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\title{Printing on the APS}
\author{Arthur L. Samuel}

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The Autologic APS printer is a high resolution, 750 dots per inch, printer
that can be used to prepare a master copy for the subsequent photo-offset
production of book-quality output. The potential user should consider
using other easier to use printers whenever possible both because the APS
is extremely slow and frustratingly difficult to operate and because there
is considerable expense involved in its use.

This manual is an attempt to record the essential information that one
must have to use the APS.  The process of using the APS is complicated,
however, and so downright tricky that a new user would be well advised to
have some APS-knowledgable person help him the first few times rather than
to depend solely on this manual or on the Autologic publications.

The APS printer unit itself is located in the north end of the lower-level
machine room in MJH (building 460) and it is accessed via SCORE,
preferably, using the terminal to the east of the APS itself. The text
output is recorded on photographic paper, requiring developing and fixing,
which is normally done using the special APS developer unit that is in the
dark room off the south-east corner of the machine room.

\section{Things You Should Know about the APS}

You should be aware of some of the unique features of the APS although the
entire device is much too complicated to be properly explained in this
brief report.

The feature that is most apt to cause you trouble has to do with the way
the APS handles fonts. The APS gets it font information either from an
internal hard disk that is preloaded from floppy disks or by downloading
bit maps from SCORE. Neither method is entirely satisfactory.

Preloading involves the complication of having to have the Autologic
Company transcribe our font information into the proprietary coding that
they use for the floppy disks.  So we must decide in advance as to which
fonts we might need and we may have to wait several months for Autologic
to get around to making the needed floppies.  We are currently waiting for
Autologic to supply us with floppies for all of the new CM fonts that are
normally needed by \TeX, but new fonts are always being created and the
task of updating the preloaded font supply is unending.

The APS preloading scheme does have one redeeming feature in that a
reducing lens is used, permitting the fonts to be stored in only four
sizes, specifically 80, 40, 20, and 10 point with the 80 point being used
for sizes from 41 point to 80 point and similarly for the other sizes.
One interesting consequence is that the resolution for the intermediate
sizes of fonts is actually increased over the minimum values.  Contrast
this situation with that for most printers where fonts must be available,
albiet in the condensed GF format, for all of the actual sizes in which
they are to be used.

Downloading fonts as they are needed is quite unsatisfactory because of
its effect on the overall printing time, which can easily be increased from
perhaps one minute per page to as much as fifteen minutes per page or
more.  The printing of reasonably large document can turn into an around
the clock operation.

\section{Preparing a DVI file for the APS}

As always, the first step in the process is to produce a DVI file by
running \TeX. This need not necessarily be done on SCORE but if it is done
on another system, SAIL, for example, a problem might later arise if a
font is used that is available on SAIL but that may not be available for
the APS.  On the other hand, again taking SAIL as an example, if one FTP's
the source file from SAIL one may have to UNDEK it to eliminate some SAIL
specific character codes that might have been used.

The successful production of a DVI file on SCORE is still no proof that
the DVI file will be acceptable to the APS. The next step is to convert
the DVI file into its APS form and this is done by running DVIAPS. In
fact, it might be wise to try running this program ahead of time before
going to the trouble of readying the APS itself. This will reveal the more
glaring font deficiencies that might be encountered but it will not
differentiate between fonts that are preloaded and those that will have
to be downloaded. If you are reading a recent version of this report, you
can refer to Appendix F for a list of the currently downloaded fonts.

\section{ Readying the APS}

In readying the APS, one must not forget the Developing Unit which takes
an hour or so to warm up, so perhaps the first thing to do is to turn this
unit on, after checking for the availability of enough chemicals for your
job and the level of the cooling water. Also, don't forget to check and
perhaps empty the overflow buckets on the floor. See the section on The
Developing Unit for details.

The status of the APS print unit is shown on the display unit just above
the four control buttons. The first thing to do is to make sure that no one
is using the machine. While it is not particularly advisable to leave the
APS running when unattended, it is done particularly on large jobs where
the print time can stretch into hours.

If the machine is definitely not in use, then you can check to see that
everything is in order to process your job. First see if
there is enough paper in the input cassette to process your job by reading
the MEDIA SUPPLY-FT meter (just to the left of the
four push button controls on the main panel).

Now open the transport compartment.  You do this by raising the
light-proof cover on the right part of the unit (by its front edge, all
the way up and make sure that it is not going to fall). Now release the
hinged side door by pressing the button (just inside the door and near the
bottom) while holding the door and then lower the door carefully to avoid
having it fall and strike the side of the cabinet.  Opening this
compartment will result in exposing sections of the output paper to light
so do not do this when the printer is operating.

You must now check to see that the paper has been threaded through the
transport assembly and into the right hand take-up cassette.

The amount of paper available is shown by a vertical marker line to be
seeen on the dial visible on the front of the leftmost box like structure.
A full reel of paper contains XXX feet of paper. The paper should be seen
leaving this box, entering the center printing structure, leaving the 
print structure and entering the takeup box.
 The former user may, however,
have left the machine in any one of several possible states.

\subsection{Threading the Paper into the Takeup Cassette}

The most likely state is for the paper to have been cut just before
entering the takeup cassette and not rethreaded into the takeup cassette
and for the takeup cassette not to have been properly installed in its
takeup position.  It should be observed that the far end of the cassette
contains a shaft fitting that joins with the drive fitting to the rear,
raising the cassette up slightly when it engages and there is a swinging
front socket plate that slightly raises the front of the cassette when it
is swung into place and locked by a hand lever. If all of this does not
operate easily, then something is wrong with your positioning so do not
try to force things. If you are having trouble, refer to the pictures and
text in the APS-Micro 5 System Operator's Manual.

Now open the takeup cassette by releasing the two fasteners on its top and
raising the lid.  The wooden windup spindle can then be rotated by
operating the toggle switch on the vertical panel to the rear (pulling it
to the right) until the longitudinal slot in the spindle is vertical.
Enough print paper is pulled through the print unit to feed into the
cassette and through this slot with enough beyond to wrap, roughly, half
way around the spindle. You may want to rotate the spindle a quarter turn
(by the toggle switch) so that you can finish pulling the paper through the
slot.  The spindle is then rotated, again by using the toggle switch, with
the paper positioned with its front edge lined up with the pencil mark on
the spindle, until the paper has firmly bound itself to the spindle and is
feeding well.  The takeup cassette lid is then closed and the fasteners
are clamped.

Finally, close the light proof covers by first closing the side panel
(making sure it latches) and then lowering the top. Now advance the paper
media so that the start of your job will not be written on an exposed
section of paper.

\subsection{Loading the Supply Cassette}

Loading a new roll of media is a darkroom operation and you should get
someone with darkroom experience to do this for you.  The details are
given in the Operator's Manual pages 3-4 through 3-6.

\subsection{Threading the Print Unit}

If a new roll of paper has just been placed in the machine, you may have
to thread the paper through the print unit. This takes a bit of doing.
There is a small cover on the front of the print unit that can be removed
to allow you to reach inside and thread the unit according to the picture
shown on the inside of the light proof cover and as explained in the
Autologic manual.  The important thing is to make sure that the paper goes
by each and every roller and in the order shown. The extending shaft with
a knob will be found usefull in threading the paper around the first
roller and in providing slack for the rest of the threading operation.
Rotating this knob counterclockwise advances the paper.

Make sure that the small cover is firmly closed when you are through using
it.

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