An updated version of this file is available from
http://bonk.ethz.ch

Maybe the following information is helpful for all HP Deskjet owners who are 
disappointed by the printer driver available for OS/2 (like me).

Unfortunately I didn't spend too much time on OS/2 driver support when I was 
looking for a new color printer. So I ended up with a HP850, a nice machine 
with excellent Windows support. Unfortunately Hewlett Packard refuses to 
support OS/2, so the IBM OMNI driver is the only way to get some output - with 
very low quality.

Fortunately there is a non commercial alternative originating from the GNU 
project: Ghostscript. This is available for a lot of platforms _including_ OS2 
and all components are available via internet.

The mechanism for printing via Ghostscript is similar to Faxworks output. The 
primarily generated Postscript code is redirected from a virtual printer port to 
the interpreter:
 
    OS/2-app -> PSCRIPT driver
                   |
                   V
                  LPT2 -> printmon.exe
                                |
                                V
                  LPT1 <-  Ghostscript
                   |
                   V
    printer  <-  cable


Perhaps the following "step by step" manual is helpful for installing such a
background printing process:

0.  Ghostscript is available at the internet, e.g.:
    http://www.leo.org/pub/comp/os/os2/gnu/doc/
    http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/aladdin/obtain.html
    Several zip-files are needed:
    gs403ini.zip, gs403os2.zip, gs403fn1.zip (non-GNU versions)
    optional: gsview21.zip, hp850os2.zip

    General information about ghostscript, postscript, gsview and
    related stuff can be found at:

	http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/
	

1.  Install the OS/2 Ghostscript package. The most convenient way 
    is to make use of the GSview install program (os2setup.exe).
    Ghostscript will need 6MB of diskspace and GSview another 2MB.
    For using the advanced features of HP Deskjet 850C unpack 
    hp850os2.zip and replace the original versions of
    GSOS2.EXE and GSDLL2.DLL

    __NOTE__: These replacement files will only work with warp3 and
              higher. Furthermore they won't work on a 386 without a 
              coprozessor !!! If this really bothers you, and you are
              absolutly unable to recompile ghostscript yourself, you
              may contact uli@bonk.ethz.ch. In case this address is no
              longer valid, search for uli Wortmann on 
	      http://www.four11.com

2.  Download and unzip the printmon package (some 4kB only)
    http://www.leo.org/pub/comp/os/os2/systools/printmon.zip

	See also:

	http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/aladdin/printmon.html


3.  Open the printmon.exe popup menu (click right mousebutton)

4.  Select "make new" to create a new WPS object

5.  A dialog box appears for editing the name of the object 
    (suggestion: Ghostprint) and the directory to locate it (suggestion: 
    same as printmon.exe)

6.  Open the popup of the new object (Ghostprint) by clicking the
    right mousebutton

7.  Select "settings" in the popup menu

8.  The "Path" should be OK already, but "Parameters" need to be added:
    type the commandline for printmon.exe, e.g. 

    lpt2 "D:\GSCRIPT\GS4.03\GSOS2.EXE -sDEVICE=cdj850 -r600 
    -sPAPERSIZE=a4 -sOUTPUTFILE=lpt1 -q -"

    Remarks: lpt2 is the virtual printer port for the OS/2 Postscript
    printer driver (see below), lpt1 is the port for the physical printer,
    the option -r600 only is supported by the HP 850 ghostscript driver
    cdj850

9.  The "Working Directory" for GSOS2.EXE has to be added, e.g. 
    D:\GSCRIPT\GS4.03

10. Close the setting notebook an open the popup again (right 
    mousebutton)

11. Select "make reference" and in the settings notebook select the
    system startup folder. So the the printing redirector will be 
    loaded automatically during boot.

12. Add  two statements in CONFIG.SYS:
    SET GS_LIB=D:/GSCRIPT/GS4.03/FONTS;C:/PSFONTS
    SET GS_LOAD=10

13. Make sure that the latest version of a postsript printer driver is
    installed. Otherwise look at IBMs device driver support, e.g.
    http://www.europe.ibm.com/getdoc/psmemea/progserv/device/printers.html
    Adjust LPT2 as printer port and enable the color printing option.

14. If you want to use GSview (called gvpm under os2) together with the
    hp850-driver, you need to add the following stuff to gvpm.ini (this
    file is found in the directory where your os2.ini-files are
    stored. On most systems in \os2)

	To the list of printers:

		cdj850=600x600

	and further down to the list of options:

		[cdj850]
		dRetValue=[Not defined]
		dMasterGamma=[Not defined]
		dBitsPerPixel=[Not defined]
		dQuality=[Not defined]
		dPapertype=[Not defined]

		[cdj850 values]
		dRetValue=0,1,2
		dMasterGamma=1.0,1.5,1.7,2.0,2.5,3.0
		dBitsPerPixel=32
		dQuality=-1,0,1
		dPapertype=1,2,3,4

15. For best perfomance with warp4, _avoid_ the /irq statement behind
    the statement  BASEDEV=PRINT01.SYS. Furthermore use the default
    priority of the spooler and have the printing process in the
    background! Thus you should be able to continiously print while
    still having a responsive system (at least on 486/100).

16. Reboot and enjoy the nice printer output





