How to print DOS line drawing characters

Schobbert · Post by **Schobbert** » Mon May 16, 2005 7:22 pm

I have some old PC-DOS files that contain line drawing characters like decimal 191 for the upper right corner. When I open such a file for encoding = DOS, it is displayed correctly by TextPad, but printing it is a problem: Nonsens is printed for the line drawing characters.
The ANSI character set used in Windows does not contain these line drawing characters, the IBM ECS character set is needed.
TextPad can convert the file to ANSI, but the conversion is not satisfactory. For instance the character decimal 191 for the upper right corner is converted to a plus sign, as well as the decimal 192 for the lower left corner, and that makes my drawing confusing.

My printer is an HP Laserjet 4 Plus, and I found a contribution at http://www.robelle.com/library/smugbook/linedraw.html, that says I should use the font PC-8, but TextPad 4.7.3 does not offer that one.

I had to dig out my old IBM Proprinter XL24 in my attic, then a
COPY myfile LPT1: command in a DOS window prints the file correctly.

Is there a better solution in TextPad?

bveldkamp · Post by **bveldkamp** » Tue May 17, 2005 12:11 pm

Which script do you use? Open the document properties dialog (Alt+Enter), select the "Font" tab, check Scope: "Printer", and Script: "OEM/DOS" (not Western).

HTH, Berend

Schobbert · Post by **Schobbert** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 9:11 am

Thanks a lot, Berend. I have been waiting for an email when somebody puts an append in the forum (I think that service was provided some time ago).
It works now; I used "Western" before (it is probably the default), I never paid attention to this option.
Erich