Copyright Xerox Corporation 1980XEROXPALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTERComputer Sciences LaboratoryNovember 3, 1980To:Press UsersFrom:Bob SproullSubject:Press Printer OperationFiled on PressOps.PressThis memo outlines the procedures for printing Press files on a number of ROS (raster-scanned) Xeroxexperimental printers. It is also a reference manual for the Press program, and includes detailed instructionsconcerning its use.1. Printing Press FilesThe Press printing program is named "Press," and is run by hand (i.e., it is not a server like Spruce). Therefore,you should boot the disk and use FTP or EFTP to retrieve the file you wish to print. (Some installations providea simple "server" facility by means of an Executive command file that alternates between EFTP and Press.)Because the disk is shared by many users, it is considerate to delete your Press file after you have finishedprinting.The basic command to Press is "Print," followed by a file name. Thus>Press print memo-1.presswill invoke the process of printing the file "memo-1.press." The Press command words (e.g., "print" above) canbe abbreviated as long as they remain unambiguous.If you wish to override the number of copies specified in the Press file (usually 1), append the clause "copies n"to the end of the command:>Press print memo-1.press copies 3If you wish to print certain pages selectively, you may append the clause "page n" or "pages n to m" to thecommand:>Press print memo-1.press page 2>Press print memo-1.press pages 3 to 4Press takes some time to format the files properly and begin printing. If you simply wish additional copies of afile you have previously printed, you may avoid the formatting delay by using the "reprint" clause in place ofthe "print file" clause:>Press reprint page 2 pX%DVgqTp!@Sr$Qs Kt(s H|t(s Et(s CtF @~s.6 >"M =v :Kp 7s:%ts 5!tsts) 4Pts 2/> 1 -E2* 'N & 2 "H* !Y2." a ~2S2& Y  D* 2 p FUPress Printer Operation2>Press repr cop 2Additional commands are explained in the "Press Reference Manual," below.Troubles While PrintingPress lets you know that it is working by flashing a cursor at you. The top of the cursor displays a characterdenoting the pass (F=font, S=prescan, C=scan convert, P=print) and a digit denoting the page number it isworking on.If the printer runs out of paper, the cursor will display the code "K1" (for "key operator") in the cursor. Addmore paper to the tray, and hit the key.If the printer jams, the code "K2" will be displayed in the cursor. Follow the machine-dependent instructionsfor clearing jams for your particular model.Other printer malfunctions cause the code "K0" to appear. Unless it is clear what to do to make the printerready (e.g., turn it on!), you should summon help.2. Powering Up and DownThe optical systems in some ROS printers are delicate. Please observe any locally posted cautions when you turnyour system on or off.Powering Up1. The Alto. Make sure that a Model 31 disk pack labeled "Current Press Program" is in the machine andloaded. If the disk will not boot or if it demonstrates other bad behavior, there is no sense in continuing.2. The Trident drive. If the green light on the front of the drive is illuminated, a pack is mounted and running.The chances are excellent that this is the Press pack and that you can proceed to step 3. If you doubt, read on:Make sure power is on: If the Trident drive is making no noise whatsoever, the power is off. At the back ofthe drive is a toggle switch that should be flipped up to the "on" position. Noise should ensue.To dismount a pack: Flip the black switch next to the green light to the "stop" position, and wait for the greenlight to stop flashing. Open the cover of the drive carefully by releasing the latch near the forward edge of thelid. Now you are in a position to read the label on the top of the disk pack. If you wish to remove the pack,retrieve the plastic pack housing (the top part, with the handle), lower it slowly over the pack, and carefullyrotate the handle counter-clockwise ("unscrewing") until faint clicks are heard repeatedly. Now carefully lift thepack out by the handle and place it on the pack housing base.To mount a pack: Retrieve the pack in its housing, and remove the base. Lower the pack into the Tridentdrive, and turn the handle clockwise ("screwing in") until it stops. Do not over-tighten. Now lift out the packhousing by the handle. Close the lid to the Trident. Flip the black switch from "stop" to "start." The greenlight should flash for several seconds and the remain lighted. If this is not the case, something is wrong.3. The printer. Follow the appropriate procedures for your model.Powering DownFollow locally posted procedures.3. Trouble-Shooting and Trouble Reporting gfsXHY2_ [I Xr Us;4 TD% R O`%K M1 J4: I-, Fl D}2 ARp >&sJ& < 9wr 6Ks#C 4%H 1,F 0>2 ,/> +ia (= e &n %5"M #!N "-#P = }O 4= u,C G% B r os! Dp) . F\Press Printer Operation3"Wrong" pages. If Press prints your document, but it doesn't seem to have the