1. spress.exe Driver
2. SPRESS.TXT File Contents

SPRESS.TXT Driver File Contents (spress.exe)

SelectPress(TM) 600, 600 Pro and 1200

Software Release - Version 2.3

December 1994

These release notes provide last-minute information that is not included
in the SelectPress User's Manual. In addition, the notes contain
information about, and work-arounds to, problems that are currently
under review by GCC Engineering, and which may or may not be related to
third-party application software. There are also several important tips
that will make it easier to use your SelectPress.

Note: During the initial Macintosh installation, the SelectPress Release
Notes are displayed in the installer window. They may be either saved as
a SimpleText file or printed at that time for future reference. The PC
version of the SelectPress Release notes are stored in the file
README.TXT on the Windows Printing Software floppy disk.


Upgrades and changes
--------------------

Standard TCP/IP support (SelectPress 1200)
The SelectPress 1200 now comes standard with TCP/IP network protocol
software. The TCP/IP software is included on floppy disks (both
Macintosh and PC formats) in the customer kit and must be installed
according to the procedures described in the accompanying TCP/IP
Software Guide. The software allows your SelectPress to be an
independent node on a TCP/IP network. Any computer that supports TCP/IP
can send print jobs directly to the printer. TCP/IP is almost universal
on Unix machines; it is also available for almost every other kind of
computer, including Macintoshes and IBM PCs. Windows NT can also be
configured to print to the Berkeley Unix print spooler (lpd) included in
the SelectPress TCP/IP software. Note: TCP/IP software is available as
an option for the SelectPress 600.

Multiple resolution printing for PCL 5
PCL 5 can now print at either 300 dpi or 600 dpi. It can be changed from
the SelectPress front panel under the Emulations/PCL menu where a
submenu named PCL Resolution has been added with settings for 300 and
600 dpi. The factory default setting for PCL resolution is 600 dpi.
However, it is important to note that the built-in PCL bitmap fonts
(Courier 10, Courier 10 Bold, Courier 10 Oblique, Courier 12, Courier 12
Bold, Courier 12 Oblique, Line Printer 16) are 300 dpi bitmap fonts, and
thus will always print at 300 dpi. The built-in PCL outline fonts, and
any downloaded outline fonts, will print at the specified resolution.
HP-GL/2 graphics (which is part of PCL 5) will print at the specified
resolution.

Multi-Buffer Rendering
GCC's Multi-Buffer-Rendering (MBR) technology allows the SelectPress to
achieve maximum page-to-page print speed. MBR uses advanced memory
management techniques that enable GCC printers to render (convert from
page description language to printable bitmap) one or more pages while
the current page is being printed. MBR also applies to overlapping print
jobs. In most laser printers, if a user has sent a print job to the
printer, other users must wait for that job to be processed and printed.
The SelectPress now incorporates Job Overlap, which enables the printer
to begin processing a new job while it is printing a job, allowing for
faster processing.

Ethernet Zone Names
Ethernet logical zone names of up to 32 characters are now supported.
Previously, if you tried to set a zone of the SelectPress (via the
LaserWriter Utility) to a zone whose name was greater than 16
characters, you would get an error message. As in previous releases, you
have to power-cycle the printer for the zone name change to take effect.

Halftone Print Quality
The SelectPress 2.3 software includes application-independent AccuGray
halftone correction software. Now, halftones printed from any
application can be automatically corrected, not just those applications
using the PPD and PDF files.

The AccuGray system applies varying amounts of halftone-correction
depending on the screen frequency selected for the halftone. This means
that halftones rendered at 141 lines per inch (lpi) will be equivalent
in perceived grayscale to halftones rendered at 53 lpi. Halftone
correction can be disabled at any time from the SelectPress's front
panel (see following).

+ AccuGray submenu
The SelectPress 2.3 software installs a new AccuGray submenu into the
front panel menu system of the printer. The submenu appears in the
PostScript submenu in the Emulations menu. In order to apply halftone
correction to any halftone information in a print job, the AccuGray
submenu must be set to Enabled; Enabled is the default.

New Application Files
The 2.3 software release ships with new application (PPD, PDX, PDF, APD,
LPD, MPD) files for both Macintosh and PC platforms.

