For a new owner of an Apple IIe with AppleWorks, dealers should include only those interface cards that work. The Silentype has its own interface card. Aside from that, there are two interface cards, the Apple II Parallel Interface Card (A2B0021) and the Apple Super Serial Card (A2B0044), that work correctly with all of the printers on AppleWorks' Add a Printer list:
1. Apple Printers
- Dot Matrix Printer (DMP). AppleWorks is set up for the Apple DMP. If you have any other printer, you must set up AppleWorks for it.
- Imagewriter
- Scribe
2. Epson (tm) Printer Series: MX, MX with Graftrax+, RX, and FX
3. Qume (r) Sprint 5 and Sprint 11
For new owners of a IIc, dealers should make sure that the customer's printer is compatible with a IIc running AppleWorks.
For a IIe owner considering AppleWorks, make sure the owner has a configuration compatible with AppleWorks. If the owner doesn't have such a configuration, the owner's only recourse to buy an interface card that is compatible.
Using AppleWorks with cards and printers not on the standard list:
If you're using a card or a printer not on AppleWorks' standard list, you must add a custom printer to your AppleWorks configuration and specify the characteristics of the card or printer.
To choose the following options, type the number and press the RETURN key.
1) From AppleWorks' main menu, choose "5. Other Activities".
2) From the "Other Activities" menu, choose "7. Specify information about your printer(s)".
3) From the "Printer Information" menu, choose "2. Add a printer".
4) From the "Add a Printer" menu, choose "12. Custom printer".
a. Enter the name you wish to use for the printer.
b. Press RETURN.- Apple IIe: Choose the slot of the printer's interface card.
- Apple IIc: Choose the port of the printer.
d. Press RETURN.
5) Press the ESC key: now the printer has been added to AppleWorks.
6) Now you must give AppleWorks what the printer needs to perform, specifying requirments for:
- a line feed after each carriage return
- a top-of-page command
- stopping at the end of each page
- platen width
- interface card settings
- codes for special functions of the printer.
Items 1 to 4 are self-explanatory and can readily be changed to meet the requirements of different jobs. You can do this from the "Printer Information" menu, choosing the printer you named under "Add a Printer".
7) With the Apple IIe, choose "5. Interface Cards". Now AppleWorks asks for a code to send to the printer interface card to prepare the card for sending data to the printer. Consult the table below for the appropriate keystrokes. (Note that [CTRL- ] and the character in the bracket means that you must hold the CTRL key down while you type the character; do not type the brackets.)
| Interface card | Code string |
| Apple Parallel Card (2PIC) | [CTRL-I]80N |
| Apple Super Serial Card | [CTRL-I]80N |
| Apple Centronix Parallel Card | [CTRL-I]255N |
| Grappler Plus | [CTRL-I]0N |
| Microtek RV-611C | [CTRL-I]255N |
| Pkaso | [CTRL-I]0N |
| MPC AP Graph and Graphwriter | [CTRL-I]255N |
If your card isn't on this chart, look in the card manual; it should have the code string.
It's important to note that, although some printer manuals give code strings in the form of keystrokes, some other manuals give code strings in numerical form, either decimal (0 to 9) or hexadecimal (0 to F). AppleWorks won't accept a code string simply typed in as one of these numbers; you must use a keystroke or combination of keystrokes to send the number from the keyboard to AppleWorks. Look up the decimal or hexidecimal form of the number in an Apple II ASCII chart; the appropriate keystrokes are on the right.
Suppose, for example, the manual states that the decimal code string 09464878 initializes the card. On an Apple II ASCII chart, 09 is [CTRL-I], 46 is the eight key, 48 is the zero key, and 78 is capital N; altogether, that's [CTRL-I]80N. To put this into AppleWorks you would:
1. Choose "5. Interface Card"
2. Hold down the CTRL key and type I
3. Type 80
4. Hold down the SHIFT key and type N
5. Hold down the SHIFT key and type 6; this ends the string with the carat or '^' AppleWorks requires.
8) With the Apple IIc and the Apple IIe, you must give AppleWorks what the custom printer needs to perform special functions. For each special function of the printer, you will have to enter a code using a combination of keystrokes that may not be immediately obvious. If you don't know the codes, have your printer manual nearby, and follow the instructions on pages 252 to 258 of the AppleWorks Reference Manual. Choose the option, perform the keystrokes that send the codes to AppleWorks, and then end the string by typing '^'.
Example: To configure the custom printer driver to turn on the underline function of the fictitious printer, the ByteSpitter 1000 follow these steps:
1. From AppleWorks' main menu, choose "5. Other Activities".
2. From the "Other Activities" menu, choose "7. Specify information about your printer(s)".
3. From the "Printer Information" menu, choose the name of your custom printer under "Change printer specifications".
4. Choose "6. Printer Codes"
5. From Printer Codes choose "4. Underlining" (see note below)
Note: By checking with the ByteSpitter 1000 Reference Manual, we know that in order to turn on Underline Mode, the ByteSpitter 1000 requires the character string 'ESC U'. The command to stop underlining is 'ESC N'.
6. From Underlining choose "2. Printer has start/stop underline commands"
7. Choose "1. Underline begin"
The display will then show
Underline Begin
Current control characters are None
'Type the exact control characters required (^ = End):' appears at the bottom of the screen.
8. Press and release the 'ESC' key
9. Hold down the SHIFT key and type U.
Note: Case is very significant here. If the manual states that the printer needs a capital letter then it must be entered in upper case.
10. Hold down the SHIFT key and type '6' this ends the string with the carat or '^' AppleWorks requires for the end of the command string.
11. Choose "1. Underline end"
The display will then show
Underline End
Current control characters are None
'Type the exact control characters required (^ = End):' appears at the bottom of the screen.
12. Press and release the 'ESC' key
13. Hold down the SHIFT key and type N.
14. Hold down the SHIFT key and type '6' this ends the string with the carat or '^' AppleWorks requires for the end of the command string.
Press the escape key five times to return to the main menu. To turn on underline in a Word Processing document, position the cursor on the first letter to be underlined, press Open-Apple-O and then type UB (underline begin). Underline will be in effect until the UE (underline end) command is entered or a carriage return is reached.
Try printing a document to your printer. If all is well, you can return to the printer setup portion of AppleWorks at any time and enter keystrokes to change or add codes for the printer's special features: superscripting, subscripting, boldface and different CPI. This information will be stored on the AppleWorks program disk for future use.