right things on it, it may be thatthe Press file was invalid in some trivial way that the program forgave. You can run Press again, with the"verbose" mode enabled, and see if it indicates any problems. To invoke "verbose" behavior, use the /V switch:>Press/V pri memo-1.pressIllegal Press files. If Press complains that your file is illegal, you should of course suspect the method used togenerate the file! The program ReadPress, which prints on your screen a quasi-intelligible dump of the Pressfile, may be helpful in tracking down the problem. The command>ReadPress memo-1.presswill bless you with more information that you can handle! gfsXHY _r s Y ]Q \P2X Urs&9 T3H% R?2O LX9 HE%OPress Printer Operation4Press Reference ManualPress version 1.3The repertoire of Press commands offers several options when a file is printed. The format of the command lineis:>Press/switches option option ...The "switches" govern the overall operation of Press; the "options" label the specific options being used and canbe abbreviated as long as they remain unambiguous; most of these options require arguments.Options:PrintThis is the main command to print a Press file. The argument is the name of thefile to be printed. Example: "Press print memo-1.press".CopiesThis option takes a single number as an argument, and is used to control thenumber of copies of the document that should be printed. Default is "Copies 1."PagesThis option governs which pages of a file will be printed. Standard use is with the"to" option: "Press print memo-1.press pages 2 to 3". If the page range does notmatch the page range of the Press file, the largest overlap of the two ranges isprinted. Default is "pages 1 to 99999."RePrintThe file most recently printed is re-printed -- this usually avoids time-consumingscan-conversion processes. The "Pages" and "Copies" options apply to reprinting.XOffsetThis option allows the page to be displaced in the X direction on the page, by anamount given by the argument (in inches). Example: "Press print memo-1.pressxoffset 1.5". Default is "Xoffset 0."YOffsetThis verb is analogous to XOffset, but governs displacement in the verticaldirection.ScreenThis option overrides default settings for halftone screen frequency. The argumentis the number of halftone dots per inch.AmplitudeThis option overrides default settings for halftone screen amplitude (normally100%). The argument is expressed as a percentage of the image signal beinghalftoned.AngleThis option overrides the default setting for the angle of the halftone screen used.The argument is given in degrees.ResolutionThis option allows a user to override the default setting of the resolution of theoutput device being used. Be warned that changing resolution will usually requireall your fonts to be scan-converted anew, a very time-consuming process. Theargument is the resolution, measured in bits per inch.PatternThe command "Press pattern" will scan-convert, but not print, an 8-page file oftest patterns. The pages can be printed using the "press rep page n" commands.Switches: gfsXHY ]p \ W^sX U2R- O^ M[ J G !/ F$9 B !+ Au,$ >J )+ <,% ;AB  9( 6 E 5B 1 !0 0_M .& + ? *+ ' H %|( "P 9 E H  : ! m  G = e)$ 6  = 22  \ E]LPress Printer Operation5Several global switches can alter the use of Press:/VVerbose -- gives better error messages/SRe-start with the "preScan" pass/CRe-start with the "Conversion" pass/PRe-start with the "Print" pass (same as "reprint")/DDebug -- shows output on display rather than printer/MMeter -- inverts the normal setting of statistics-taking/UMicroCode -- inverts the normal setting of using microcode/IInstall PressInstalling PressThe command "Press/i" is used to "install" Press. This process sets a large number of parametersand initializes all the necessary Press scratch files. This section attempts to explain the procedureused for getting it all going.Output DevicesPresently, Press can deliver its output in one of three ways:1. To a ROS through a "printer controller card," which is capable of generating video atrather high bandwidth (as high as the Alto and disks are capable). Press requires that youhave a Trident disk to use for buffering the raster image for a page.2. To a Versatec plotter through the Diablo printer interface. Press still requires a disk tobuffer the page image, but the disk may be a Model 31.3. To the Alto screen. This option is invoked by running Press with the /D switch. Forexample:Press/d print mouse.pressBecause the full image generated by Press may not fit on the screen at one time, you musttype the RETURN key to sequence through the image. You may type SHIFT SWAT any timeyou get bored with the process.Additionally, the output raster may be generated for a "portrait mode" or "landscape mode"scanning arrangement. For "portrait mode", scan-lines are horizontal (if the 8.5 x 11 piece of paperis held as for normal reading) and are scanned from left to right; successive scan-lines proceed fromthe top to the bottom of the page. For "landscape