+ QuarkXPress PDF
The new QuarkXPress PDF application file causes XPress to send only
grayscale data to the SelectPress instead of full color data. This
significantly speeds up printing from QuarkXPress.

Halftone speed improvements
The SelectPress halftone rendering software has been further optimized
for performance.

Removal of the front panel "Halftone" option
The Front panel menu item "Halftone" has been removed. The SelectPress
uses the circular spot function as its default for halftone printing.

Additional Fonts
Each SelectPress model comes with a bonus set of Bitstream(R) fonts.
(These fonts are in addition to the printer's 35 resident fonts.) The
SelectPress 600 comes with 45 additional TrueType fonts, the SelectPress
600 Pro comes with 100 additional TrueType fonts and the SelectPress
1200 comes with 250 additional fonts in both Type 1 and TrueType
formats.

In order to use these fonts in your documents, you must install them on
your computer.

Macintosh - The Macintosh font sets for the SelectPress 600 and
SelectPress Pro come in compressed form on floppy disks and must be
installed using the accompanying installer application. The installer
automatically installs the fonts into the correct location depending on
the System version.

The SelectPress 1200 fonts are contained on a CD-ROM. Copy them directly
into the appropriate locations, according to the System version you are
using as follows:

+ System 7.5, 7.1 - Fonts need to be installed into the Fonts folder in
the System Folder.

+ System 7.0.1, 7.0 - TrueType fonts and Type 1 bitmapped fonts need to
be installed into the System suitcase. Type 1 outline fonts should be
copied into the Extensions folder.

+ System 6.0.8, 6.0.7 - TrueType fonts should be copied into the System
file, using Font/DA Mover 4.1. Type 1 bitmap fonts need to be installed
into the System and the Type 1 outline fonts should be copied into the
System folder.

Note: If you are using System 6.0.x, you must have the Apple TrueType
extension in your System folder. Copies of the TrueType extension and
Font/DA Mover 4.1 are included with the Printer Software disks and is
automatically installed when a System 6 installation is performed.

Windows - The PC font sets for the SelectPress 600 and SelectPress 600
Pro come on floppy disks and should be installed via the Fonts option in
the Control Panel, by using the Add button. The 250 SelectPress 1200
fonts are contained on a CD-ROM. Install the TrueType format fonts on
the CD-ROM via the Fonts option in the Control Panel, by using the Add
button. The Type 1 format fonts can be installed into Windows using
Adobe Type Manager (ATM).

A complete set of the Bitstream fonts (TrueType format) for your
SelectPress model has also been downloaded to the internal drive of the
SelectPress at the factory, so that fonts do not have to be downloaded
each time they are specified in a document.

For more information see the "Fonts" chapter in the SelectPress User's
Manual.


Information, operational tips, and work-arounds
-----------------------------------------------

Inverse printing
If you have checked the "Invert Image" checkbox in the LaserWriter
driver's Page Setup Options dialog box, and portions of your printed
pages are not inverted, you should change the setting in the front panel
AccuGray submenu to Disabled. Please note that the default setting for
AccuGray is Enabled. For more information on AccuGray, see the section
"Halftone Print Quality" above.

PostScript and PCL(R) Sensing and Switching
SelectPress supports PostScript Level 2 and PCL 5/HP-GL/2(R) emulation.
With the "all ports active" and "auto-sensing and switching" features,
SelectPress can differentiate between PostScript and PCL print jobs
received through any of its active interfaces. This includes Serial,
Parallel, LocalTalk(R), and EtherTalk(R) ports.

However, if your printer has a base configuration of 8 MB of RAM,
complex text and graphics documents may not print due to low memory
failures. Printing failures may be avoided if you select the "PostScript
Only" mode when printing complex PostScript documents, or "PCL Only"
mode when printing complex PCL documents. Upgrading to 16 MB of RAM will
prevent low memory failures when in Auto-Switching mode. The factory
default setting for SelectPress is "PostScript Only" mode. See your
User's Manual for additional information on configuring your SelectPress
and enabling the PCL functionality.

