Equation Editor: Using with Non-PCL or Non-PostScript Printers

ID: Q80417

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

If you are using version 3.0 of Microsoft Windows and the Microsoft Equation Editor, the fonts included with the Equation Editor, which ship with version 2.0 of Microsoft Word for Windows, are designed to work exclusively with PCL and PostScript printers. A set of screen fonts is also supplied; however, these are for display purposes only.

MORE INFORMATION

The Equation Editor fonts do not work with non-PCL or non-PostScript printers. Equation Editor does substitute other fonts for such printers; however, this substitution usually creates undesirable output because the Equation Editor fonts consist of special characters (such as braces, integrals, and summation symbols). The printers most affected by this problem are dot-matrix printers and Hewlett-Packard (HP) DeskJet printers.

You may be able to get some of the Equation Editor characters to print by using the Style command on the Define menu to reassign fonts. Typically, the U.C. Greek, L.C. Greek, and Symbol styles need to be redefined.

A better solution is to use a font manager that recognizes PostScript Type 1 fonts. PostScript Type 1 fonts for the Equation Editor ship with Word for Windows; therefore, you can install these fonts in a font manager that recognizes this format (for example, Adobe Type Manager or Superprint).

If Windows version 3.1 is installed on the system, the best method is to use TrueType for the Equation Editor fonts. TrueType fonts work on any printer whose driver is compatible with Windows 3.1. If Word for Windows was installed prior to Windows 3.1, it may be necessary to re-install the Equation Editor. Reinstallation places the TrueType versions of the Fences and MTExtra fonts on the system. Use the following procedure to reinstall the Equation Editor:

1. Run the Word for Windows Setup program. To do this, double-click

   the Word Setup icon, or run Setup with the File Run command in Program
   Manager.

2. Proceed through Setup normally until you are prompted to choose
   Complete, Custom, or Minimum Installation. Choose the Custom option.

3. Clear all the check boxes in the Word Setup Options dialog box
   except the Draw, Graph, Equation Editor, WordArt check box. Choose the
   Tools button.

4. Clear the check boxes for Draw, Graph, and WordArt. Verify that the
   Equation Editor check box is selected, then choose the OK button.

5. Choose the Setup button.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Equation Editor User's Guide," version 1.0, pages 66-76

Additional query words: w4wprint w4wfont applet 1.00 2.00 3.10 eq ed ole

Keywords          : kbole kbprint kbtool kbdta
Version           : windows:1.0
Platform          : WINDOWS
Hardware          : x86

Last Reviewed: March 26, 1998