mode," scan-lines are vertical (if the 8.5 x 11piece of paper is held as for normal reading) and are scanned from bottom to top; successive scan-lines proceed from the left to the right of the page. (In the notation of the Press <>command, portrait corresponds to mode 3 and landscape to mode 8.)DisksPress can build its scratch files on either Model 31 disk (drives 0 or 1) or on a Trident T-80 disk.In both cases, a "file system" must have been created on the disk before Press can be installed.The easiest way to create a file system on a Model 31 disk pack is to use the "erase a disk" optionwhen installing the operating system (but don't burden the disk with a lot of files if you want thespace available for Press use). The TFU command "erase" can be used to initialize a T-80 packwith a file system. gfsXHY _32[&2X2W^#2U22TV42R82QN:2O Kp GsD FkS D Ar >s=;ets%(9[8]E51T 360<.(+(F'#ts+t s% "sF 5/ k W _ cI /(ps [A 0r sd (8 ,7 xJ K p D )>\Press Printer Operation6FilesPress requires a number of files in order to operate properly:..the Press file you wish to print.. (%)Press.Run (* %)Press.Errors (* %)Press.State (* %)Press.Fonts (*)Press.BitsPress.ScratchPress.LO1Press.LO2Press.BandsPress.MeterThe files marked with * are files that you must provide before beginning to install Press; theremainder are scratch files that will be created if necessary. Files marked with % must reside on theModel 31 drive 0 disk (the system disk).Press.Run. This file is distributed as part of the Press system. It is approximately 50K words long.Press.Errors. This small file is distributed as part of the Pres system.Press.State. This tiny file contains the results of installing Press.Press.Fonts. This file must be initialized to contain all the fonts you wish to make available forprinting. The file is in the format of a "PrePress dictionary," and can be built andmanipulated with PrePress (see PrePress.Press for documentation). The filemay contain spline descriptions of fonts as well as scan-converted fonts. The splines areuseful in case a particular Press file requires a font size or rotation that is not in Press.Fontsin scan-converted form. The scan-converted forms are useful because they can be accessedmore rapidly (scan-conversion is not required), and because they may be touched up withPrePress. An example of creating Press.Fonts is given below.Note: If Press.Fonts is placed on a Trident disk, it should be allocated in a contiguous holeof disk space. In order to achieve this, use PrePress to make the dictionary you desire, andcall it Press.Dict. Then, after PrePress operations are complete, give the command "TFUcopy Press.Fonts/C _ Press.Dict" which will copy Press.Dict into Press.Fonts and will try toallocate Press.Fonts on consecutive disk addresses.Press.Bits. This scratch file is used to buffer the raster image for pages to be printed by Press.This file can be as big as you like, but must be at least big enough to hold one full-pageimage. This minimum is computed as (k(s+15)/16l)(k(32k(b+31)/32l+1023)/1024l) Kwords, where s is the number of scan-lines on the page, and b is the number of bits perscan-line.If Press attempts to print a Press file with enough pages to overflow the buffering availablein Press.Bits, Press will break up the scan-conversion and printing passes into severalsegments. First it will scan-convert pages until it exhausts the buffering in Press.Bits, thenit will actually print those pages on the output device. Then it will repeat this sequenceuntil the entire file has been properly printed. Note that this process may destroy thecollation sequence. gfsXHY _r [s>X(UT3RON# L KIH F CcU AJ @[( =/Ats :I 6F 3U 2) G0;/!Z-b,P*G)=& F$M#8!}+13 EIG%ususususus ustAs8 ,11:1.)9" C  >\2Press Printer Operation7Press.Scratch. This scratch file is used for (1) font information for the file being printed, includingany fonts that have been scan-converted from splines just for the one file being printed and(2) images that must be rotated in order to conform to the scanning directionsof the printer. For example, if you print a Markup-created Press file which contains a dotsimage (mode=3) on a "landscape" mode printer, the image will be rotated and saved inPress.Scratch. A full-screen Alto image requires about 32K words. A recommended sizefor Press.Scratch is (10+ 32n) K words, where n is the number of Alto screen images youexpect in the largest file.Press.LO1 and Press.LO2. These scratch files are used during the scan-conversion process when apage becomes excessively complex. They may be quite small (e.g., 1K words), and can beexpanded if you encounter such a complex file. Because of their small size, it is marginallyadvantageous to locate them on a Model 31 disk rather than on a Trident disk.Press.Bands. This scratch file contains the results of the pre-scan pass over the Press file. Its size isroughly (2c + 5r + 80s)/1024 K words, where c is the total number of characters in thePress file, r the total number of rectangles, and s the total number