SOURCE: BLD FLASH 9705 SOURCE MATERIAL DATED: 7/97 INFOPRINT 60 MICROCODE ENHANCED WITH 240 DPI SUPPORT The latest level of InfoPrint 60 microcode now supports both 240 and 300 dpi AFP datastreams, in addition to its native 600 dpi datastream support. This microcode (V4.2) will be available for existing customers and will be loaded on all new machines shipped from Endicott beginning 6/27/97. Existing customers can request the new microcode through their hardware service channels. V4.2 microcode is EC 000D36466A, P/N 90H3005. Customers can select 240/600 or 300/600 printing mode using a printer configuration option from the printer's operator console. This fulfills the following statement of direction, which was made when the InfoPrint 60 was announced in September 1996: "IBM will offer the ability to print all data types from 240 or 300 pel jobstreams, including raster fonts and graphics, scaled to 600 dpi resolution on the InfoPrint 60." These newly available enhancements to the InfoPrint 60's microcode give customers a "three-in-one" printer. The InfoPrint 60 is able to accept AFP applications designed for both 240 and 300 dpi AFP printers, and to print high-quality 600 dpi documents. This flexibility makes the InfoPrint 60 an excellent choice for both the traditional corporate marketplace as well as the fast emerging print-on-demand technology. This new version of microcode also includes resident 240 dpi double-byte raster fonts that were not supplied in previous release of InfoPrint 60. The addition of 240 dpi resident DBCS raster fonts allows customers with existing applications that use 240 dpi DBCS raster fonts to migrate their applications transparently to the InfoPrint 60 when it is configured in 240/600 printing mode. APPLICATION NOTES The new microcode release allows customers to print their 240 or 300 dpi AFP applications without modification, providing both coexistence with installed 240 and 300 dpi AFP printers and a clean migration path to new applications designed specifically to take full advantage of the InfoPrint 60's 600 dpi resolution. Customers now have the choice of either running their existing jobs as is at 240 or 300 dpi (scaled to 600 dpi by the printer's Advanced Function Common Control Unit) or to create new resolution-independent applications for printing on the same printer. Note that with the exception of raster (bitmapped) characters contained in AFP raster character sets, AFP data streams are resolution independent. Existing customers with both 240 and 300 dpi printers are well aware of the need to maintain two sets of character set libraries: one at 240 dpi for use with 240 dpi printers, and one at 300 dpi for use with 300 dpi printers. This requirement will still apply to those customers who wish to print existing applications using raster fonts on the InfoPrint 60 in both 240/600 and 300/600 modes. AFP jobs with 240 dpi raster resources (meaning raster character sets) must be printed in 240/600 mode. Note that nothing is actually imaged at 240 dpi. The printer will scale 240 dpi character bitmaps to 600 dpi and print all data at 600 dpi. Similarly, AFP jobs using 300 dpi raster characters must be printed in 300/600 mode. Once again, these 300 dpi characters will be scaled to 600 dpi and printed at 600 dpi. The algorithms used for scaling 240 dpi or 300 dpi raster characters to 600 dpi include smoothing functions, which can enhance the appearance of the text. The results are very close, but not identical to, the text when printed at 240 dpi or 300 dpi on existing AFP devices. All other AFP resources are resolution-independent (IOCA images, BCOCA bar codes, GOCA graphics, and outline fonts). These will be scaled to 600 dpi (in the case of images) or rendered at 600 dpi (in the case of bar codes, graphics, and outline fonts) and printed at 600 dpi. If the 240 or 300 dpi jobs use outline fonts, then all resources are resolution-independent. This is the optimal choice for highest print quality and fidelity of print, regardless of the printer's resolution mode. In fact, once applications are converted to using outline fonts in place of raster fonts, then the applications are completely resolution-independent. Resolution-independent jobs can be printed in any mode (240/600, 300/600, or native 600). In summary, customers with ONLY 240 dpi jobs can configure the printer to 240/600 mode and leave it there. This mode will process both 240 dpi jobs (jobs using 240 dpi raster fonts) and resolution-independent jobs (those using outline fonts). All jobs will print at 600 dpi (the InfoPrint 60's only printhead resolution). IMAGE DATA In the above discussion, no mention was made of IM1 (raster) image data. On the surface, it might appear that image data is device resolution-dependent. However, this is not the case, as the host PSF will convert IM1 raster data to IOCA any time the resolution of the raster image is different than the resolution of the printer. This means that the image data will be scaled in the printer to the printer's defined resolution. Simply put, all images (IM1 or IOCA) will be scaled to 600 dpi on the InfoPrint 60. Regardless