Microsoft KB Archive/65917

PowerPoint Default Target Driver PSS ID Number: Q65917 Article last modified on 10-29-1991 PSS database name: W_PowerPt

2.00

WINDOWS

Summary:

The Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows default target driver is a set of standard metrics, Adobe font metrics, and standard paper sizes. Adobe font metrics will produce high-quality output to a wide variety of devices. The print areas offered by the default printer are viewable on an even larger set of printers.

Consequently, changing the target from the default printer is unlikely to recompose a presentation and likely to keep a presentation’s objects on the slide. With these properties, the default printer is the best target printer choice when the real target printer is unknown or not found. The least amount of recomposing occurs when a PostScript printer is selected.

The default driver is indistinguishable from any other printer driver. However, it cannot print because it was not made for any specific device. As a result, PowerPoint will treat the default driver differently from a normal printer driver.

Location of the Default Driver
Although the default driver can be installed as a normal printer driver in the Windows Control Panel, it makes little sense for a driver that cannot print to be chosen as the system printer. For this reason, the Setup program will not register the driver with the Windows system. Because the default driver is not a system printer, PowerPoint’s Setup will place the default driver in PowerPoint’s program directory and not in the Windows system directory, which is the normal printer driver location.

Font Metrics
There is a strong convergence in the PC marketplace towards the Adobe font metrics. These metrics are used in the softfonts that come with PowerPoint, the raster screen and printer fonts that come with Windows, and the fonts at Genigraphics centers. The default target driver furnishes Adobe font metrics for the 35 typefaces found in the Apple LaserWriter. Unlike the PostScript driver, downloadable fonts are not supported.

The Hewlett-Packard (HP) LaserJet printers (HP/PCL) are not converging to these metrics. Currently, HP uses a mixture of font metrics, but the family of printers is converging on Compugraphic font metrics. Although not the perfect metrics for Compugraphics fonts, the Adobe font metrics are acceptable for these fonts.

Paper Sizes
The default driver provides the four most common paper sizes, plus the standard Genigraphic slide size, as options. The areas of the paper sizes are chosen to be slightly less than image areas of common printers. In this way, you can switch targets from the default driver to some other printer and have your objects remain on slide. The driver centers all image areas in the middle of the paper.

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1991.