Loading Paper In Optional Paper Trays (mixing page orientations)
When using a SelectPress that has optional paper feed sources installed
(e.g. Multi-Purpose feeder, lower paper tray) do not configure sources
for different paper orientations (i.e., long edge feed, short edge
feed). For example, if the upper tray is set up to feed letter size
paper with long edge feed, do not set the Multi-Purpose feeder (set
through front panel menu) to feed paper oriented to short edge.

LocalTalk or EtherTalk Initialization
After the SelectPress is powered on, it takes approximately 30 seconds
before the "Ready" message appears on the front panel. After the "Ready"
message appears, the SelectPress is ready to receive print jobs via the
serial or parallel port. The LocalTalk or EtherTalk interface will be
ready to receive data approximately 30 seconds after the "Ready" message
appears on the front panel.

TCP/IP Settings
TCP/IP settings via the front panel are no longer limited to only those
allowed per TCP/IP specifications. System administrators may input Mask
and Subnet settings that are invalid, although desired. Several system
administrators have reported that they require certain settings, even
though they are invalid. Note: Invalid settings can only be entered if
the Check addresses item is set to Disabled. Check addresses is located
in the TCP/IP submenu of the Interfaces menu in the SelectPress front
panel.

Font Downloading
+ Fonts downloaded to the SelectPress's internal hard disk will
typically use twice as much space as they take on your computer's hard
disk or floppies. For example, after downloading 10 MB of fonts to the
SelectPress, the "Start Page" will show more than 20 MB of disk space
used.

+ When a font that has the same name as one of the SelectPress' 35
resident PostScript fonts is downloaded to the internal hard disk, the
downloaded font will override the resident font and be used when
specified in a document.

+ Font Capacity On Internal Hard Disk (bug fix)
The 2.21 software release introduced a bug that caused the SelectPress
to hang on power-up if 200 or more fonts were downloaded to the
printer's internal hard disk. This bug has been fixed.

Hairline Accuracy/Stroke Adjustment - SelectPress 600/600 Pro
Stroke Adjustment is a control that has been added to the SelectPress to
improve the look of 1200dpi hairlines. With stroke adjust disabled, 1200
dpi hairlines may be slightly thicker. The Stroke Adjust submenu is
located in the PostScript submenu of the Emulations menu. The factory
default is "Enabled" for SelectPress 1200, and "Disabled" for
SelectPress 600 and 600 Pro.

PostScript Binary Communications Protocol
In order to send PostScript jobs that use Binary Communications Protocol
to the SelectPress' RS-422, RS-232, or Parallel ports, these ports must
be in the "PostScript Only" mode. If they are in the "Auto Sensing" mode
then PostScript Binary Serial Protocol will be interpreted as PCL and
your document will not print properly.

QuarkXPress 3.3, LaserWriter 8 and PPD vs. PDF
The Printer Type pop-up menu in the QuarkXPress 3.3 Page Setup window
now lists ALL PDF's located in the PDF folder as well as ALL PPD files
located in the Printer Description Folder in the Extensions folder. (The
PDF folder is located inside the QuarkXPress 3.3 folder.)

When using LaserWriter 8, we recommend (as does Quark) that you choose
the PDF file. The SelectPress PPD and PDF are named internally in such a
way that only the PDF will appear in the Printer Type menu, if you have
installed all the software as follows:

1. Performed a complete installation of the SelectPress 2.3 software.

2. Installed the QuarkXPress PDF file (into the PDF folder in the main
Quark folder). (The Quark PDF is located in the SelectPress software
Application Files folder that is created on your hard drive during the
initial installation.)

If you have done these things, you will see the SelectPress (PDF)
displayed in Printer Type box in the Page Setup window. The PDF files
for the SelectPress 600 & SelectPress 1200 read as follows:

GCC SelectPress 600
GCC SelectPress 1200

Remember, if you do not copy the Quark PDF file from the SelectPress's
Application Files folder to the QuarkXPress PDF folder, the SelectPress
selection in the Printer Type menu will be the PPD, not the recommended
PDF.

If for some reason you need to select the PPD, remove the SelectPress
PDF from the Quark PDF folder and restart the application and reselect
the SelectPress option in the Printer Type menu.

(Macintosh(R)) SelectPress Custom LaserWriter(TM) Driver

+ The Custom Paper Source option does not provide document collation for
multiple copies, so the number of copies should be set to "1" in the
"Print..." dialog box when using this feature. Please refer to the
SelectPress User's Manual.

