Star Micronics ND-10-15 User Manual

ND-10115

USER’S MANUAL

NOT INTENDED FOR SALE

PN 80820 163

Federal Communications Commission

Radio Frequency Interference Statement

This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not mstalled and used
properly. that is. in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. may cause
interference to radio and television reception It has been type tested and found to comply
with the limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with the specifications in
Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC Rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection
against such interference in a restdential installation. However. there is no guarantee
that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause
interference to radio or television reception. which can be determined by turning the
eqmpment off and on. the user is encouraged to try to correct the Interference by one
ot- more of the following measures:

l Reorient the receiv-ing antenna
l Relocate the computer with respect to the receiver
l Move the computer away from the receiver
l Plug the computer into a different outlet so that computer and receiver are on

different branch circuits.
If necessary, the user should consult the dealer or an experienced redio/teIevision tech­nician for additional suggestions. The user may find the following booklet, prepared
by the Federal Communications Commission helpful: “How to Identify and Resolve
Radio-TV Interference Problems.” This booklet is available from the U.S. Government
Printing Office, Washington. D.C., 20402. Stock No. 004-000-00345-4.

For compliance with Federal Noise Interference Standard, this eqmpment requires a
shielded cable.

This statement will be applied only for the printers marketed in U.S.A.

Self Declaration

Radio interferences regarding this equipment has been eliminated according to Vfg

1046/1984 announced by the DBP.
DBP has been informed about the introduction of this special equipment and has been
conceded the right to examine the whole series.
It is upon the responsibility of the user to assume that his own assembled system is in
accordance with the technical regulations under Vfg 1046/1984.
To observe FTZ-regulations it is necessary, to establish all connections to the printer
with shielded cable.
The equipment may only be opened by qualified service representatives.

This statement will be applied only for the printers marketed in West Germany.

Trademark Acknowledgement

ND-10/15: Star Micronics Co., Ltd.
Apple II: Apple Computer Inc.
EasyWriter II: Information Unlimited Software. Inc.

FX-85: Seiko Epson Corp.

IBM PC, IBM Graphics Printer, IBM Proprinter: International Business Machines Corp.
Lotus l-2-3: Lotus Development Corp.
Microsoft BASIC: Microsoft Corporation
WordStar: MicroPro International Corporation

NOTICE

l All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this manual in any form what-

soever, without STAR’s express permission is forbidden.

l The contents of this manual are subject to change without notice.
l All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this manual

at the time of going to press. However, should any errors be detected, STAR would
be greatly appreciate being informed of them.

l The above notwithstanding, STAR can assume no responsibility for any errors

in this manual.

@Copyright 1986 Star Micronics Co., Ltd.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Setting Up Your Printer

Locating the printer
Check the carton contents

Removing the printer cover
Removing the packing tube
Installing the ribbon cartridge
Installing the mute cover
Installing the interface board

Getting to Know Your Printer

Controls and parts of the printer

Parts of the printer
Controls and indicators
Extra functions
Other controls

Selecting and loading paper

Loading single sheets
Loading sprocket-feed paper

Adjusting the print head

Testing the printer

Connecting the printer

Using the Printer with Commercial Software 21

Using commercial software
Word processing with the printer
General concepts

The escape code
The master reset code
Using Near Letter Quality (NLQ)
Getting the most from your print choices

Using the printer with EasyWriter II

Redefining pitch settings and print control
codes
A sample printout with EasyWriter II

Redefining .your own print pitches

Redefining your own print control keys

Using the printer with WordStar

User-defind print commands

Using the printer with Lotus l-2-3
Using the panel modes
Advanced panel functions

Setting print start position

Setting the top of form

Setting the left and right margins

1

7

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Printing with BASIC

Some basics of BASIC

First steps
ASCII codes and the CHR$ function
Control codes
The escape codes
A note on command syntax
Selecting the right software mode

Some special kinds of text

Near Letter Quality characters
Italic printing
Underlining and overlining
Superscripts and subscripts

Changing the print pitch

Expanded print
Condensed print
Proportional printing

Making words stand out

Mixing print modes

Formatting Text

Lines and line spacing

Starting a new line
Reverse line feeds
Changing the line spacing
Moving down the page without a carriage
return

