For information about printers, see Printer help
Printing in Lyon does not use any Windows print driver. Instead, Lyon prints to a "device", which is a feature built into Microsoft operating systems. Printing devices that Lyon can use are named LPT1:, LPT2: and LPT3:.
Note to Vista Home users: You must run CHARTER.BAT as Administrator. See Vista Home
Lyon can use both matrix and laser (including many inkjet) printers using print configuration files. Every time you select output to a printer in Lyon, you are presented an intermediate screen that describes the nature of the print job. I call this screen the PREPARE YOUR PRINTER prompt. The PREPARE YOUR PRINTER prompt might say "Mount special form" or "This is a wide 132-column", followed by an input field into which you are to enter the LPT port number appropriate to the printer you wish to use, a colon ( : ) and a print configuration file name. Here is an example of the content of the PREPARE YOUR PRINTER input field: 2:NORMAL
The port you enter must have a printer attached! If there is no printer attached to the specified port, or if the printer is not ready, you'll get an error (Error 25 means wrong port number. Error 68 means the printer is not ready).
The print configuration file name that you enter must be appropriate for the nature of the printout. Have a look at these suggestions.
Matrix printers
| Configuration file name | Functionality |
| NULL | This is an empty file that does nothing |
| NORMAL | All 80-column printing 132-column printing on 14 7/8" wide paper |
| COMPRESS | 132-columns on letter size paper |
Reports printed on laser and inkjet printers
| Configuration file name | Functionality |
| LASER-N | 80-column printing on letter size paper |
| LASER-C | 132-columns on letter size paper COMPRESS |
| 12CPI | 12 characters per inch Elite |
| BJEP-C | Bubble jet and Epson COMPRESS |
| BJEP-N | Bubble jet and Epson NORMAL |
| COLUMNAR | Columnar financial statements |
| DESKJET | For some HP Deskjet printers |
| DJ520-C | HP Deskjet 520 COMPRESS |
| DJ520-N | HP Deskjet 520 NORMAL |
| ELITE | 12 characters per inch Elite |
| EPS12 | Epson 12 characters per inch Elite |
| EPSINK-C | Epson COMPRESS |
| EPSINK-N | Epson NORMAL |
| INCOME | Income statements |
| LASER-12 | 12 characters per inch Elite |
| LASER-FS | Financial statements |
| LASER-L | Landscape |
| LASER-LC | Landscape COMPRESS |
| LASERLCC | Columnar financial statements |
| LASERN | 80-column printing on letter size paper |
| LZRLLSHD | Columnar income statements |
Pre-printed laser forms (Checks, invoices, work orders, Etc.)
| Configuration file name | Functionality |
| RESET | Forms using letter size paper |
| RESET-F | "Full" reset. Try this when RESET fails |
| RESET1 | Pay checks |
Prevent any change to the printer or Unknown functionality
| Configuration file name | Functionality |
| NULL | This is an empty file that does nothing |
| APCHECK | Unknown |
| 5161 | Unknown |
| APCMPROL | Unknown |
| APCMPROM | Unknown |
| ENLARGED | Unknown |
| INVOICE | Unknown |
| LASER-E | Unknown |
| LASERL12 | Unknown |
| LASERL13 | Unknown |
| LASERL14 | Unknown |
| LASERL15 | Unknown |
| LASER-LL | Unknown |
| MARGIN | Unknown |
| MARGIN-C | Unknown |
| MARGIN-N | Unknown |
| MARGINS | Unknown |
| PRCHECK | Unknown |
| REPRINT | Unknown |
| RESET2 | Unknown |
| W2 | Unknown |