* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *››          Special Effects›                and›          Print Star 1.3›                 by›          Thomas J. Andrews›NOTE: [EFFECTS.PSP.] will be  found on›S-2 of the OL'HACKERS newsletter disk.››WISH LIST?›   Have  you  ever  wanted to add some›special  effects  to  your  Print Star›pages,  like italicized words or bold,›double-width section headings?  ››TWO PROGRAMS NEEDED plus EFFECTS.PSP.›   You'll  need two programs to do it.›First,  of  course, is Print Star 1.3.›Second,  you'll  need a word processor›like Atariwriter Plus that can display›in  more  than  40  columns,  and will›display  entire  printer control codes›including    the   ESCAPE   character.›Another  program, REFORMAT 2.01, would›be helpful in preparing text for Print›Star.  Another helpful item would be a›reference  for your printer's software›command codes.››GETTING STARTED.›   The  first  step is to prepare your›Print  Star  text.    This, of course,›needs to be formatted in 40 columns or›less, and may or may not be justified.›This  article,  as  you can see, is 38›columns wide and fully justified.  The›one thing you need to plan for at this›stage  is  those  double-wide  section›headings.    Those  lines will have to›be  kept   shorter.   Remember,  every›double-wide  letter takes up two print›spaces  and if you use too many you'll›throw the column alignment off.  Don't›put in the printer codes now - they'll›count  as  characters  and  throw  the›alignment off, too.››   You'll  need to send the Print Star›output  to  a disk file.  If there are›multiple  pages, it's best to put each›page  into  a separate file.  While in›Print   Star,   you  can  add  special›effects  to  the  header,  byline,  or›footer  by including the printer codes›when  you  enter  the lines - if there›aren't  too  many.   Remember, printer›codes  are  not printed and don't take›up  any space on the printed line, but›Print    Star   doesn't   know   that.›Headers,  footers, and bylines are all›centered  by  Print  Star, and printer›codes  will  be  counted as characters›when  that  centering  takes place.  A›little offset due to a couple of codes›might  not  be  noticeable,  but  more›certainly  would be.  One more thing -›if  you  DO decide to add effects this›way,  don't  forget  to  turn them off›again.››THE BEST WAY!›   The  best  way to add effects is to›wait  until  the  next  step  and  use›Atariwriter  Plus.  (AW+)  Boot up AW+›normally,  then load the page file you›want  to  work on into it, and move to›the EDIT screen.  Now comes the tricky›part.    Press  OPTION and C together.›You'll   then   be  asked,  "How  many›columns?"  You should respond with, oh›-  150  or so.  (You can go up to 249,›but use at least 135)  The screen will›instantly  change  and you'll see most›of  the  Print  Star columns fall into›perfect  alignment.    The  only lines›that  won't  be  in  alignment are the›header,  byline, footer, and the lines›that already contain printer codes.››   This  OPTION  C command adjusts the›display  width.    You  still  have  a›maximum of 40 columns displayed at one›time,   but   the   screen  becomes  a›scrolling   window   to   the   entire›display.    You  scroll  the window by›moving  the  cursor from left to right›and  back.    The  cursor  will not go›beyond  the end-of-line character on a›particular line, so if it's on a short›line  you  won't be able to scroll the›window across the full page.››   Say  you  want  a  word italicized.›Just  move the cursor to the beginning›of  the word and insert your printer's›command  to  turn on the italics font.›Be  sure to use the ATASCII characters›for  the  command.    DO  NOT  use the›decimal equivalents or the AW+ CONTROL›O   command.    Consult  your  printer›manual  for  the  proper  codes.   For›characters that are also AW+ commands,›just   press   SHIFT   ESC,  then  the›keypress  for the character. Consult a›reference   chart   for   the   proper›keypresses.››   This addition will move the columns›out  of  alignment  on the AW+ screen,›but  remember  that the codes will not›be  printed,  so the alignment will be›preserved on the printed page.››A TURN OFF.›   To  turn off the effect, just go to›the  end  of  the  word and insert the›code  to  turn it off.  If you want to›italicize a passage that takes up more›than  one  line,  be  sure to turn the›effect off after the last character in›that  column and turn it back on again›on  the  next line.  If you don't turn›it   on   and   off   for  each  line,›everything  in  all  columns  will  be›italicized until you do turn it off.››CAN YOUR PRINTER DO ALL THIS?›   This  works  the  same  for several›effects    besides    italics,    like›underlining,   NLQ,  emphasized,  even›super-  and  sub-  scripts.  Just make›sure  your  printer  can  produce  the›particular  combination of effects you›try,  and  don't  remove  any  of  the›control codes put there by Print Star.›Don't   change  the  line  feed  size,›either.  That would really mess things›up.››DOUBLE-WIDTH››   Double-width section headings are a›special  problem.   Remember, you were›to be sure to make them no longer than›20 characters.  Print Star, of course,›didn't  know  these characters were to›be  in  double-width, so that line was›padded  with  spaces  to  preserve the›column  alignment.    In  addition  to›adding  the  printer  codes it will be›necessary  to  for  you  to remove the›extra  spaces,  one for each character›that  is  widened.    Don't  count the›printer  codes, but spaces between the›words DO count as characters.››TO SAVE YOUR LITERARY GEM!›    When you're all done, use the SAVE›ASCII  command (OPTION S from the main›menu)  to  save  a  copy to a new disk›file.  This file can then be copied to›the  printer  from  DOS, producing the›page.   You can dump the text directly›to  the  printer from AW+ if you want,›but  it's  best  to  save it in a disk›file  first, just in case.  DO NOT USE›THE  AW+ "PRINT" FUNCTION TO PRINT THE›PAGE.››THATS IT, OR IS IT?›   That's all there is to it.  If your›page doesn't come out as you wanted it›to,  just  reload it into AW+ and edit›it again.  Visualizing your effects as›you  put  them  in  may  take a little›imagination,  but  it  will get easier›with practice.››AN EXAMPLE FOR YOU.›   To  give  you  an  idea of what the›finished  product might look like from›AW+, I've asked ALEX to include a file›(EFFECTS.PSP)  on this newsletter disk›containing this article formatted on a›Print  Star page.  I've sprinkled some›italics,   underlining,  superscripts,›and   double-width   printing  in  the›article.   You can load this into AW+,›change  the display width, and look it›over.    If  you  have  an  Epson-  or›Gemini- compatible printer, you can go›to  DOS  and copy it directly to  your›printer to see what it would look like›on paper.›WHERE IS IT?› (EDITOR:  "EFFECTS.PSP"  program will›be found on side 2 of this disk!)››NOTE:›   If you use Print Star for something›interesting  or  unusual, I'd be happy›to  hear about it.  You may contact me›on  GEnie  as  J.ANDREWS24,  or at the›following address:›› Thomas J. Andrews› 7805 US Route 20› Manlius NY 13104››(orjust write to EDITOR, ALEX PIGNATO,›c/o OL' HACKERS AUG; 3376 Ocean Harbor Dr.; Oceanside, N.Y. 11572, and I will get it to TOM.)›* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *›