Letter-Art supports most plotters even though the manufacturer may not
provide Windows drivers. Windows requires some way to know that there is a device
associated with a port. Letter-Art provides the following solution for all plotters:
1. If a USB driver is supplied with your plotter, after installation, it may show up as a printer
in your Windows Printers and Faxes. Rename this driver PLOT1.If the
USB installation only establishes a port such as COM4, go to step 3 below and select this
port to work with the Generic Text Only Driver.
2. For Ioline plotters. Your plotter serial number ISMMYYWWNN has the
letters IS followed by 2 digits each for the Model, Year, Week and Count.
- If the year is 06 and prior, install the "Generic/Text Only" driver with a
serial cable (see step 3 below).
- For year 07, the USB driver (and cable) will install as a COM port (usually COM3 or
COM4), which must then be selected as the port to use with the Generic Text Only driver
(see step 3 below).
- Beginning with year 08, install the USB driver and also install the Spooler module
CDM_2.02.04.exe from the Ioline CD. This will add a new printer icon to your Printers and
Faxes called IOLINE DEVICE. Rename this icon PLOT1 to complete your installation.
3. Install "Generic / Text only" printer driver that is
supported by Windows. Select Add Printer from the Control Panel | Printers folder. Select
local and choose Manufacturer "Generic". From the printers list choose the
"Generic / Text only". Then select the port (network names are allowed).for your
plotter and chose Next. Change the "Printer Name" to "PLOT1" or
"PLOT2" (5 keystrokes only - no spaces or other spelling allowed),
corresponding to "Plotter-1" or "Plotter-2" in Letter-Art. Do not
select this "printer" as default if not necessary and do not output a test page.
4. If you open the Control Panel | Printers folder, you will find a new
printer icon, named "PLOT1" or "PLOT2". Select the icon and check the
"Spool Settings" in the File | Properties menu, Details tab. Click on
"Spool Settings" button. SPOOLING must be selected ON to START OUTPUT AFTER THE
FIRST PAGE with RAW data.
If a serial port plotter is connected, select the correct COM port and use
the Port Settings menu for Bits per second = 9600; 8 data bits; parity none; 1 stop bit
and Hardware (NOT Xon/Xoff) flow control.
The driver that you have selected will now appear in your printer list for
any Windows application. Remember that this channel is really your plotter. By
establishing that a port has a driver, Letter-Art can then send data to the spooler.
When a driver and a port are established, Letter-Art will send to the
device via the Windows spooler without driver interpretation. Letter-Art uses the Spool
program so that the plotter output, like printer output can operate in the background.
Both plotters and your printer can be operated simultaneously.
In the Output | Configuration menu for Letter-Art Plotter-1 and Plotter-2
devices, if you need to output to DISK, no changes in the "PLOT1" or
"PLOT2" driver settings are necessary. Just select the "Disk" option.