[Sderby] NEC 24pin Dot Matrix printer

[Mr Laurie L Proud]

Hi Guys,

I've got an NEC P32Q 24 pin 132 colum dot matrix printer.

I'm unable to select my hardware printer model directly, so have selected 
another NEC printer in YAST which does work and I have output.

SuSE Linux in default settings does make a song and dance about it though.

Postscript > Ghostscript = Bit mapped fonts & pin instructions ==SLOW !

Now I understand standard linux output is Postscript which printers won't 
understand.

As this printer is only for rough work, I would like to output ASCII and 
select the font in the hardware on the printer. Just like we used to do 
years ago.

Another useful possibility would be to create a "Printer driver" which is 
where a certain function is selected and you manually enter your specific 
printers HEX instruction or escape sequence to enable that function. The 
"file" is then saved and it is used to control a printer your system does 
not know about. Easy ! and it worked well.

I've come across a couple of Wordprocessors that used that system 
M$ Word 5.5 for DOS was one if memory serves. Does not seem to be
anything useful or obvious along this line to help me.

Now I'm a Linux novice just installing three separate printers onto this 
system, and to a novice, printing in Linux does seem to be 10 times 
harder using a simple hardware printer than it need be. As I've said I've 
got a Colour inkjet and a laser if necessary so the 24 pin dot matrix 
just has to do rough text, for read-me's & help files etc.

I've not made any assumptions about this like asking "where's the ASCII 
text only box in YAST" or whatever. Setting a printer up that does not 
require a software driver does seem to be difficult, but we are back to 
postscript again .....surely linux can output the most elementary 
protocol. 

Thank-you for your help

Laurie

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Kmail-SuSE Linux Professional