Microsoft KB Archive/64520

{|
 * width="100%"|

INFO: Printing Monochrome and Color Bitmaps from Windows

 * }

Q64520

-

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) 3.1
 * Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API), on platform(s):
 * the operating system: Microsoft Windows NT, versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0
 * Microsoft Windows 95

-

SUMMARY
The format of a display bitmap determines the procedure that an application uses to print it. The two display bitmap formats available under Windows are Device-Dependent Bitmaps (DDBs) and Device- Independent Bitmaps (DIBs). DIBs and DIB functions should be used for printing color bitmaps.

MORE INFORMATION
An application can use the BitBlt or StretchBlt function to print or display a monochrome bitmap. Both printer drivers and display drivers can process monochrome DDBs. However, an application must account for the difference in resolution between a typical display and a typical laser printer. The StretchBlt function enables an application to appropriately change the size of a monochrome bitmap.

When the display bitmap is a color DDB, printing is more difficult because the display DDB format may not match the printer DDB format. Because Windows supports a wide variety of devices, this situation is quite common. When the formats DDB differ, the application must convert the display DDB into a print DDB or a DIB.

DIBs are designed to ease the process of transferring images between devices. When an application uses a DIB, the GDI or the output driver performs any conversions required for the device. The ShowDIB sample application, provided in the Windows SDK and the Win32 SDK, demonstrates converting a DDB to a DIB and other common manipulations. The file DIB.C is of particular interest. It contains the functions that perform the manipulations. This code can be incorporated into other applications.

For more information, please see the Windows SDK 3.1 DIBView sample or the Win32 SDK WinCap32 sample.

Additional query words: 3.00 3.10 3.50 4.00

Keywords : kbOSWinNT350 kbOSWinNT351 kbOSWinNT400 kbOSWin310 kbOSWin95 kbDSupport kbSDKWin16

Issue type : kbinfo

Technology : kbAudDeveloper kbSDKSearch kbWin32sSearch kbWin32API kbWinSDKSearch