Page control

Form feed
Reverse form feed

Changing the page length

Top and bottom margins

Setting left and right margins
Horizontal and vertical tabs

Horizontal tabs
One-time horjzontal tabs
Vertical tabs
Vertical tab channels

Centering and aligning text

39

59

Chapter 6

Special Features of the Printer

Now hear this
Resetting the printer
Taking the printer off line
Printing the bottom of the sheet
Backspace, delete, and cancel text
Printing zeroes
Immediate-print
Adjusting the width of space between
characters

Uni-directional printing

The seven bit dilemma

Block graphics characters and special
symbols
International characters sets
Printing characters in the control code area
Printing BIG characters
The optional sheet feeder
The macro control code

Reading a hex dump

Chapter 7

Download Characters and Dot Graphics

Dot matrix printing
Designing your own characters

Defining proportional characters
Downloading with the IBM-P mode

Designing your own NLQ characters

User-designed Dot Graphics

Higher resolution graphics

More graphics programming tips

Redefining alternate graphics codes
9-pin graphics mode

Chapter 8

Caring for Your Printer

Cleaning the printer
Replacing the ribbon
Replacing the .print head

Appendix A DIP Switch Settings

Switch functions

Appendix B ASCII Codes and Conversion Chart

81

103

123

129

135

Appendix C Function Codes

Commands to control print style

Font style controls
Print pitch controls
Special print modes

Controlling the vertical print position

Line feed and reverse line feed
Form feed and related commands

Top/bottom margins and vertical tabs
Controlling the horizontal print position
Download character commands
Dot graphics commands
Macro instruction commands
Other commands

Appendix D Command Summary in Numeric Order

Standard mode

IBM-P mode

IBM-G mode

Appendix E Technical Specifications
Appendix F The Parallel Interface

Functions of the Connector Signals

Appendix G Serial Interface Specifications

Configuring the serial interface
The serial protocols

Serial busy protocols

XON/XOFF protocol

ACK protocol

Index

147

201

215
219

223

CHAPTER 1

SETTING UP YOUR

PRINTER

Subjects covered in Chapter 1 include -

l Choosing a suitable place for your printer

l Unpacking
l Setting up

LOCATING THE PRINTER

Give some thought to the best place to put the printer. Both
the printer and computer should be used in normal office
surroundings. For best performance, we recommend:

l Use the printer on a flat surface.
l Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from

heat-producing appliances.

l Use it only in temperatures where you are comfortable.
l Avoid locations with dust, grease, or high humidity.
l Supply it “clean”

same circuit used by large, noise-producing appliances

.

(such as refrigerators).

l Make sure the line voltage is within 10% of the voltage

specified on the identification plate.

electricity. Don’t connect it to the

CHECK THE CARTON CONTENTS

Open the carton and check each item in the box against
Figure l- 1 to make sure that you have everything (there should
be five items).

2

You should also have a parallel interface board to connect

your computer to the printer. Also available are a parallel
interface board with extra buffer memory and a serial interface
board, both optional. (More on interfaces later.)

Figure l-l. Check to make sure you have all five items: 1) Printer,

2) Mute cover, 3) Paper guide, 4) Ribbon cartridge and 5) User’s
manual.

q Removing the printer covei

The printer’s cover is important for two reasons - it keeps
dust and dirt away from the printer’s delicate mechanism, and
it absorbs nearly all of the printer’s operating sounds. Don’t

take off the cover unless you have to change the ribbon or

make an adjustment.

To remove the cover, lift up the back of the cover to disengage
the two or three tabs at the front, then lift it off the rest of

the way. To replace the cover, slide the tabs in at the front
and lower it into place. Figure l-2 shows the proper position
and movement for both removing and replacing the cover.

Printer cover

Figure 1-2. Remove the printer cover by lifting carefully.

W Removing the packing tube

The printer is shipped with a protective spiral tube to keep

the print head from being damaged during shipping. This tube

must be removed before use. First, take off the printer cover.

The protective tube is split along its bottom side to allow easy
removal. Grasp one end of the spiral tube and firmly pull it

upward and away from the carriage rail.

3

Figure 1-3. Remove the protective tube from the carriage rail.

N Installing the ribbon cartridge

This printer uses a neat, easy-to-change ribbon cartridge

with automatic threading.

To fit or change the ribbon car-

tridge:

1. Turn oj,Ythe power and remove the printer cover.

2. Slide the print head gently to the center of the printer.

Warning: The print head gets hot during operation,

so let it cool off before you touch it.

3. Set the release lever to either single sheet or sprock­et-feed paper.

4. With the ribbon facing away from you, use the guide
hold.ers as a fulcrum and lightly press the cartridge down
until the two holder springs snap shut to hold the

cartridge firmly in place. See Figure l-4.

