[ale] Dot matrix printer/start of page problems.

[Lightner, Jeff]

They couldn’t usually do the suggestion anyway as checks have to be accounted for even if voided usually.  Having to keep half checks around for 7 years would be a pain.  Hopefully you’re doing intial tests with plain white (continuous feed) paper to see where it is lining up before putting real checks in.

I used to work on the Okidata and loved them but other than remembering they used different initialization strings than Epson and others (until later models) don’t remember that much about them.   Presumably any initialization string is already being sent by the software (assuming it doesn’t know you put new printer in same location).

I do remember one of the last Okidata printers I worked on had a tractor feed to feed paper in from the back and around the platen but also had an open slot in the bottom.   At one site they had taped down the paper sensor so it always thought it had paper even and fed from the bottom even though it wasn’t actually supposed to feed that way.   (Only God knows why they put a slot there.)    I had to argue with the site because they swore they’d always fed from the bottom but the manual (and the same model we had in our office) made it clear it should be fed from the back.   You might check to see if they’ve done something equally bizarre here.





From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On Behalf Of Beddingfield, Allen
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 1:30 PM
To: 'ale at ale.org'
Subject: Re: [ale] Dot matrix printer/start of page problems.

It is too high. They are positioning the print head about 1/3 the way down, but it rolls the paper back to where the print head is higher on the page. On the old one that is of the same exact model, it did not reposition the paper - it would just start printing where ever they had rolled it to.
Allen B.


From: John Pilman [mailto:jcpilman at gmail.com]<mailto:[mailto:jcpilman at gmail.com]>
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2013 12:26 PM
To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts <ale at ale.org<mailto:ale at ale.org>>
Subject: Re: [ale] Dot matrix printer/start of page problems.


You didn't say if the printing is too low or too high on the form. If it is too low you can tear off one check part way from the top.  That will give you a new starting point.

...John
On Aug 30, 2013 9:58 AM, "Beddingfield, Allen" <allen at ua.edu<mailto:allen at ua.edu>> wrote:
One of my clients for my consulting business has an umm…VERY legacy setup.  They have an old server that went out of warranty 8 years ago, running SCO Unix, and an old RM/COBOL-85 application.  They were mid-migration to a new Windows-based product, when the vendor for that product went out of business, so we are stuck with it for a while longer (another whole topic of discussion).

Anyway, here is my issue:  They have three Okidata Microline 320 dot matrix printers with Axis print servers attached.  Each is assigned to a queue on the Unix box, and each does a special purpose.  One does forms on special paper stock, one prints checks, and one prints reports on plain paper.
The one that prints checks recently had a mechanical failure, so I temporarily swapped the report printer with it so that they could print their monthly check run.  That is where things got weird.
Apparently their procedure for years when printing checks has been to load the checks in the printer, crank the knob to line up the print head with the spot on the check where the first line (check number) should print, power cycle the printer, and print.  On the old printer, this left the print head lined up with that spot on the check, and it began printing at that spot.  When I put the other printer there, and they follow the same procedure, the printer repositions the paper back to the top of the sheet of paper before printing, putting the check number and everything else out of alignment.
The person who used to support them is no longer around, and all they know is that "the last guy changed something on the printer to make it work that way".
I've looked up the manual for the ML 320 printer, and it sounds like this may have something to do with a "page tear off" setting, or a "start of page" setting.  It has been 15+ years since I messed with a dot matrix printer, and then it was pretty much just to print normal paper through.
Does anyone have any ideas of what to try with this?!
They owe me a significant sum of money for a few months of work, so I have a lot of motivation to get their check printer working again!

Allen B.

--
Allen Beddingfield
Systems Engineer
The University of Alabama

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