Using MATLAB Graphics     Search    Help Desk 

PC-Specific Output Options

On the PC, MATLAB uses two different printing mechanisms, depending on whether you print through Windows print drivers or with MATLAB's own built-in print drivers. By default, MATLAB uses Windows print drivers. To print using one of MATLAB's built-in drivers, you must either edit printopt to change the default device or else use the print command with the appropriate command-line switches for MATLAB's built-in drivers or for printing through Windows drivers (which are described in the following section).

Choosing Between Windows Drivers and MATLAB Drivers

When you use Windows drivers, printing is managed through the Windows Print Manager, which enables you to monitor printer queues and control various aspects of the printing process. When you print through MATLAB's drivers, MATLAB generates the output and copies it to a port, bypassing the Print Manager.

By default, MATLAB prints using Windows drivers. However, you may find the MATLAB drivers preferable in certain situations:

This table summarizes the command-line device options specific to Windows

Device
 Description
-dwin
 Change lines and text to black and white and then use Windows printing services
-dwinc

 Maintain line and text color as it appear on screen and then use Windows printing services
-dmeta
 Windows Enhanced Metafile format copied to clipboard or file
-dbitmap
 Windows Bitmap (BMP) format copied to clipboard or file
-dsetup
 Display the Print Setup dialog box, but do not print
-v
 Verbose mode to display the Print dialog box (suppressed by default)


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