If your PCL file requires soft fonts to be loaded in the printer, or macros for defining forms or raster graphics, you can download the font or macro using PCL setup modules.

It is not necessary to declare the fonts and macros permanent. You must declare fonts and macros permanent only if the setup module or file contains a reset escape sequence.

The system manager must create a device control library designated for PCL setup modules, and include that library in the search list in DCPS$STARTUP.COM, as described in the System Manager's GuideSystem Manager's Guide.

PCL setup modules from the PCL device control library are handled differently from ANSI and PostScript setup modules. Records from a PCL module are not appended with carriage-control characters (<CR><LF>), because PCL setup modules can include binary data, such as PCL fonts and raster graphics. If the PCL setup module contains lines of text that must be separated by carriage-control characters, you must explicitly specify them in the PCL setup module.

You can include a soft font or macro in a print job by:

• Using a setup module (see Section 9.5.1)
• Including the font or macro file in the print job (see Section 9.5.2)

To include a soft font or macro in a setup module, follow these steps:

1. Include the PCL escape sequence to give the font or macro an identifier at the beginning of the file.
2. Make sure the file is in a format acceptable to the OpenVMS Librarian Utility. The record format must be either Variable Length or Fixed Length.
3. Have your system manager insert the file into the PCL device control library using the following command:

   $ LIBRARY/INSERT/TEXT SYS$LIBRARY:pcl-library-name font-filename

To print the PCL file that requires the font or macro, use the following command:

$ PRINT/QUEUE=queue-name/SETUP=font-filename data-filename.PCL

Your system manager can include the setup module in a form definition, which can be associated with a queue by default. With this setup, you need only specify the data file name and the queue name in your PRINT command.

9.5.2 Including Font and Macro Files in PCL Print Jobs

You can print files that require soft fonts or macros by having the application include the font or macro in the data file. Or you can create a file that contains the font or macro and the data file. On a PC supported by PATHWORKS, you can print the data file that requires the font or macro using the following commands on the PC:

M:\ NET PRINT LPTn: /SET /PARAMETERS="DATA_TYPE=PCL" COPY/B font-or-macro-file.DAT data-file.DAT LPTn:

9.6 PC Driver Settings to Avoid Problems with PJL and TBCP

Recent printing protocol enhancements have introduced new variables into the networked printing environment. These are Hewlett-Packard PJL (Print Job Language), and Hewlett-Packard TBCP (Tagged Binary Communication Protocol). Documents created from a PC application can have these protocols included in the files. These protocols can be quite useful in some environments, but sometimes cause problems for DCPS or for printers other than the type for which the document was created. A brief description of PJL and TBCP is included below, followed by instructions to prevent problems with DCPS.

9.6.1 Description of PJL and TBCP

PJL is a command language that allows job-level printer control. TBCP is a communications protocol for the serial, LAT, and parallel ports of a printer. It allows 8-bit binary data in files concurrent with the use of some control characters for communications and print job control. You cannot print TBCP to printers that do not support TBCP, or to ports other than the serial, LAT or parallel ports for printers.

The DEClaser 5100 printer is the first DIGITAL printer to support both PJL and TBCP. Some Hewlett-Packard III series printers support PJL, and most Hewlett-Packard IV series printers support both PJL and TBCP. When a PC application is creating files for printing to these printers, the files can include PJL and TBCP.

9.6.2 Steps to Prevent Problems with DECprint Supervisor

When printing files that include PJL, DCPS strips any PJL code from the file. This process allows DCPS to use PJL to switch print protocols in the printer, and enables the printing of these files on printers that do not support PJL.

If the interconnect to the printer is not serial or LAT, the file must not use the TBCP. DCPS does not remove TBCP characters.

