PRB: IBM Proprinter Draft Mode Unavailable Under Windows 3.1 (86269)

SYMPTOMS

In the IBM Proprinter printer drivers included with Microsoft Windows version 3.1, the Printer Setup dialog box does not provide a draft mode option. Under Windows 3.0, the Proprinter printer driver provides a choice between Near Letter Quality (NLQ) and draft mode.

CAUSE

The Proprinter prints in draft mode by selecting a specific draft mode font. Under Windows 3.1, the Proprinter driver was rewritten using the Universal Printer Driver. The revised driver is consistent with the printer's method of selecting fonts.

RESOLUTION

To print in draft mode under Windows 3.1, format the text of your document using the Fastfont printer font. This font provides draft quality output and prints more rapidly than NLQ fonts. Text formatted in other fonts prints in near letter quality.

Under Windows 3.0, the Proprinter driver selects the draft font when the driver is configured for draft mode.

MORE INFORMATION

When the Proprinter driver is installed under Windows 3.1, use the following five-step procedure to print a Windows Write document in draft mode:

Start Windows Write and open the document.
Select the entire document.
Choose Fonts from the Character menu to bring up the Font dialog box.
Select the Fastfont font (each printer font has a printer symbol to the left of its name).
Print the document.

To make draft mode available when a Proprinter driver is installed, an application must enumerate the fonts provided by the system. Because Fastfont is a printer font, the enumeration must include printer fonts. An application, such as Notepad, that does not provide a choice of fonts limits the functionality available to its users.