Desktop Publishing on the Apple IIgs (Part 5)
By Mark Smith
Copyright (c) 1994 Apple Users' Group, Sydney
Republished from Applecations, a publication of the Apple Users' Group, Sydney, Australia.
This month Mark concludes his series of articles about Apple IIgs desktop publishing. Previous articles have covered hardware requirements, available software, publication planning, text entry and formatting.
After completion of the text layout for your publication the next step is to incorporate any illustrations. While it is now relatively easy to produce high resolution text output from an Apple IIgs it remains difficult to produce high resolution graphics output. The following suggestions are offered.
Line art
The simplest solution to illustrating is to use line art. Examples of line art are maps, charts and diagrams. Commonly line art is comprised of a bitmapped image generated using a paint application. If you have the time and patience you can create these yourself.
Another option is line art which has been scanned and touched up in a paint application. The Quickie scanner for the Apple IIgs produces adequate results inexpensively. Scanned images can be printed reasonably well on a DeskJet or an ImageWriter.
Other sources of line art include the examples which come with GraphicWriter as well as bulletin boards (including the AUG BBS) and disk libraries - both shareware and commercial. One particular source of line art which is available to GraphicWriter users are those images available in MacPaint format. GraphicWriter is able to translate MacPaint format files and incorporate them into a GraphicWriter file. It is also able to translate Print Shop files as well as double hi-res and several super hi-res format files.
Photographic material
While line art may be adequate for some types of illustration it is frequently necessary to incorporate photographic material. Unlike line art, photographs cannot be scanned using a Quickie scanner with the expectation of high quality results.
An alternative (which I have not tried) is to use a video digitiser. One is available for the IIGS. A digitiser allows the use of a video source such as a video camera or VCR as the image source. Quite good results seem to be achievable, at least as far as the image on the monitor is concerned.
Regrettably neither the ImageWriter, using Apple's driver, nor the DeskJet, using Independence, reproduces photos very well and certainly not at publishable quality.
The drivers available from Vitesse (in a package sold under the name "HARMONIE") produce similar results on an ImageWriter to Apple's driver. The DeskJet driver attempts
to produce a greyscale with up to 16 levels of grey. Again, the output is usable only in uncritical documents.
Importing graphics into GraphicWriter
If, despite these limitations, you still elect to scan and print your images GraphicWriter has several very useful options for image handling. It can import images from a variety of sources and has options to allow you manipulate the aspect ratio (the ratio of height to width).
Although the GraphicWriter manual advises to import super hi-res files using the Half Height option this is not the best way to proceed. A better aspect ratio is achieved if the image is imported in two sections and then rejoined within GraphicWriter. Although it sounds laborious it is quite easy to do and the resulting graphics don't end up looking squashed.
Printing
Having completed your document you are now able to print it. The process by which the IIGS produces printed output is interesting but beyond the scope of this article. The reader is referred to Richard Bennett's article in the April 1992 edition of Applecations. The Harmonie manual also has very good explanations of several aspects of the printing process.
As mentioned in the first part of this series, the use of Express is almost mandatory for any document of more than a few pages in length. Express intercepts output directed to the printer and stores it in a file on disk. This reduces the time that the CPU is tied up and returns control of your GS to you more quickly. Express then uses idle CPU time to send this file to the printer while you continue to work.
Other options
If the printed quality of scanned images is not adequate for your needs there are several work-arounds available. For one off publications such as wall posters the simplest approach is to photograph or photocopy the illustrations. Colour photos reproduce very well using a camera with modest closeup capabilities. Some experimentation is needed to achieve good results - for example, it is essential to ensure camera stability, preferably by using a tripod. If a flash is used it will need to be positioned off centre so that reflection is avoided from the surface of the item being photographed. The latest colour photocopiers also produce excellent output. A typical copy of A4 dimensions will cost about $10. Monochrome photos reproduce adequately on the latest office photocopiers, particularly those with a specific setting for photos.
These copies can be cut and either glued or attached with double sided sticky tape into the positions which you have allowed for in the page layout. If glue is being used ensure it is not water based. These types of glues cause the paper
to wrinkle and, if a DeskJet has been used, cause the ink to run.
Mass production
If high volume is required the completed pages may now be photocopied as many times as required. The resulting pages will not show the cutting and pasting (if you are careful) and very little degradation of quality occurs in either the text or illustrative material. High volume colour is not really practical - once again cost is the limiting factor as colour photocopying in volume is expensive.
The finishing touches
With all the elements of your publication now available it remains only to assemble the final document. Poster-type productions are best assembled on rigid cardboard as these tend to be subject to quite a lot of abuse. A plastic facing may be desirable to protect the publication if it is likely that it will be subject to a large audience such as a school class or a scientific seminar.
Book-type productions can be assembled into display folders (which protect the pages by means of plastic sleeves), ring folders, stapling or even professional binding. There are binding systems available from stationers which appear to be suitable for small runs.
Conclusion
The Apple IIs in my family continue to be the backbone of our desktop publishing endeavours. With a new version of GraphicWriter due in the near future I have every confidence that this will continue to be the case for years to come. In this series I have attempted to assist other users who might wish to use an Apple IIgs for similar purposes. I hope that this objective has been achieved.
As I stated at the beginning it is undoubtedly possible to achieve better integrated results with a high-end Macintosh computer and laser printer, a high resolution colour scanner and applications like PhotoShop and PageMaker. However, if your publishing budget is limited, the techniques presented in this series allow you to achieve entirely acceptable results for a fraction of the cost.
Finally, if you have any questions on DTP in general or any of the hardware or software mentioned in the series in particular feel free to leave a message to user #103 on the Apple II BBS. I'll do my best to help.

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