5. Check that the cartridge fits so that the drive pins

engage the cartridge teeth, by turning the ribbon ad­vance knob.

6. Gently slide the print head carriage manually all the

way to your right or left until the ribbon automatically
slips down into its proper place between the print head
and the silver ribbon guide.

7. Replace the printer cover. (A switch on the printer

prevents the printer from operating when the cover is
off.)

Ribbon advance kno

Figure l-4. Press the cartridge into place until the holding springs snap
into place.

Print

Figure 1-5. To thread the ribbon, slide the print head carriage manually

to the right or left, and the ribbon will slip down by itself into its proper
position.

n Installing the mute cover

The mute cover reduces the printer’s operating sounds.

Note the position of the guide pins on the mute cover as
shown in Figure l-6. Holding the mute cover at each end, insert
the guide pins into the cutout hooks on the printer cover.
Hold the mute cover down onto the printer.

To remove it, reverse the procedure.

5

Mute cover

Figure 1-6. Install the mute cover by holding vertically, then lay down

on the printer cover.

n Installing the interface board

Interface cover

board

Figure 1-7. Slide the I/F board into the slot.

A parallel interface board comes standard with your printer.
In addition, there are two optional interface (I/F) boards: a
serial interface board that lets you connect to a serial (RS-232C)
computer port; and the other board contains extra buffer
memory for parallel output. All three boards are installed the
same ,way.

To install or change an I/F board, turn off the power and
turn the printer around. Notice the snap-on cover at the left
end. Take it off by sliding it upwards.

Fit the I/F board into the side slots and slide it all the way
down (don’t force it). Make sur.e that the board connector is

seated snugly in its socket. Put the cover back on and connect

the cable from your computer - you’re ready to go.

CHAPTER 2

GETTING TO KNOW

YOUR PRINTER

Subjects covered in Chapter 2 include -

l Parts of the printer - what they’re for and how to use

them

l Paper selection and loading
l Adjustment
l Testing printer operation

CONTROLS AND PARTS OF THE PRINTER

n Parts of the printer

PRINTER COVER - This protects the ribbon and the print

head from dust and dirt, and cuts down the sound of the printer.

MUTE COVER - This further reduces the sound of the

printer.

PAPER GUIDE - This flat plastic molding guide has two

functions, depending on what kind of paper you are using.
If you are using single sheets, the guide is propped up on top
of the printer, and serves as a guide.

If you are using sprocket-feed paper, the guide is reversed and

laid flat on top of the printer, and serves as a paper separator.

POWER CORD - This cord connects the printer to its power

source, usually a wall outlet. It’s located at the left rear of the
printer.

PRINT HEAD - This is the device that does the actual

printing. Like the strike lever in a typewriter, tiny pins in the
print head hit the paper through a ribbon.

TRACTOR FEED UNIT - The drive gear and sprockets of

the tractor feed unit move sprocket-feed paper through the
printer.

Mute cover

Power cord

Figure 2-1. Front and rear views of the printer.

PLATEN - This is the rubber cylinder that carries paper to

the print head.
INTERFACE COVER - On the back of the printer, this cover
conceals and protects the interface board. The cover is cut away
to expose the external connector to which you attach your
computer cable.

n Controls and indicators

Now let’s go over the controls and indicators of the printer,
starting with the control panel on the right. There are nine
indicators and six keys on the control panel.

IO-inch type

1 S-inch type

Figure 2-2. The control panel.

POWER INDICATOR - Glows green when the power is

OiZ.

PE INDICATOR - Stands for “Paper Empty”, and glows red

when the printer runs out of paper and when certain printer
malfunctions occur.

FORM LENGTH SWITCH - Tells the printer how long the

pages are.

MODE INDICATORS - Either DRAFT or NLQ glows green

to indicate the mode (set by the Mode key or DIP switch).

hIODE KEY - Changes the print mode every time it is pressed

when the On Line indicator is off.

PITCH INDICATORS - Shows the character pitch currently

set: Proportional (PROP), Pica (80 or 136) Elite (96 or 163),
or Pica Condensed (137 or 233).

PRINT PIT’CH KEY - Selects one of the four available

character pitches when the On Line indicator is off.

TOF KEY - Ejects the current sheet, feeds a new sheet, and

moves the print head to the left margin when the On Line
indicator is off.

