scannable amount enclosed

[Sharon Brandow <sbrandow@NETCOM.COM>]

Hi All,

I'm trying to create a returnable stub for the Benefits Billing Statement.
The stub needs to include an amount-enclosed scannable area, where the
insured recipients write in how much they are returning.  The stub and
check are sent directly to our bank, which then scans the stub, reading
the scan line and the amount enclosed.

The amount enclosed area is a shaded box, with unshaded boxes inside, one
for each digit.  Here is a representation of it, with S being a shaded
position, W being a white box, and . being the decimal point:

     SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
   $ SWSWSWSWSWSW.WSWS
     SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Here are the bank's specifications:

  Amount Enclosed area to be printed in drop-out-ink.
       -  box size of 0.220" high by 0.180" wide (this is the W)
       -  boxes to be spaced 0.031" apart (spacing for dollars/cents
          to be 0.062" apart)
       -  box group outlined by 0.150" drop-out-ink

I have not been able to adjust the height of the boxes, and can only
adjust the width of the boxes (W) and shaded areas between the boxes
(S) by .1" increments.

This is written in SQR version 4 and is being printed on an HP4si printer
using PCL. I've tried both fixed and proportional fonts and various
pitches and point sizes. But nothing I've tried changes the widths in
other than .1" increments.


Here is my code:

   alter-printer
    font-type=fixed   !The manual states that fixed fonts should be used
                      !for graphics printing, but I've tried both.
    font=3            !Courier, but have tried Times Roman and Helvetica.

! print top shaded line:
  graphic (Ln, Col, 25) Box 1 0  15

! print $ sign:
  print  '$' (+1, Col )  bold

  alter-printer
   pitch=20         !tried values above and below
   point-size=8     !tried values above and below

! print boxes and shading between boxes:
  graphic  (0, Col, 1)   Box 1 0 15
  graphic  (0, +3, 1)    Box 1 0 15
  graphic  (0, +3, 1)    Box 1 0 15

  and so on...


I haven't tackled trying to change the box height yet.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Sharon Brandow
U of Utah