AA> wouldn't have to go  through this.  It makes it virtually
AA> impossible for someone to provide  someone else with a file
AA> containing complex or detailed formatting that  will not
AA> need to be completely re-formatted by the receiving party. 
AA> The  program should be designed to account for the
AA> differences in printer  drivers so that the formatting is
AA> not changed.
Can you give some examples of complex or detailed formatting that makes such 
impossible?
I think you are underestimating how easy it is for someone to create a 
document that is near impossible for any program to reformat without knowing 
exactly what the author had in mind.  If such a program existed, it would be 
extraordinarily slow because it would have to have some form of artificial 
intelligence engine in it.
Take for example something as simple as a font change.  If a person creates a 
document in courier 12 pt font and uses spaces to align columns of text, the 
document will go to pieces if printed on a printer with Times Roman font.  
How is the program going to know what the original intended alignment was?
On the other hand, if the author had used tabs to align columns of text, 
switching from courier to times roman would have no detrimental affect on 
proper alignment.
But I certainly understand your desires.  One of the major steps forward was 
the use of Truetype fonts under Windows.  This went a long way toward making 
documents portable.  If you use true type fonts, you should be able to move 
many documents between printers without. Unfortunately, tiny variations in 
each printer manufacturer's firmware implementation, as well as physical 
construction can cause problems.
One of the things we learned many years ago was to keep with one brand of 
printers.  We buy Hewlett Packard printers exclusively.  This took us forward 
a giant step in document portability.
Bob
--- timEd/2-B11
---------------