PAPER FEED KEY - Advances the paper one line at a time

when the On Line indicator is off. If you hold the key down.
you get consecutive line feeds.

9

ON LINE KEY and INDICATOR - Glows green when the

printer is ready to receive data from your computer (on line).
When the printer is off line. it sends a signal to the computer
indicating that it cannot accept data. Pressing the On Line
key switches the printer between on line and off line. When
you turn the power switch on, the printer is placed on line
automatically.

n Extra functions

There are eleven more functions that are not directly specified
on the control panel. You can access six of them by pressing
one particular key when you turn on the power; five others
are activated by pressing two control keys at once.

Print quality Print pitch
panel made

panel mode

Hex dump

Itahc panel mode

Self-test I

Figure 2-3. Extra functions while turning on the printer.

Forward micro-feed

Reverse micro-feed

Top of form set ,

**

**: Hold down

*: Press

** * * **

* *

I Right margin set

Left margin set

Self-test 2

Figure 2-4. You can set many functions by the combinations of the

control panel keys while in the Off Line mode.

For details, please refer to the end of next chapter.

n Other controls

There are other controls, not connected to the control panel.

Some of the more important ones are:

POWER SWITCH - The switch that turns the printer on

and off is at the back, on the left side.

PLATEN KNOB - This knob is at the middle of the right

side and lets you turn the platen by hand, like a typewriter.

Caution:Turn the platen knob only with the Power switch

of$ Turning the knob with the power on could damage
the drive gears.

RELEASE LEVER - The release lever is on top of the printer,

near the left rear corner. It controls how strongly the paper
is held against the platen. The release lever has four positions:
the top setting is used for inserting paper, the next is for single
sheets, the third is for sprocket-feed paper, and the bottom
one is used when adjusting the paper.

PAPER BAIL - The bail is the movable bar that holds the

paper against the platen.

Its position depends on the setting

of the release lever.

DTP SWITCHES - There are two sets of eight switches that

are used in interfacing the printer to your particular computer.
There are also switches to set print pitch, line spacing, and
perforation skipping. See Appendix A for a complete list and
explanation.

11

SELECTING AND LOADING PAPER

Your printer handles two basic types of paper - single sheets
(stationery, envelopes, multipart business forms, etc.) and
continuous paper (fan-fold perforated paper).

The release lever controls the pressure of the paper against
the platen. It has four settings:

l”TO
3 - The top setting is used when you want to load paper

in the printer.
c - The second setting is for normal single sheets.
I& - The third is for sprocket-feed paper.

\yy - The bottom one is used when you want to release the

paper completely to adjust it.

The paper bail holds the paper against the platen according
to the setting of the release lever. The bail is opened when the
release lever is in the top position, closed when the lever is in
the second or third positions, and opened by the printer when
the lever is in the bottom position.

Figure 2-5. Use friction feed for single sheets and tractor feed for

continuous paper.

n Loading single sheets

Instead of feeding the paper in manually by turning the platen
knob, you can use the release lever for automatic feeding (the
printer must be turned on). Single sheets from 5.5 to 8.5 inches
wide (6 to 14.5 inches for the 15-inch type) can be used and

the paper guide must be fitted:

1. Flip the clamp levers backward and move the sprockets
and sheet guides on the tractor feed unit all the way
to the ends.

2. With the ribs of the paper guide toward you and the
sliding adjuster at the bottom left, insert the guide into
the slot at the back of the printer cover.

3. Insert the guide stand in the notches provided for it
and prop up the paper guide.

Figure 2-6. Raise the paper guide for loading single sheets.

13

Figure 2-7. Prop up the paper guide by inserting the guide stand in
the notches provided for it.

14

4. Position the adjuster at the triangle marked on the guide
for standard margins, or set it according to your own
requirements.

5. Set the release lever for single sheets-the second po­sition from the top.

6. Align a sheet of paper on the guide along the adjuster.

7. Turn on the power switch. (The Paper Empty indicator
will glow because ther is no paper.)

8. Now set the release lever to the auto-feed setting-the
top position. The printer will advance the paper au­tomatically.

9. When the paper stops, set the release lever for single
sheets again.

Figure 2-8. You can insert a sheet of paper automatically by using
the release lever.

To align paper that is not in straight -

l Set the release lever to the adjustment setting.
l Straighten the paper and adjust it for the margins you

want.

l Move the release lever back to its original setting.

Remember, you can also use the optional automatic sheet

feeder for single sheets.