9.6.2.1 Preventing problems with PostScript

When the PC application is generating PostScript output, use the following guidelines:

1. If the selected printer on the PC is the same as the actual printer, the only concern is whether TBCP is used. If the interconnect is serial or LAT then TBCP may be used. If the interconnect is raw TCP/IP or AppleTalk, then TBCP must be disabled. Because detailed information about the printer and queue may not be available to a PATHWORKS user, DIGITAL recommends that TBCP be disabled. Either one of the following steps may be used to disable it:
   1. Select the Protocol "None (AppleTalk)" under the PS Options menu of the DEClaser 5100 driver. This disables both TBCP and PJL.
      Note that disabling the Performance item "Binary" in the PostScript Option menu is not sufficient. The file will not include binary data, but will include the TBCP introducer, which will cause PostScript errors.
   2. Disable the "Tagged Binary" item from the Advanced Options Menu of the Hewlett-Packard 4ML PostScript driver, or from other printer drivers that offer this option. This disables TBCP, and the TBCP introducer is not included in the file.
2. If a file is being created for later printing to an unknown printer, it is best to avoid both TBCP and PJL. To disable TBCP and PJL, select one of the following options:
   • Select the Protocol "None (AppleTalk)" under the PS Options menu of the DEClaser 5100 driver. This will disable both PJL and TBCP. Also, disable the Performance item "Binary". The file will not include binary data and can then be successfully printed using any communications channel.
   • Select a printer on the PC that does not support TBCP or PJL, for example, DIGITAL's PrintServer printers or the DEClaser 1152 printer.

   9.6.2.2 Problems with PCL

   DCPS removes all PJL commands from PCL files, which may result in problems when printing these files. Because drivers for PCL Level 5 printers use PJL to select advanced printing features such as the configuration of the Resolution Enhancement hardware (RET), page protection, and print resolution, the print job may not print as expected without the PJL commands.

   Moreover, the PCL is sent to the printer only if DCPS supports printing PCL directly to the printer. Otherwise, the PCL (Level 4) translator is used.

   If problems arise with PCL output, an alternative would be to generate PostScript output if the application allows for it.

   9.7 Interaction Between Native PCL Printing and Automatic DATA_TYPE Detection

   Jobs that use DATA_TYPE=AUTOMATIC=PCL may print with unexpected results. In particular, files printed as PCL looking for a switch to PostScript may be printed entirely as PCL. This result occurs if all of the following cases are:

   • DCPS does not detect the data type of the file by looking at the first few bytes of the file or by matching the file extension to a data type.
   • The target printer can print PCL files as well as PostScript files.
   • DCPS supports use of the PCL language interpreter in the printer.
   • There are no other print qualifiers that require the file to be printed using the PCL translator (for example, NUMBER_UP or PAGE_LIMIT).
   Under these circumstances, DCPS uses the PCL language interpreter in the printer, and does not look for a switch to PostScript. Also, the automatic language sensing feature of the printer is not used to detect the file's switch from the PCL language to the PostScript language because DCPS specifies the file's data type as PCL, which disables any auto language sensing by the printer. You can use one of the following workarounds:
   1. Set up the print queue to use AUTOMATIC, but select ANSI as the default data type. Generally, the text part of files that include both text and PostScript is simple ACSII text that is handled properly by both the ANSI and PCL translators.
   2. Ensure that the PCL translator is used for all PCL files, by setting up the print queue with a qualifier that requires the use of the PCL translator (include the PAGE_LIMIT parameter as a default queue parameter). Note, however, that the PCL translator interprets PCL level 4. The printers for which DCPS supports printing in native PCL mode have PCL level 5 language interpreters.

   9.8 Native PCL Mode Concatenates Files

   If the PCL language interpreter in a printer is used to print PCL files and a job includes multiple PCL files, the PCL files are concatenated. DCPS does not ensure that the files begin on new pages, or even that the last line of the first PCL file does not get printed over by the first line of the next PCL file. Concatenation can occur if:

   • The files do not ensure that the page is ejected from the printer. To print PCL files correctly, Hewlett-Packard recommends that the files begin and end with the PCL reset sequence <ESC>E.
   • Multiple files are specified and two or more files in sequence are PCL
   • /COPIES is used on a PCL file
   • /JOB_COUNT is used and two or more PCL files are printed in sequence

   If concatenated PCL files are not acceptable, the following workarounds can be used:

   • Create and use a PCL setup module to include the PCL reset sequence in the data stream before a file prints.
   • Print using the PCL translator by specifying a parameter that forces DCPS to use the PCL translator (e.g, NUMBER_UP, or PAGE_LIMIT)
   • Print the job and specify a file separation page between all files (PRINT/FLAG).

