Paxar Monarch 9416 XL, Reference Manual

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O v e r v i e w o f B i t m a p p e d I m a g e s
A printed image is formed through a series of dots. Each square
on the grid below represents a dot on the printhead. The graphic
image is created by blackening dots in a specific pattern. You
can print varying shades of gray according to the concentration of
dots on the image. When the dots are printed together, the end
result is a graphic image.
D e t e r m i n i n g a M e t h o d
You can use one of two methods to map out your graphic image:
Hex Method The dot sequences are segmented into binary
numbers and then converted to hex numbers.
A graphic using gray-scaling, several slanted
lines, or several vertical lines typically
translates more efficiently with hex
representation.
Run Length
Encoding Method The dot sequences are segmented into black
and white strings within a row. The total
count of each white string is converted to a
lower-case letter, corresponding to numeric
value. The total count of each black string is
converted to an uppercase letter,
corresponding to numeric value. This method
can reduce imaging time for graphics that
contain repetitive rows of dots. A graphic
with horizontal lines or very few
white-to-black borders typically translates
more efficiently with run length encoding.
5-2 Creating Graphics