Why such fat bar code out of the thermal printer?

[4ster]

I still use the 82162A and a plotter module in my 41 to print bar code. (I know, I am a troglodyte.)

I've always wondered why the HP software engineers wrote the code for the thermal printer so that the bar code was so fat compared to that printed in the manuals or created on a plotter? On modern, white thermal paper my printer still prints crisp, high contrast black and white code. It is certainly capable of printing more compact bar code.

Was it a byte restriction in the 41 alpha register or the print buffer? That is the only thing I can come up with.

Just curious.