15

n Loading sprocket-feed paper

This is standard computer paper, with the holes along the
sides and perforations between the sheets. It is also called
sprocket, punched, fan-fold, or just plain “computer paper”.
It can be as narrow as 4”, and up to 10” wide (4 inches to 15.5

inches on 15-inch type).

1. Turn on the printer and set the release lever for
sprocket-feed paper.

2. If the paper guide is installed, remove it, and put it
aside for a moment.

3. Place a stack of fan-fold paper behind the printer.

4. Open the sprocket covers, on the right and left sprocket
units, as shown in Figure 2-9.

lever

-

Figure 2-9. Open the sprocket covers to expose the sprocket teeth.

5. Flip the clamp levers backward. This allows the two
sprocket units to move freely right and left so you can

align them with the holes in the paper.

6. Feed the end of the paper into the slot next to the platen

cover plate.

7. Fit the holes in the paper over the sprocket pins so the

paper is even, and clamp the sprocket units in place.

8. Check that the paper is still positioned correctly, and

close the sprocket covers (Figure 2-10).

16

9. Set the release lever to the auto-feed setting. The printer
will advance the paper automatically.

10. Feed the paper through the slot in the printer cover.

11. Install the paper guide on the printer. See Figure 2-10
for details. When used with sprocket-feed paper, the
guide is turned around and laid flat on top of the printer

as a paper separator. Make sure that the tabs on the

guide fit into their receivers.

Figure Z-10. Ready to load the sprocket-feed paper. Note the reversed
position of the paper.

ADJUSTING THE PRINT HEAD

The distance between the print head and the platen must
be adjusted to accommodate papers of different thicknesses.
To make this adjustment, move the adjustment lever, which
is under the printer cover and immediately in front of the release
lever (Figure 2-l 1). Pulling the adjustment lever towards you
will widen the gap; pushing it away from you will narrow the

gap.

17

There are four positions; you can feel the lever clicking into

the various notches. The first step (shown) is the one most

commmonly used for single sheets of paper.

Try different positions until you get the best printing results.

Release lever

Adjust

Figure 2-11. The adjustment lever allows for different thicknesses ot

paper.

TESTING THE PRINTER

Your printer has two built-in programs that printout sample

lines of letters, numbers, and other characters-to show you

that everything’s in good working order. Self-test 1 is the long

version, and self-test 2 is the short one. You can use either

one to show the characters available in the printer, to check

the installation of the ribbon and paper, and to check the

adjustment of the head-to-platen gap.

You can print the self-test without hooking up the printer

to your computer. Simply:

1. Plug in the printer (don’t turn it on yet).

2. Insert a sheet of paper (or sprocket paper, either one).

3. While holding down one of the following keys, turn
on the power switch:

Paper Feed key-Self-Test 1 (long)
On Line key-Self-Test 2 (short)

18

Self-test 1

DIP switch 2-2 ON

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Figure 2-12. The self-tests show you what the printer can print.

When you want to terminate the long self-test function, turn

off the power switch.

CONNECTING THE PRINTER

Now that you’ve assembled and tested your printer, all that

remains is to connect it to your computer as follows:

1. Make sure that both your computer and printer are
turned off.

2. Connect the printer end of the interface cable to the
connector socket at the right rear of the printer as shown
in Figure 2-13.

3. Connect the other end of the cable to your computer
as described in the computer manual.

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defshijklmnopqrstuvwxyz( I)-

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Figure 2-13. Connect the cable like this.

20

MEMO

CHAPTER 3

USING THE PRINTER

WITH COMMERCIAL

SOFTWARE

Subjects covered in Chapter 3 include -

l Using commercial software
l Controlling the printer with the Panel mode

USING COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE

Many of you purchased this printer to use with commercial
software.
compatible with most commercial programs, from word pro­cessing programs to spreadsheet programs to accounting
programs.

Many of these programs have a routine for describing your
printer. These routines are often in “Installation programs”.
They typically give you a choice of printers or printer types
to pick from. Some typical descriptions that you might pick
for this printer are:
“IBM-dot matrix printer”, “Centronics-type printer”, “Dot
matrix ASCII printer” or “Epson FX series”. This printer
should work Bne with any of these descriptions.

