Display article   Subject:  DMP 136 Color Dot Matrix Printer
   04/30/97   19:16:36


TANDY DMP 136 COLOR DOT MATRIX PRINTER

This new addition to the Radio Shack printer line has started
arriving in the stores for sale, and judging by initial sales
numbers, it is destined to become the best-selling printer in
recent Radio Shack history.

Featuring many of the attributes of its bigger brother, the DMP
240, the new DMP 136 (Cat. No. 26-2868, $299.95) can bring color
printing to the new computer user at a reasonable price.  The
nine wire print head can print at speeds of up to 213 characters
per second (CPS) in its high speed draft mode and 40 CPS in its
letter quality mode.  The DMP 136 offers the same reversible
push/pull tractor feed of the DMP 240 and also shares the same
high quality fabric ribbons, both black (26-2824) and 4-color
(26-2826).  In addition, it has a bottom loading paper slot, and
has semi-automatic paper loading, paper parking, and short form
tear-off.

If you want to print from a serial port, an optional RS-232C
serial port (26-2875, $59.95) is also available.

By including both Epson JX-80 and IBM Proprinter II/III
emulations, the printer can function with thousands of other
software packages.  When combined with Radio Shack's new Print 'n
Press Iron On transfer paper, you can print colorful T-shirts
using software like The New Print Shop.

Printing in color from dot matrix printers is relatively new to
the computer industry.  Low cost color printers, like those from
Radio Shack, have only recently started to become available to
the regular user.  Keep this in mind and do not expect all
software packages to take advantage of the color abilities of the
DMP 136.  Many currently available software packages simply have
not added color printing support yet.

It should be noted that the DMP 136 cannot print in color from
DeskMate, and no driver to take advantage of color printing is
planned for the near future.  However, by selecting the IBM
Proprinter driver in DeskMate, the DMP 136 can still print text
and black and white graphics images.  Many other graphics-
oriented paint and draw software packages include drivers for IBM
Proprinter or Epson FX/JX printers.  In addition, they typically
also offer the Epson JX-80 emulation if they support color.

But it is important to remember that not all software packages
have color support.  Check your software for it if you wish to
print in color.