+ Proper rotation of patterns. Certain applications, such as MacDraw(R)
and MacPaint(R), do not correctly specify patterns for printers that can
print on long-edge-feed paper. The SelectPress driver corrects this so
that patterns will be printed in the proper orientation.

(Windows(TM)) SelectPress Custom PostScript Printer Driver

+ Some applications may not allow you to select the A6, B6, or 12x19
paper sizes in the Print Setup dialog box. In this case, use the Windows
Control Panel to select the desired paper size. Open the Control Panel,
open Printers, choose the SelectPress from the list of installed
printers, and click the Setup button. Select the paper size and click
the OK button, then click the Close button, and exit the Control Panel.

+ After installing additional memory into the SelectPress, it is a good
idea to update the Virtual Memory setting of the SelectPress Windows
driver to get the maximum use out of the new memory during printing. The
following procedure will enable you to adjust the Virtual Memory (KB)
setting, located in the Advanced options dialog box of Print Setup
Options. By adjusting this number, the Windows driver will be better
able to process documents with downloadable TrueType or other soft font.
Note: The update procedure should also be used if you routinely download
more than one or two fonts to the printer's memory (regardless of
whether you have upgraded the printer's RAM). Download your normal font
set and then perform the update procedure.

To update the Windows driver:
1. Determine the printer's new virtual memory configuration
After installing the new memory, print the file TESTPS.TXT. This file is
located in your Windows SYSTEM directory. For example, if your printer
is connected to LPT1, type:

        copy c:\windows\system\testps.txt lpt1

The printed file will indicate the maximum printer virtual memory and
the maximum suggested virtual memory. You will use the suggested value.
2. Open the Main group from the Program Manager window.
3. Open the Control Panel.
4. Open Printers.
5. Click Setup....
6. Click Advanced....
7. Enter the suggested virtual memory value into the Virtual Memory (KB)
option box.
8. Close all windows.

Communicating with an IBM PC or Compatible
The following information may be useful if you will be printing from DOS
applications. These commands are not necessary if you only print from
Windows.

+ Parallel Interface

To set up the parallel port for communication between the SelectPress
printer and the IBM PC, issue the following MS-DOS command:

        MODE LPT1:,,P

This command allows the Centronics busy signal to be active for extended
periods of time.

+ Serial Interface

You can also use one of the SelectPress's serial ports to communicate
with an IBM PC or compatible. The SelectPress provides XON/XOFF or DTR
flow control for serial communication. DTR flow control is preferred
because DOS has better support for it, Windows also uses DTR, and DTR
provides more reliable communication when sending PCL jobs to the
printer.

Note: Make sure that the SelectPress front panel settings for the serial
interface match the settings you specify in DOS. (See the SelectPress
User's Manual for information about setting communications parameters in
the front panel.)

- DTR Flow Control for PC Communication

To set up a PC serial interface to communicate with the SelectPress,
using DTR flow control at 9600 baud, issue the following MS-DOS
commands:

        MODE COM1:9600,N,8,1,P
        MODE LPT1:=COM1:

- XON/XOFF Flow Control for PC Communication

You may want to use XON/XOFF flow control if you use a particular
application program that handles this protocol. It is important that the
application support XON/XOFF because standard DOS commands such as PRINT
and COPY cannot.

To set up a PC serial interface to communicate with the SelectPress,
using XON/OFF flow control at 9600 baud, issue the following MS-DOS
commands:

        MODE COM1:9600,N,8,1
        MODE LPT1:=COM1:

===================================================================

All trademarks "(TM)" and registered trademarks "(R)" mentioned herein
are the property of their respective holders.

Special note regarding QuarkXPress PDF files:
The Printer Description Files contained herein are provided "as is" to
the customer. QUARK, INC. DOES NOT WARRANT THE PRINTER DESCRIPTION
FILES. QUARK, INC. DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH
REGARD TO THE ENCLOSED PRINTER DESCRIPTION FILES. QUARK, INC. DISCLAIMS
ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR MERCHANTABILITY. QUARK,
INC. DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
DISTRIBUTORS AND RETAILERS OF THE PRINTER DESCRIPTION FILES ENCLOSED
HEREIN.