font, for example, is actually rendered as the picture of the font. UniVerse, being text based, runs the printer in text mode so that you need escape sequences like PCL to do primitive font handling and line printing operations - just like a terminal. But unless you want to play with the raster formats in PCL, or roll your own instructions in the graphics language, if you want to print images you need to either: a) print the image under Windows and capture the output from the driver that would normally be streamed to the printer. This is possible but you can't then easily modify it. b) use some translation software that can be driven from UniVerse but actually renders images, fonts etc under Windows (or equivalent). mvPDF and PrintWizard will both do that, as may other software. Brian -----Original Message----- From: u2-users-boun...@listserver.u2ug.org [mailto:u2-users-boun...@listserver.u2ug.org] On Behalf Of Oaks, Harold Sent: 10 May 2010 8:01 PM To: U2 Users List Subject: [U2] Printing images All: In Universe I am able to use PCL commands to customize printing, fonts, spacing, orientation, etc. I'm sure many of you do this. For example by issuing CHAR(27):'(10U':CHAR(27):'(s1p09v0s6b16602T' in front of text the printing is Arial 9 bold. However, I have been unable to figure out how to print images from within Universe. Something to do with 'bit map', but I can't seem to get it. I have a file containing JPG format images. I can copy a record from this file to a windows directory and easily display the image using windows tools. But, how to get the same binary sent to a printer and print that image? Has anyone been able to do this? Thanks! Harold Harold D. Oaks Sr. Analyst/Programmer Clark County, Washington ph: (360) 397-6121 x4132 fax: (360) 397-2342 This e-mail and related attachments and any response may be subject to public disclosure under state law. _______________________________________________ U2-Users mailing list U2-Users@listserver.u2ug.org http://listserver.u2ug.org/mailman/listinfo/u2-users No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2864 - Release Date: 05/09/10 19:26:00 _______________________________________________ U2-Users mailing list U2-Users@listserver.u2ug.org http://listserver.u2ug.org/mailman/listinfo/u2-users