Some printer lists are not very clear, and may not include
anything that you think describes this printer. If you can’t
decide which description best fits this printer, we recommend
that you narrow the list to two or three choices (you can quickly
eliminate all the daisy-wheel printer types) and then exper­iment. You won’t hurt anything if you guess wrong; it just
won’t work correctly. This should quickly tell you if your guess
is right. If all else fails though, your printer dealer will be happy

to give you some advice.

You made a good choice because this printer is

“TTY type printer with backspace”,

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Some programs don’t ask you what kind of printer you have,

but instead ask some questions about what your printer can
do. The answers to the “most asked” questions are: Yes - this
printer can do a “backspace”, and this printer can do a

“hardware form feed”.

With these questions answered, you are ready to start
printing. Read the manual that came with your software and
the next Chapter to see how to make it send information for
this printer to print. This is all you need to know to use this

printer as a regular printer. But this printer isn’t just a regular
printer. This printer has many capabilities that your com­mercial software isn’t aware of. We will see what it takes to
use some of the printer’s advanced features with commercial

software in the next section.

WORD PROCESSING WITH THE PRINTER

Not many word processing programs directly support all
of the advanced features of printers. They usually provide a
method for using a few of the more common print features
such as boldface and underlining. But as you are probably
beginning to see from this manual, this printer can do much
more than that.

As a result, most word processing programs provide a way
of sending special codes to a printer. The actual codes used
(as well as the method of entering them) will vary with different
software. The theory behind these methods, however, is bas­ically the same.

This section discusses two word processing programs and
one spreadsheet program most used by printer owners. The
programs also provide a variety of ways to enter the codes
necessary to use the advanced features of this printer. These
concepts can be applied to many other programs besides those
detailed here. The programs are:

EasyWriter II
WordStar
Lotus l-2-3

If your software program is not included in this Chapter,
you should still study the different techniques used. Then, with

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the help of your program manual and the supporting chapters
in this manual, you should be able to figure out how yours
works.

GENERAL CONCEPTS

Each word processing program has a way to get out of the
standard text entry mode in order to accept the special printer
function codes. WordStar uses the CONTROL key in different

ways to define the print function codes.

EasyWriter II has a system function which allows you to
define print pitches and special print functions for use with
the ALT key.

Your word processing User Manual (if it supports this

process) will have a section describing how to get out of the

standard program. You will probably have to figure out on
your own which codes are used. The general concepts and

details of the two sample programs should be enough to help
you be successful.

I The escape code

Most of the special print functions start with a code called

the escape code. It can be entered in decimal or hexadeciamal

values, by an ASCII character, or by using the control keys
on your keyboard; depending on which program and which
computer you are using.

The escape code tells the printer to interpret the values (or
characters) following it as printer functions. The codes used
to describe the functions are also entered in the same way as

the escape code. In this section, we will show you the format
each word processor uses as well as the general rules to correctly
entering the function codes.

The next chapter covers how to convert the different forms
of ASCII codes. You should review Chapter 4, if you have
not already done so, before working with the function codes.

n The master reset code

There is one function code which turns off all the print
functions currently being used by the printer. It is called the

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master reset code and resets the printer to its DIP switch set­tings. These print characteristics are the same as the ones used
by the printer when it is first turned on.

The code sequence for master reset is < ESC > “@“. By
checking the ASCII equivalents in Appendix C, you can see
that the decimal expression is 27 64. You’ll see these numbers
several times in this section.

Technically speaking, initializing the printer clears the print
buffer, and the form length, character pitch, character set, line
feed pitch and international character set are all reset to the
values defined by their respective DIP switch settings.

We suggest you get in the habit of using the master reset

code in any document where you use function codes. If you
do not, the printer will keep the most recently defined char­acterlistics, and print any following documents the same way.

You could turn your printer off each time (which also resets
the default settings) but that would be hard on the printer
circuits. Also, you’ll save time and paper by letting the printer
automatically reset with this code. (If you need more infor­mation on DIP switch settings for your printer, please refer
to Appendix A).

n Using Near Letter Quality (NLQ)

Vith near letter quality, the printer prints more dots for each
character than with the draft printing. This process results in
a higher quality look to your text. Draft quality characters
print. much faster, so use them for your first drafts and use
near letter quality for a professional looking finished manu-

script.

The escape code sequence to turn the NLQ set on is < ESC >

“x” 1 and the code sequence to select draft quality is < ESC >
“x” 0. The decimal equivalents are 27 120 1 and 27 120 0,
respectively.

H Getting the most from your print choices

After working with the printer for a while, you may find
that you want to add or change some of the print functions
we have described in this chapter.