Printer Codes - Epson LX-86TM User Manual

Printer Codes

To take advantage of the many print features of the IX-86, you
can use a software program that sends the correct codes or you can
use another method to send codes. It's not possible to be as precise
and specific as we would like in the rest of this chapter because the
IX-86 works with so many different applications programs and com-
puter systems. If we gave precise instructions on how to use your
LX-86 with every one of them, this manual would fill at least four
volumes and would have to be updated every month.
We will, therefore, give you the general principles of how software
communicates with your printer, plus several ways the codes of the
LX-86 are used by applications programs such as word processing
and business programs. With this information and possibly some help
from your dealer or the manual for your applications program, you
can take advantage of all the features of the LX-86 that you want to
use. Incidentally, there is no standard terminology for software
codes; thus, the terms in your software manual may be different from
the ones we use here.
In general there are three ways you send printer codes with com-
mercial software:
Using SelecType, the feature described in Chapter 2.
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Instructing the program during an installation or setup procedure
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so that you can then use codes that are typed in along with your
text or numbers; we call these embedded codes.
Inserting LX-86 printer codes in your text along with a special
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code that tells the printer that the inserted codes are not text or
data.
There are three common formats for sending printer codes. Your
applications software or its manual should tell you which one to use.
Decimal numbers-for example,
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ESCape code, and 13 is the decimal number for a carriage return.
Hexadecimal numbers, in which the ESCape code is
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carriage return is
numbers to use them. If your software calls for hex numbers, just
consult Appendix B or the Quick Reference Card for the
appropriate number.
OD. You don't have to understand hexadecimal
27 is the decimal number for the
1B and a
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