Printers with Limited TrueType Font Support (82753)

SUMMARY

The Windows 3.1 PRINTERS.WRI online document incorrectly states that the following printer drivers have limited support for TrueType (TT) fonts:

Canon LBP II
Canon LBP III
IBM LaserPrinter 4019
Olivetti PG306

For example, PRINTERS.WRI states the following:

   5.9 Printing TrueType Fonts on Canon Series II and III Laser
       Printers

       The Canon series II and III laser printers do not support
       incremental downloading of TrueType fonts. To print TrueType
       fonts by using one of these printers, you must select the
       Enable TrueType Fonts check box in the printer setup dialog box
       for the printer.

In fact, these printers do support TrueType fonts. The only limitation is that TT fonts cannot be downloaded as soft fonts. Instead, TT fonts must be printed as graphics.

MORE INFORMATION

TrueType is normally printed as a block of graphics. When TrueType fonts can be downloaded as soft fonts to the printer, printing is generally faster. The Windows printer driver can simply send a select font command followed by the ASCII characters to print. When Print TrueType As Graphics is selected, the Windows print driver must send a select graphics mode command followed by a large amount of binary data for the graphics band. The end result of both methods produces identical output; the only difference is in speed.

PostScript printers and laser printers that use the Hewlett-Packard (HP) LaserJet Series II (and all later HP LaserJets) soft font download commands can download TrueType fonts to the printer as soft fonts. LaserJets earlier than the Series either lack soft font downloading ability (classic HP LaserJet) or use an incompatible soft font header (HP LaserJet Plus, 500). HP LaserJet compatible printers that emulate the HP LaserJet Plus share this problem. Use the Download TrueType As Graphics option for these printers.

To select Print TrueType As Graphics

Open Control Panel and choose the Printers icon.
Select the printer from the list box and choose the Setup button.
The Canon LBP II and LBP III, IBM LaserPrinter 4019, and Olivetti PG306 all have a check box in the lower-left corner (the message reads Print TrueType As Graphics or Enable TrueType Fonts).
Select the check box, then close the Printer Setup dialog box.

These printers will now print TrueType fonts.

The only printers in the Windows 3.1 package that do not support TrueType fonts are TTY printers (which have no graphic support) and plotters (which have vector graphics, but neither bitmap graphics nor TrueType font support).