QuickDraw GX improves all-around the printing system on the Macintosh. This works for old as well as new GX-savvy applications.
Some things that you can do without ANY upgrades to your applications:
* Create and use desktop printers.
* Eliminate the need for the Chooser when switching printers.
* Do drag and drop printing of existing documents onto printers.
* Create Portable Digital Documents (PDDs), which let you view and
print documents created on other computers, even if you do not have
the original application OR the original fonts. (And when you
print the document the *actual* fonts, outlines, and hints are
used so that your output looks exactly as it would on the original
person's machine).
* Use background printing for all drivers.
* Employ better memory management on PostScript devices -- no more need
for "unlimited downloadable fonts".
* Print everything -- with no differences between drivers and what
comes out on one but not another (for example, text rotation PicComments).
* Employ full color and grayscale support for all appropriate output devices.
* Handle printing control entirely through the Finder; no more PrintMonitor.
* Use printing extensions (two come bundled on the System 7.5 Personal and
Multi-User Upgrade CD-ROM), from both commerical and freeware/shareware
vendors that let you do things like 4-up printing, background washes,
and other page-modifications without the application being involved.
* Use four new fonts. These fonts are much nicer with GX applications, but
you can still use them from your old applications as well.
- Hoefler (Roman, Italic, Ornaments)
- Apple Chancery
- Skia
- Tekton
* Define and use PrinterSharing - you can share any printer (including
non-network printers) with other people, and can have Users & Groups and
password protection of the printer.
* Employ fully integrated ColorSync support, including support for PostScript
device-independant color matching.
* Take advantage of the full generation of PostScript Level 1, Level 2,
portable PostScript, and optional ADSC-compliant PostScript. Use the
built-in and fully-tested "save as PostScript" option in the driver. Use
device-specified control over PostScript font embedding.
* Employ true support for outline fonts on all printers, including large
glyph set fonts (such as Asian languages) with output at the full resolution
of the device. This feature also provides fast download times through sparse
font downloading.
While it is true that both GX and GX printing become even MORE interesting with new applications -- it's not true to say that QuickDraw GX offers nothing until this happens.
Article Change History:
14 Feb 1995 - Reviewed for technical accuracy.
11 Jan 1995 - Added keyword and made minor technical updates.
25 Aug 1994 - Slight modification of Discussion for ease of readability.
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