Using Printmaster Notes by Barry Etheridge for PCW World c.1989 The version of Printmaster available from PCW World has been substantially amended to make it possible to run the program on all Amstrad 8000 series machines. We are particularly grateful to Geoffery Childs for an elegant, memory saving, programming solution, which makes this unique version possible. *SETTING UP* The key factor is the arrangement of files on the disc. Side 2, which will be the disc left in the drive during operation of the program, must contain the following files:- BORDER.MTX BORDERS.SHP FNTNAMES.MTX FONTICON.SHP FSIZES. SLIB.SDR SLIB.SHP PLUS as many of your favourite fonts ( .FNT files) as you can fit into the remaining disc space. Unfortunately you must sacrifice at least one font but as the fonts you choose are not crucial (provided you remember not to use the absent font(s) in the program!) change them around to find the ones you like before settling on the disc contents. Side 1 of the disc should contain all the remaining files. If the master disc you have received is organised differently then use PIP (or any file handling system such as the space saving NewSWeeP - available from PCW World!) to transfer them in the right configuration to the disc you will actually be using. [Just a tip - when copying a number of individual files to another disc, copy them to m: initially, (eg. pip m:=pmaster.com), to avoid constant disc changing. Then when all the files you need are in m: copy them all in one go to the new disc, (eg. pip a:=m:*.*). Erase all the files in m:, (eg. erase m:*.*), and then repeat the process for a second side.] *LOADING PRINTMASTER* This version of Printmaster should be loaded from boot. Either turn off the machine, turn on, and insert side 1 of your disc, or press [SHIFT]+[EXTRA]+[EXIT] with side 1 in the machine. On completion of the loading process you will be asked to log the data drive. Just insert Side 2 into the disc drive and press the [A] key. The opening menu will then appear. For reasons which no-one seems able to fathom this menu will occasionally appear with gibberish (or nothing) in the title box - this doesn't actually affect the running of the program and will return to normal once you use your first function. If the menu fails to appear at all, try pressing any key to clear the problem. If this still fails (it hasn't so far in testing!), it may be necessary to repeat the loading. *USING PRINTMASTER* Printmaster is entirely menu operated and therefore largely self-explanatory. Experimentation is by far the best way to get the most from it. However, you will soon discover, if using single sheet A4 paper, that the printing is squeezed as tightly as possible onto the page and this will result in incomplete images as the paper 'runs out'. Before printing you should therefore turn on the Paper Out Defeat on the PCW printer. Press [PTR], use the cursor arrow keys to move the 'illuminated' section to PO Defeat, then press [+] to turn it 'on'! Now [EXIT] the printer control state and you will be able to print to the extremities of the paper and reproduce all the borders etc. available.