Re: Setting page margins

PaulY · Post by **PaulY** » Wed Sep 13, 2023 6:24 pm

Most of the programs I'm using on my ZX Spectrum have a 64 character window on an 80 character total width. For this reason it's best to set the left page margin on the spectrum software to 8 characters as with the 64 character window that leaves 8 characters from the end of the right margin and centres the printed text on the paper. It would save me having to specify the 8 characters left margin in the spectrum software before printing, if I set a permanent left margin in the RetroPrinter configuration equivalent to the 8 characters. There are also some circumstances where you can't set a margin on the Spectrum before printing where this would help too. My question is how do the mm settings on the RetroPrinter relate to the number of characters measure used by my Spectrum software? In other words, what are the RetroPrinter mm margin widths I should use to acheive my goal of centring a 64 character window on the A4 paper I'm printing on? Thanks Paul

Post by **RWAP** » Thu Sep 14, 2023 5:10 am

Printers do not work in characters, but in mm page size as you have discovered.

The issue is that we do not know what font settings you are going to use - whilst the Spectrum may use fixed width fonts not all software does, and it may use condensed fonts etc.

You have to experiment with the margins to get the width you need - the EPSON standard uses 3mm standard margins on the left and right, so with A4 (we assume) paper being 210mm wide - that gives you a printable area of 204mm.

The standard A4 page width, with the default EPSON font settings gives 80 columnss - so 1 character = 204/80 = 2.55mm

PaulY · Post by **PaulY** » Thu Sep 14, 2023 7:12 pm

I think it's possible, that either I'm not using the correct syntax to change the default margins, or what I'm doing does'nt make sense technically? 1) Re: Syntax - I have edited the /root/config/default_margins file from "Yes"to solely "20.4,8.55,20.4,13.55". I also tried "No," followed by the same string, but the print out remains at what looks to be the normal default 3mm left margin. 2) In this use case the sending command is a Spectrum COPY command, which is rather like a screenshot. Interestingly the Centronics interface on my Spectrum has the abilty to set a margin too before sending, but it does'nt work either, which is one reason I was trying to set the the margin in the RetroPrinter. Given neither method works with the (screenshot) COPY command, I am now wondering if a COPY command can't have its margin position moved like wordprocessing text, if at least one of my two syntax attempts is correct?

Post by **RWAP** » Thu Sep 14, 2023 8:14 pm

Send me the raw file to examine - it is possible the screen dump includes Epson commands to set the margins which overwrites the defaults.

PaulY · Post by **PaulY** » Fri Sep 15, 2023 8:58 am

Hopefully will get the chance to send you the RAW file by Monday. In the meantime can you confirm which of the syntax's options I have quoted in my previous post is correct? That way I can make sure the RetroPrinter margin options are set correctly and can experiment with different software and PRINY/COPY routines to give you a full picture. For example overriding the margin settings might only occur with a particular software package. Thanks Paul.

Post by **RWAP** » Fri Sep 15, 2023 4:10 pm

Set /root/config/default_margins to:

20.4,8.55,20.4,13.55

Should give 20.4mm margins on the left and right
8.55mm at the top
13.55mm at the bottom

(although I use the atoi command to convert the values, so you MAY need to use integer values only for now)

PaulY · Post by **PaulY** » Sat Sep 16, 2023 4:29 pm

Hi Rich /Everyone. I've tried a few tests and have noted the following. It seems the Spectrum program and or the Multiprint centronics interface controls the margins of the print out completely. It makes no difference what margin settings I set in the RetroPrinter default margins config file. I can control the margins from the Spectrum program when the Spectrum program offers the option to do so - e.g my word processor "Tasword 128K". I can also control the margin by using the margin set option in the Multi-Print interface settings menu, but this only works when I can also set "tokens off" without impacting the printed output. I think I have attached the relevant RAW file from the Spectrum Omnicalc2 spreadsheet print (it has the same date and time as the pdf I can view) The print out ignores the margin setttings in the RetroPrinter and prints at what looks to be the 3mm default. Unfortunatley the Multi-Print margin setting won't work on Omnicalc, as turning tokens off to enable it to be effective, results in a single line of garbage. It's not a big problem, it would just be prettier if I could put a wider left margin on my Omnicalc printouts. Never used Omnicalc on a real centronics printer back in the 1980s, but I suspect the situation would be the same? Thank you, Paul

Post by **RWAP** » Sat Sep 16, 2023 4:31 pm

I will examine it but you could add the Epson control codes for setting margins to the ignore_codes