APPLICATION NOTE #165 POSTSCRIPT SYMBOL SET Rev. 01 PostScript printers can produce many characters that are not part of the ASCII character set used by XyWrite. For example, the copyright and registered trademark sym~bols are part of the PostScript Symbol font, but they are not in the ASCII character set. This application note explains how you can include non-ASCII characters in your printed documents. CHARACTER SETS All standard Post~Script text fonts (e.g., Courier, Times, Helvetica, Garamond) have the same character set, which includes letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and a few commonly used symbols. Other fonts, such as Symbol and Zapf Dingbat, have unique character sets. The Symbol font, which is an internal font on all PostScript printers, includes many Greek and math characters, as well as some publishing symbols such as the copyright symbol and registered trademark. The Zapf Dingbat font, which is internal on all 35-font PostScript printers (e.g., Apple LaserWriter Plus, QMS PS 800 Plus), contains decorative or ornamental characters such as shadow boxes and stars. Two printed tables are available on request: one shows shows the charac~ters in the Symbol font and the other shows the characters in the Zapf Dingbat font (see Note #2). The tables also show the ASCII characters that represent the PostScript characters. The ASCII representations are required because XyWrite cannot display all the PostScript characters. Notice that the same ASCII character represents a different character in each font. For example, when you type q in a standard text font, your printed output is a q. In the Symbol font, a q produces a lowercase theta, and in the Zapf Dingbat font, a q produces a shadow box. PRINTING NON-ASCII CHARACTERS XyWrite can display only the characters in the ASCII set, but the printer files are designed so that you can use XyWrite to print any of the PostScript characters available on your printer. If you want to use the characters in the Symbol or Zapf Dingbat font, you have to first modify your printer file slightly. The PostScript printer files already contain the font definitions, width tables, and substitution tables for the symbol fonts (see Note #3). All you need to do is assign the font name (12SYMBOL or 12DINGBAT) to a character mode (see Notes #4 and #5). For example, if you don't use XyWrite's forms feature, you could reassign reverse mode (MD RV) to the Symbol font. Let's try it. 1. Call the printer file to the screen. For example: F5call 3postpls.prn 2. Move the cursor to the first MD RV statement. F5se /md rv/ 3. Change the line so it looks like this: MD RV+12SYMBOL 4. Move to the next MD RV statement, and repeat step 3, until you have modified all your PT tables. 5. Store and load the printer file. To print one of the characters from the Symbol font, say a copyright symbol: 1. Refer to the table "Symbol Font Characters" and locate the copyright symbol. Note its ASCII representation (ASCII 211). 2. Move the cursor to where you want the copyright symbol. 3. Change to reverse mode. Press: Ctrl-4 4. Enter the ASCII 211 symbol Press: Alt-Shift-211 5. Return to the reset (or default) mode. Press: Ctrl-0 6. Send your document to the printer. Result: The copyright symbol appears where you entered the ASCII 211 character. Note #1 Line Drawing Characters. PostScript does not support the line drawing characters found in the ASCII character set (ASCII characters 179 through 223). If you need to draw boxes or lines, use PostScript coding as described in the PostScript Language Reference Manual (pub~lished by Adobe Systems Inc.) Note #2 No PostScript Character. The tables some~times show an ASCII character without a Post~Script equivalent. In those cases, the ASCII character produces a blank space. Note #3 Zapf Dingbat Font. The Symbol font is internal on all PostScript printers, but the Zapf Dingbat font is internal only on the 35-font PostScript printers (e.g., Apple LaserWriter Plus, QMS PS 800 Plus). If your printer includes the Zapf Dingbat font, select a display mode that you don't need, and mod~i~fy your printer file as described above. Note #4 Mode Normal. Mode Normal (MD NM) must be associated with a text font (e.g., COURIER, TIMES, etc.); you can use any other mode for the SYMBOL and DINGBAT fonts. Note #5 Display Modes. There are thirteen display modes defined by two-letter abbreviations. If you are using all thirteen of these modes, ~you can create a new mode definition using a mode number. Avail~able numbers are 1 to 255. Refer to the XyWrite III Plus Reference Guide for more information on display modes.