of splines (<>or <>). Press.Meter. This scratch file holds statistical information about Press files as they are printed.This feature is intended primarily for diagnostic use during system development.Consequently, you should disable the recording of metering information when you installPress. However, the file Press.Meter must exist in any case, although it can be of negligiblelength (1K words).The list of files gives a rough idea of appropriate sizes (remember that a "disk page" is 0.25K wordson a Model 31 and 1K words on a Trident). I typically use the following sizes on a printerinstallation running at 384 bits/inch:Press.Bits14400 KTrident (14400 pages)Press.Scratch2000 KTrident (2000 pages)Press.LO125 KModel 31 (100 pages)Press.LO225 KModel 31 (100 pages)Press.Bands1000 KTrident (1000 pages)Press.Meter1 KTrident (1 page)It is not essential that you get the file sizes exactly right. If Press exhausts one of the files duringoperation, it should generate a reasonable error message that identifies the short file. You can thenre-install Press to enlarge the file, and try printing again.Building Press.FontsThe easiest way to initialize Press.Fonts is to copy it from someone else who has already done thework. Candidate files are available at various sites within Xerox, and a reasonable set has beendistributed to the grant universities.If you build you own, you will need to master the PrePress program (documentation isPrePress.Press). You can start from ".SD" files. These files are in "SDtemp format,"and contain encoded spline descriptions of various font families. You can then use PrePress toscan-convert them for the proper resolution of your device, and for the proper scanning orientation(if your printer runs in "landscape" mode, you need say nothing special to PrePress; it if runs in"portrait" mode, you need to add 90 degrees to the rotation you would normally request).Because making a font dictionary takes quite a while, it is best to compose a command file with atext editor, and then execute the command file while you wander off to greener pastures. gfsXHY _)?],0\ps)#ZWY-'W:tsUtsTy QNQOCts NF]LM IRHts4F3psE ps AW @[6C7 >?=S0.;ts 8^ts 7ts&! 5&2p t){s 0 t){s /ht){s-t){s,_ t){s * t){s 'Q &,*< $= !}r Qsb I I& D 5ts, L W  Z ; ^Q .* h >\xPress Printer Operation8Normal practice is to assemble the fonts in a file called Press.Dict, and then at the end to copy thatfile to Press.Fonts. This is necessary on the Trident, because Press.Fonts must be a consecutively-allocated file. Consequently, after making Press.Dict (see examples below), one should do thefollowing://First, delete old Press.FontsTFU delete Press.Fonts//Now copy Press.Dict into Press.Fonts, consecutively allocated:TFU copy Press.Fonts/c _ Press.DictThe Press installation dialogIf you have retrieved all the files necessary to run Press, made a proper font dictionary, and decidedon the sizes of the scratch files you wish, you are ready to embark on the installation dialog.Installation is invoked with the command "Press/i". Once Press has been properly installed,subsequent installation is considerably simpler: simply typing RETURN to each installation promptwill use the same value used in the previous installation--the previous value is given insideparentheses. The paragraphs below describe the various questions you will be asked. Eachresponse must be terminated with a RETURN; typein to Press is edited by typing CTRL A tobackspace one character (\ will be typed to indicate a character has been rubbed out); N RETURN issufficient to mean No; Y RETURN is sufficient for Yes. If you make a catastrophic mistake duringthe installation, simply type SHIFT SWAT (or boot the machine) and begin again.General installation parameters.Record metering information? I recommend answering "N" to this question.Meter each file transfer? I recommend answering "N" to this question.Meter each character fault? I recommend answering "N" to this question.Normally use microcode? Press uses a good deal of microcode to speed its inner loops.This microcode will work properly on Alto I (provided it has reasonably recent PROMmicrocode) and on Alto II. Consequently, you should respond "Y" to this question.However, if you are experiencing erratic behavior (e.g., Press dives off the deep end), youmight try re-installing to turn off the microcode, and see if the situation improves.Log statistics on MAXC? Unless you have network access to Xerox's MAXC system, answer"No".Printer parameters. You are first asked for the name of the output device to use normally (Slot (i.e.,ROS Printer) or Versatec at present). Then you are prompted for the resolution of the device inscan-lines per inch and in bits per inch (these are usually the same). The subsequent dialogdepends on the output device selected:Versatec. If you select the Versatec, Press assumes that output will be in portrait mode.You are asked for the number of bits on a scan-line: the response depends on which modelplotter you have (e.g., 900A is 1600). It is essential that this response be accurate.Slot. The following questions are asked for all devices that use the "printer card" to drivea ROS:Does the first page printed emerge at the top of a stack? The answer to thisquestion is used to control the sequence in which pages are actually printed, so that gfsXHY _Q ]] \D Z WUTy@R# Or LsB$ KP H\ F?ts E #: C+/ B#ts tsts @~6!ts >tsA =vt s' :K7H3F0G-#3,Ot*sR);'U$ats,ts" _ .] (5 &&Tv K7]Cts )$ +* L=\(Press Printer Operation9the final stack of pages will be collated properly.Does the printer run in portrait mode? See the discussion above. Note that if yourespond "Y", you will probably want a Press.Fonts font dictionary that contains 90-degree rotated fonts for rapid access.Scan-line length in bits (for Slot)? This prompt requires a number that is used tocontrol the ROS interface on the Alto. It determines how many "bits" are to beevenly spaced between the start-of-scan pulse and the end-of-scan pulse emanatingfrom your ROS equipment. Note that it does not govern how Press builds the rasterimage, but only how the hardware lays it down on the page. Incorrect settings ofthis number may cause the beam to be "off" when it passes over the end-of-scandetector, with consequent chaos.Scan margin adjustment? This number governs how many scan-lines Press passesup, after your Slot transmits "page sync," before the image is actually begun.Fiddling with this number will adjust the position of the image on the page.Bit margin adjustment? This number offsets the position of the image along thescan-line (the response is rounded down to the next multiple of 8). Fiddling withthis number will adjust the position of the image on the page.Do you want scan-lines doubled? If you respond "Y" to this question, the ROScard will transmit each scan-line to the ROS twice. Thus, you can declare to Pressthat your ROS operates at 384 scan-lines per inch, but by doubling each scan-line,you can operate a ROS that actually runs at 768 scan-lines per inch. (If you use thisoption, your printer card may need a slight modernization. Instructions areavailable from the author.)What should the timeout be? This parameter allows you to specify the time, inseconds, that Press will wait for the ROS interface to finish delivering its output tothe printer for one page. If the time is exceeded, Press will generate an error K0. Paper parameters. For most printers, the long dimension of the paper is "11.0" and the short is"8.5".Halftone parameters. Press contains code for applying a halftoning algorithm to continuous toneimages that appear in Press files. The three prompts in this section allow you to set the screenfrequency (80/inch on 384 bit/inch printer is reasonable), the screen amplitude (100% isreasonable), and the screen angle (usually 45 degrees is best).Disks. Press will ask if you want to use the Trident disk, and if so, which drive number (0 if youhave only 1 drive). It will also ask if you want to make use of drive 1 of the Model 31 controller.Files. Now Press will cycle through all the scratch files, asking you to specify the treatment foreach one. If a file already exists, its location and size are printed, and you are asked if that isproper ("Y" or simply RETURN implies Yes). If you respond that the allocation is not proper, or ifthe file does not exist, Press prompts to determine which disk the file should use, and how big (indisk pages for the disk you select) the file should be.Hints for the Hardy1. Avoiding the font pass. If you are printing a Press file that you know has no characters in it,you may profitably omit the "font pass." In most cases, this buys you very little, because the fontpass simply looks up fonts in a large index in Press.Fonts. However, if the Press file requires fonts gfsXHY_3[/$Zf6X&U%.T3 ts6 RQQ+ ts r8O- sN#/LIs0G1Fk5C@FrsA3@7>= It;s)tsrs!: tsE8ts 36G5x2L20&ts /DP ,O * 'iC %': $aE "? B! .H M ~>& ts9 vR  rs r s X R E!  L=\TPress Printer Operation10that are not readily available in scan-converted from, the font pass may take a long time to scan-convert the characters from splines. It is this latter time-consumer that you can bypass if you knowthe document will not use any of the characters. Simply use the /S switch to begin operation onthe prescan pass. For example:Press/s print image.pressThis trick is often useful in conjunction with temporary resolution changes:Press/s resol 363 print image.pressWarning: This little trick will not work on the very first document after Press is installed.2. Aligning Press for your ROS. The Press file saved somewhere (try or on yourlocal file server) as Align.Press will print a one-page test pattern that has triangular shapes pointinginto the corners of the page. This file is provided to help adjust the "Scan margin adjustment" andthe "Bit margin adjustment." gfsXG _02 ]J \] ZW^ T3LQ+# N#C J tsD Ish GQ Fk F$=!^ TIMESROMAN LOGO TIMESROMAN  TIMESROMAN  TIMESROMANMATH + & z/7 @Cj/F Dwpressops.bravo SwinehartDecember 29, 1980 12:43 PM