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Q64520: INFO: Printing Monochrome and Color Bitmaps from Windows

Article: Q64520
Product(s): Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.1,95; winnt:3.5,3.51,4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbOSWinNT350 kbOSWinNT351 kbOSWinNT400 kbOSWin310 kbOSWin95 kbDSupport kbSDKWin16
Last Modified: 16-DEC-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) 3.1 
- Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API), on platform(s):
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows NT, versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0 
   - Microsoft Windows 95 
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SUMMARY
=======

The format of a display bitmap determines the procedure that an application uses
to print it. The two display bitmap formats available under Windows are
Device-Dependent Bitmaps (DDBs) and Device- Independent Bitmaps (DIBs). DIBs and
DIB functions should be used for printing color bitmaps.

MORE INFORMATION
================

An application can use the BitBlt() or StretchBlt() function to print or display
a monochrome bitmap. Both printer drivers and display drivers can process
monochrome DDBs. However, an application must account for the difference in
resolution between a typical display and a typical laser printer. The
StretchBlt() function enables an application to appropriately change the size of
a monochrome bitmap.

When the display bitmap is a color DDB, printing is more difficult because the
display DDB format may not match the printer DDB format. Because Windows
supports a wide variety of devices, this situation is quite common. When the
formats DDB differ, the application must convert the display DDB into a print
DDB or a DIB.

DIBs are designed to ease the process of transferring images between devices.
When an application uses a DIB, the GDI or the output driver performs any
conversions required for the device. The ShowDIB sample application, provided in
the Windows SDK and the Win32 SDK, demonstrates converting a DDB to a DIB and
other common manipulations. The file DIB.C is of particular interest. It
contains the functions that perform the manipulations. This code can be
incorporated into other applications.

For more information, please see the Windows SDK 3.1 DIBView sample or the Win32
SDK WinCap32 sample.

Additional query words: 3.00 3.10 3.50 4.00

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Keywords          : kbOSWinNT350 kbOSWinNT351 kbOSWinNT400 kbOSWin310 kbOSWin95 kbDSupport kbSDKWin16 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbSDKSearch kbWin32sSearch kbWin32API kbWinSDKSearch
Version           : WINDOWS:3.1,95; winnt:3.5,3.51,4.0
Issue type        : kbinfo

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