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More Laser Magic - A Look at the Laser-Lovers Disk
by Bruce Thomas

A computer is only as good as the software that runs on it. From a users point of view, the software running on your computer is of paramount importance. Finding something that does what you want in a friendly manner makes using the computer enjoyable. Once you start producing material for others to read your choice of software must not only be based on functionality and ease of use but also on the quality of printed output.

As Commodore users we started off with the de-facto 60 Dots per Inch (DPI) standard of the 1525 printer. While this was usable it left a lot to be desired from the final output. As time progressed we were able to make use of 80 DPI, 24 pin and the latest ink-jet and color printers as well. Multi-strike printer drivers have been developed to improve output but the trade-off for quality was made in printing time.

For Commodore users wishing to mix text and graphics on a full page, however, there is no better output medium than a PostScript-equipped Laser Printer (of which I have used 300, 600 and 1200 DPI models). PS Lasers provide the necessary quality with no time penalty. I recently published a 20 page User Group Newsletter and it only took 23 minutes to print 220 KB of geoWrite and geoPublish files.

A need for change

Desktop Publishing (DTP) was the hottest thing in computing in the mid-'80's and the Apple Macintosh was front and center along with its LaserWriter printer. The cost of this unit was prohibitive, due in part to the licencing fees for Adobe Systems PostScript (PS) Page Description Language. PostScript is a powerful programming language that allows precise placement and handling of all text and graphic elements on a page.

After seeing a demo of geoPublish in the spring of 1988 I started using GEOS. GeoPublish is the only Commodore DTP package that supports PostScript Lasers for the crisp output required of published documents. In November of 1988 I printed my first laser document on a $6000 NEC PostScript Printer and have used many different lasers for important work ever since.

Other than the methods I used to print my files (direct connections, modem transfers, C=/Amiga/DOS/Mac disk transfers, Big Blue Reader), and the fact that I finally got my own PS Laser in 1997, nothing has changed in 10 years as far as my output capabilities are concerned. I have been limited to the 11 GEOS Laser (LW) fonts. My text could not be printed upside-down. Graphic manipulation was scant at best. Basically, I got the high-quality output I needed but had no access to the full power of PostScript.

The catalyst of change

With the introduction of Dale Sidebottom's Laser-Lovers Disk my DTP projects will be transformed in ways previously not possible. PostPrint is the new GEOS program on this disk and it allows true PS program code to be sent to a laser directly from a geoWrite file. PostPrint utilizes either a geoCable parallel connection or a serial interface.

While the centerpiece of this product is the PostPrint program authored by Maurice Randall (Wheels, geoFAX, geoShell), the true value comes from the intellectual property passed on by Dale. When you read the information, after printing it on your Laser, and come to know a little about Dale, it becomes obvious that here is a man who represents the epitome' of the Commodore Community.

Dale spent $1500 on his H.P. Laser in 1991. He paid $195 annual dues for 2 years as the only Commodore member of the Adobe Developers Association; learning all he could about PS programming. He had a need for a program, PostPrint, and got Maurice to write it for him. And now he is passing all of that knowledge and experience on to his fellow C= users.

What has changed

After receiving the Laser Lovers Disk my print options have finally changed. No longer will I send my geoPublish files straight to my printer. By printing my PS files to disk with a patched geoPubLaser (a process I used extensively in the 9 years before getting my own laser) I can create what Dale calls 'Hybrid' projects. These print jobs combine the code to generate my geoPublish file along with custom code inserted for special effects.

"What kind of effects?" you ask. Well, how about the ability to rotate text or graphics in 1 degree increments to any angle you desire? How about having your text print in a circle? How about adding shadows in front of your text just like the GoDot ads on the back of this magazine? All of these things are possible, plus more, with this disk and a little effort. Examples of many of these tricks are included.

One of the most liberating features of this product is the destruction of the 11 font limit. In a far more commanding display of power than either Mark McGwire or Sammy Sosa displayed at the plate, Dale has converted over 600 Public Domain PS Fonts (from CDs with thousands) to a format that is easily downloaded from a Commodore to a Laser.

More changes still coming

The L.L. disk presently contains one font plus two articles to print out using this font as an example. Dale intends to make this a two-disk set and include more fonts plus information on working with JPEG images and Encapsulated PS files. Plans are also in place to upload some fonts to the Internet.

The vast libraries of PS fonts and graphics from other platforms are now usable by everyone with a Commodore and a Laser. Please note that the price of Lasers is coming down and a lot of older units will come up for sale as higher resolution and color models arrive. If you can't afford a Laser then maybe you can find someone who wouldn't mind letting you connect your 64 to theirs for printing. I have used an SX-64 portable for such 'location prints' with no problems.

If you have ever wanted to enhance the PostScript capabilities of GEOS this disk is a 'must have'. To paraphrase Dale, this disk is for any Commodore user who "cares enough to print their very best".

The Laser-Lovers Disk is available for $25 US from:

K. Dale Sidebottom
P.O. Box 303
New Albany, IN
47151-0303