of the printer's mode, images are influenced by the resolution at which they were scanned or produced. In general, the higher the resolution of the image, the better the result on the printer. This is especially true for image data produced from photographs or any other image input created from greyscale objects. It can also be true for some bilevel (either black or white) images with fine details. NOTE: Greyscale object rendering is a complex area that involves the interactions between resolution (dpi, which directly affects the sharpness of an image), line screening and dithering algorithms (which specify how to convert a greyscale image to individual dots), and contrast or simulated grey levels (which dictate how many different levels of grey can be produced). Some trial and error will likely be required to produce optimal results with this type of data. OPERATIONAL NOTES With this level of microcode, customers can choose between 240/600 mode, 300/600 mode and the printer's native 600 dpi mode. This selection is made using a printer configuration option from the operator console. Customers with only 240 dpi or only 300 dpi jobs (no mix of the two) need set only one resolution mode on the printer. This will be 240/600 mode for 240 dpi customers, and 300/600 mode for 300 dpi customers. Note that EITHER mode will properly handle resolution-independent jobs (hence, there is no need to ever set the mode at 600 when running a mix of 240 and 300 dpi applications and resolution-independent applications). Customers with a mix of 240 dpi and 300 dpi jobs need to define operational procedures for managing switching between 240/600 and 300/600 modes. These customers also need to define separate printers to the host PSF - one for printing 240 dpi jobs and one for printing 300 dpi jobs. These printer definitions will point to distinct raster font resources - one set at 240 dpi for use in 240/600 mode and another set at 300 dpi for use in 300/600 mode. (Note: Existing customers with both 240 dpi and 300 dpi printers already have these distinct libraries, so nothing new needs to be created by the customer, other than separate printer definitions for 240/600 and 300/600.) The procedure for switching between modes is as follows: 1. The host print operator must "drain" the printer from the host operating system (for example, a JES operator would issue $Pprtxx). 2. After the printer is drained on the host, the printer operator changes the resolution mode on the InfoPrint 60 printer. 3. After the printer has switched modes and is ready to receive work from the host, the operator can "start" the printer defined to send jobs appropriate for the printer's resolution mode setting (for example, if the InfoPrint 60 has been set to 240/600 mode, the host operator would start the printer defined to process 240 dpi jobs). This procedure MUST be followed when customers plan to print a mix of legacy 240 and 300 dpi jobs on the InfoPrint 60. Detailed operator instructions are supplied with new machines and also with the microcode EC. PRINTER ATTACHMENT The InfoPrint 60 provides only TCP/IP attachment (either Token-Ring or Ethernet). The 3160-001 (a 240 dpi only printer) supports TCP/IP, S/370 parallel channel, and Token-Ring SNA attachments. Marketing representatives and System Engineers should discuss attachment options with their customers during the planning stages preceding installation of the printer. PERFORMANCE NOTES Although extensive performance benchmarks have not been done, a representative sample of AFP jobstreams have been measured on the InfoPrint 60 running in 240/600, 300/600, and 600 modes. The following general observations can be made: 1. Performance is not dramatically affected by the printer's resolution mode. The measured print speeds of image, GOCA, and other AFP datatypes varies little between 240/600, 300/600, and 600 settings. 2. Most datatypes run at rated speed. 3. Some particular datastreams may not perform as well at 600 dpi as they would have on a 240 dpi printer. This is primarily due to the increased amount of data that associated with higher resolution. For example, uncompressed 600 dpi image contains 6.25 times as many bits as the same uncompressed image at 240 dpi. 4. In particular, certain types of image (IM1) and graphics data (GOCA) may not achieve rated speed and may not achieve the same throughput when printed on the InfoPrint 60 as when printed on the 240 dpi 3160-001 (which was used for comparison purposes in the performance tests). There are two types of data that have exhibited this effect: Full (or nearly full) page raster image printed in DUPLEX, and certain GOCA graphics with fill and color. 5. Certain datastreams perform very well at 600 dpi and better than they did on 3160-001. These include ABIC-encoded IOCA and vector-only GOCA. The above are general guidelines only. Marketing reps and system engineers proposing InfoPrint 60s or supporting installed printers need to be sensitive to the above. When necessary, applications such as those listed in 4.) should be sent in to Boulder for benchmarking to help set customer expectations appropriately.