Windows XP and Okidata 320 problem

[rvander]

Purchased an Okidata 320 Turbo to print multipart invoices. Set the printer up (as an Epson FX-80) and designed the form at home, where my OS is Windows 98, and it worked perfectly. The font we want to use is the basic Utility 10cpi font that you can designate on the front panel of the printer - it prints quickly and is easy to read. I have the "Printer Font" box checked in the forms design template.

When I set it up at the shop, where we have Windows XP, the print is bold and tiny and the spacing is all screwed up. Even trying other fonts, such as Arial and the TrueType Verdana Ref, the printing is not spaced properly and takes too long to print (about twice the time the Utility font takes).

I tried using the Generic Text printer setup, and I can get the font that way, but the fields print in a little different spot each time and the tear-off spot isn't correct.

I've called Okidata 4 times - no help there. Peachtree tech support mumbled something about TrueType fonts - blah, blah, blah.

Does anyone know how to get the plain ol' Utility 10cpi font to print using XP?

[jag]

rvander,

First, what Peachtree Version are you using?

What printer driver have you installed under XP? Does printing from any other Windows application works well?

When installing the Oki 320 Printer Driver select the IBM one, I have found that the other one (Microline) does not works so well.

HIH

[Jacky Tse]

I think the platform you use is not so important ( I mean whether it's Xp or Win98 ), my concern is because you test it at home and actual implement at the shop, then you've to be careful especially if the printers are different.

Of course the ideal case is to use the same printer at home and at shop, otherwise, the result can be out of your expectation.

If you experience slow printing, very likely it's using true type font. If you choose to use the printer font, make sure the printer really has that font and make sure the pitch is the same.

[rvander]

It is the same printer. I set it up at home and then put it in my car and drove it to the shop.

[jag]

I will say it again:

Are you sure you are using the correct Okidata 320 (IBM) printer driver on your XP machine? Not the Okidata 320 (Microline)!!!

Can you print well from any other apps in the XP box? Is the cable that you are using the same? The same lpt port setting? ECP, EPP, ect.?

If you give us some details, maybe we can help you more.

HIH,

[rvander]

I'm using Peachtree 9.0. Neither one of the Okidata 320 printer drivers work well; I am using the Epson FX-80 driver. The printer works fine in other apps. I am using the same cable. The LPT port is ECP on both computers.

Thanks for any help.

[Jacky Tse]

Understanding the mechanism might help:

- If you print using true type font (ttf), it will be much slower as characters are printed as graphics. If you print using printer font, that is the built-in fonts in your printer, it will be much faster as just the ASCII codes are sent to your printer.

This explains why the printing speed varies.

- If you print using true type font, different typeface ( or font type ) will give you slightly different positioning since the "pitch" is not the same for different ttf fonts. However, some ttf fonts are with fixed pitch like "Courier New." For the built-in printer font, usually you can set different pitches like 10cpi, 12cpi etc. ( cpi - character per inch )

- For the "tear off" position problem, go to the Printer's property page, check the paper size you're using. Is it set properly? Does the paper length correct?

Hope this information help you troubleshoot.

[Manor]

Trying to print 1099's and the forms are not aligning like they did when v.11 was on the same box running Win98.

Same printer (Okidata 320 9 pin) and same 'puter (Dell Optiplex) but I am not sure if it is the same driver.

I have seen multiple posts in here suggesting the IBM Microline drivers over the Okidata Microline drivers. However, I have yet to find the IBM drivers. The epson driver, e.g. FX80, are here http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/SupportProductCategory.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0468293616.1043761516@@@@&BV_EngineID=dadcgfihldllbfdmcfjgckidnk.0&oid=-10222&infoType=Downloads but I want to try the IBM drivers, too.

Thanks!