Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    Go into preferences and make sure the paper type is set to narrow.
    This option selects narrow tractor feed and I believe this will cause
    the printer to skip over the perforation.
    
    
    Roger
    

    I think on my Epson there is a dip switch setting which causes
    perforation skip, and an associated escape sequence. If your printer
    also has this feature, perhaps you should set up INITALISE PRINTER
    to send the appropriate codes.
    
    				Alan T.

    You must set skip perforation either through a hardware setting
    (dip switch on many printers) or through software. Preferences does
    not control that functionality. You will run into a problem though
    since you have lines per page set to 60. Standard 8.5x11" tractor
    feed paper should have a setting of 66 lines per page when using
    6 lpi, or 88 lines per page when the lpi is set to 8.
    
    Paul

    It sounds as if everybody is saying there's no software way to set
    the page length to any desired value. For example, suppose I wanted
    40-line pages and didn't want to have to count when I do output,
    but wanted to leave it up to the printer device?
    
    Is this a limitation of the amiga software, or is this generally
    true of computer printer interfaces?
    
    Ken

My solution to the problem of skipping perfs has been as follows. Since the
printer I have (Star NX1000 color) supports a "skip perf" feature I created a
short file in the :s directory which contains the escape sequence to define the
vertical spacing (8 lpi), page length (88 lines), form length (skip after 76
lines), horizontal pitch (12 cpi) and left margin (5 characters). I repeated
these parameters (where applicable) in the preferences window, as well as
setting line length to 90 characters (I think). Then, as part of the startup-
sequence file, I copied the command file to the par: device so as to avoid
having the printer driver translate the escape sequences before sending them to
the printer. This works fine until you power the printer down and then back up
after booting. To solve that problem, you can edit your printer init file to
repeat the copy of the control file to the par: device. Then, you can select the
printer-init icon from the workbench system window to reconfigure your printer. 

In order to create the control file, I used a copy of the EDT emulator that John
Bernard created from uEDIT. This makes it easy to enter escape sequences and has
most of the features of EDT that I'm used to using on the VAX. Using the WB 1.3 
shell I have also defined aliases which in turn copy other files to the par:
port, such as "top" which advances to the next head-of-form, "back" which goes
back to the previous head-of-form, etc. These aliases must be defined in the
shell-setup (or is it shell-startup?) file. 

Dave 

    I hate to be picky, but it still sounds like we're saying that the
    page-length in preferences is not what we might think it is, namely
    a way of telling the printer how many lines to print before doing
    a form-feed. For example, the last reply, .5, says he sets the
    page-length to 88 in preferences. Why isn't this enough? I seem
    to be missing some essential point here. Anybody see where I'm
    going wrong?
    
    ken (in the dark)
    
    p.s. Maybe the right question for me to ask is, what exactly does
    the page-length in preferences DO?

<    I hate to be picky, but it still sounds like we're saying that the
<    page-length in preferences is not what we might think it is, namely
<    a way of telling the printer how many lines to print before doing
<    a form-feed. For example, the last reply, .5, says he sets the
<    page-length to 88 in preferences. Why isn't this enough? I seem
<    to be missing some essential point here. Anybody see where I'm
<    going wrong?

	Consider that there is no parameter that asks you for top or bottom
margin. There is no way to turn off or on the "skip to top of page" function.
It's probably there for any software that wants to look it up but not as a
driver service.
-Tom- 

Re .6

Even though I got my system to do what I wanted it to do, I have to agree with
your question. Exactly what effects do the parameters in preferences have? It's
not exactly spelled out in the 1.3 manual. 

Dave 

    RE: .4
    
    AmigaDOS is not at fault in your situation. Printers come with a
    command set of ESC codes that allows configuring them through software.
    Some of the codes can be toggled using hardware dip switches.
    Typically, skip perf, baud rate, character set, etc. are altered
    through the dip switches. Preferences on your Amiga, likewise allows
    configuring certain options on your printer such as lines per page,
    characters per inch and lines per inch. Your problem is pretty common
    and is one which many people experience the first time around with
    printers.
    
    First, a standard tractor-fed page is 8.5x11 inches. I doubt that
    you are using anything different. This page size translates into
    66 lines per page at 6 lpi. This is a typical setting for 10 cpi.
    Some people like myself use 12 cpi (sometimes referred to as Elite)
    since 8 lines per inch can be squeezed onto the page as well as
    about 96 characters per line. 8 lpi translates to 88 lines per page,
    so there is considerable savings of paper when doing listings, etc.
    
    You are looking to place 40 lines of information on a single sheet.
    The number of lines per page is still 66 at 6 lpi or 88 at 8 lpi.
    With 40 lines of text, you'll just have a lot of white space on
    each page. Amigados through Preferences and your printer does not
    determines the actual "line count" of printed text. You need to
    use a text processor to insert a form feed at line 41.

    I've run into this type of situation on my system, too.  The problem
    is that my printer (Epson FX85) has "smarts" built into it, plus
    the Amiga has "smarts" built into it, and the word processor
    (Scribble!), has "smarts" built into it.  Additionally, it seems
    that all three of the components involved want to have control!
    I don't remember how (or if) I resolved my problem (it was quite
    a while ago -- I think I gave up).  It would be nice to have a
    better "feel" for exactly what Preferences is responsible for.