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CUSTOM-DESIGNED CHARACTERS:
THE DOWNLINE LOADABLE CHARACTER GENERATOR
In addition to their standard 96-character set, the ML92 and
ML93 have a separate printer memory reserved for extra
characters you may want to use for special purposes. You
can create and store up to 96 symbols, or design a 96-
character font, like Italics. However, and VERY IMPOR-
TANTLY, the downline loadable character generator is con-
tained in volatile memory
-
which means that once the
printer is turned off, anything stored there is erased.
Don't panic
-
that doesn't mean that every time you need a
special symbol or character you have to go through this pro-
cedure, or that you have to keep your printer turned on
forever
.
What it does mean is that the information in the
downline loadable character generator {DLCG for short)
must be stored on your disk or other storage device and
transmitted to your printer whenever you want to use it.
So you can see you have some work ahead of you
.
First, you
have to design your character or symbol as a dot pattern on
a matrix. Then you have to translate the pattern into
numeri-
cal data the printer (and your computer) can understand
.
After that you have to assign it to a specific address
-
so
you know where to find it when you need
it.
Finally you
have to put it into a program to "load" the information
into the printer's memory
--
and of course save the program
in a permanent storage device
,
like your computer's disk
system, so you'll have it when you want it.
That sounds rather difficult, but it's easy once you get the
hang of it.
SPECIAL NOTE FOR APPLE OWNERS: If you have an Apple or Apple-
compatible computer, OKI DAT A's PERSONAL TOUCH Down line Loading
Design Kit makes it even easier to use the DLCG. It's a completely menu·
driven software package that makes it a snap to design characters on your display
screen. It comes with ready-made fonts and special character sets. See your
dealer for more information.
Designing your Character
Each character you design will ultimately be printed in a
pattern called a matrix. The matrix consists of 11 columns,
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