Microsoft KB Archive/21053

Word Uses Graphics Mode for Underlines

PSS ID Number: Q21053 Article last modified on 11-02-1994

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MS-DOS

= SUMMARY =

Microsoft Word prints an underline in graphics mode (a series of dots) rather than as a solid line (underscore character) on many dot-matrix printers.

This behavior occurs because a double underline can be printed only in graphics mode; to be consistent, Word uses graphics mode for both cases.

Double underlining requires the printer to pass a second time to achieve the second underline. On the first pass, the font selection sequence is sent, then at the point in the line where the underline is suppose to start, the underline sequence is sent. At the end of the line, the font selection sequence to select the standard 10-CPI font is sent so the margin is spaced correctly.

The second pass is not printing text, only the underline, so the font selection sequence is not sent on the second pass. This means the first underline will be in NLQ if that is the font selected for the text, and the second underline will not be in NLQ.

Therefore, use the graphics mode to achieve double underlining with many of the 24-pin printers that are somewhat compatible with Epson printers.

Use single-density graphics because the defined minimum printer-head movement must be compatible not only with the number of dots per inch in graphics mode, but it also must be able to represent the width of the font sizes. This choice gives a consistent underline, which other methods do not give.

KBCategory: kbprint KBSubcategory: Additional reference words: ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1994.