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   Chapter 10
   Printing Proprinter Files

   The DCPS-PLUS product includes a translator for Proprinter files, allowing DIGITAL PostScript printers to emulate the IBM Proprinter XL24. If your Proprinter file is not automatically recognized by the DECprint Supervisor software, you can explicitly specify the Proprinter data type using the DATA_TYPE parameter. For example:

   $ PRINT/PARAMETERS=DATA_TYPE=PROPRINTER MYFILE.PRO

   Note Because of incompatibilities among Proprinter printers, files created for Proprinter models other than the XL24 printer may not print as expected. For best results, when producing a file to be printed using the Proprinter translator, specify the Proprinter XL24 as the printer model in your application.

   10.1 Proprinter Translator versus the Proprinter Printer

   The DCPS translator for Proprinter files differs from the operation of the Proprinter XL24 printer in the following ways:

   • The XL24 printer does not print two adjacent horizontal dots for some types of raster graphics, while the translator prints all data specified in the raster graphic. The translator supplies a special escape sequence that allows you to specify the print attribute that causes the translator to drop alternate dots (see Section 10.6).
   • The translator does not require AGM mode to be enabled to process the AGM raster graphic escape sequence (ESC *).
   • The translator does not contain the bitmaps for the XL24 built-in fonts. Therefore, the prefill commands do not store bitmaps or initialize lookup tables to point at bitmaps. Any Proprinter data stream that relies on bitmap initialization will fail.
   • The translator can print either 9-wire or 24-wire downloaded fonts. The mode is determined by the escape sequence that the translator encounters first:
     • If the Character Font Image Download escape sequence is encountered first, the mode is determined by the escape sequence.
     • If the Select Print Mode escape sequence is encountered first, the mode is determined by the translator's Front Panel Mode escape sequence (see Section 10.3).
   • The XL24 does not underscore or overscore the lower integral and square root characters. The Proprinter translator underscores and overscores these characters.

   Documentation specifying the Proprinter language is available from IBM. The documentation specific to the Proprinter and the XL24 includes:

   IBM's Proprinter Family Technical Reference	IBM part number SC31-2587-3
   IBM's Proprinter X24E and XL24 Guide to Operations	IBM part number SA34-2106-0

   10.2 How DECprint Supervisor Recognizes Proprinter Files

   DECprint Supervisor recognizes the Proprinter data type if the files have the following characteristics:

   • They begin with an ANSI escape sequence.
   • They have a file extension that links them to a Proprinter data type.

   If your Proprinter file does not meet these criteria, you can explicitly specify the data type by including the DATA_TYPE=PROPRINTER parameter in your PRINT command.

   10.3 Modifying the Default State of the Proprinter Translator

   The default state of the XL24 can be modified from its front panel and from its DIP switches. Emulate these settings in your print job using PRINT parameters and the translator-specific front panel escape sequences. Table 10-1 shows the print attributes that you can modify using PRINT parameters.

   Table 10-1 PRINT Parameters that Affect Proprinter Settings

   Print Attribute	PRINT Parameter	Reference
   orientation	/PARAMETERS=PAGE_ORIENTATION	Section 2.4
   tray selection	/PARAMETERS=INPUT_TRAY¹	Section 5.1
   paper size	/PARAMETERS=PAGE_SIZE	Section 12.7

   ---

   ¹Instructions in the data file can override this PRINT parameter.
   

   ---

   All of the print attributes on the XL24 front panel and DIP switches can be modified in the Proprinter translator using the appropriate front panel mode escape sequence.

   The format of the front panel mode escape sequence is:

   Escape Sequence Format

   ESC ` count-low count-high item-id new-value-low [new-value-high]

   Decimal Values

   027 096

   Note This format shows spaces between the elements of the command for clarity. Do not include spaces in your actual command.

   This escape sequence allows you to specify:

   • count-low and count-high bytes to indicate the number of bytes to follow.
   • item-id, which identifies the item to be changed. The item-id values and the corresponding attributes are listed in Table 10-2.
   • new-value is the default translator state for the item, assumed if the translator performs a reset. If this command is stored in a setup module, the default state is applied to the data file following the setup module.

   Do not use ASCII encoded numerals (1, 2, 3,...) to specify the count bytes, item-id, and new-value in the escape sequence. Instead, use ASCII characters whose numeric codes represent the values you want. For example, zero is represented by the NULL code; 126 is represented by the tilde character (~).

   The print attributes that you can change using this escape sequence are listed in Table 10-2. The item-id is listed first, followed by a description of the print attribute. The third column shows the default Proprinter translator behavior for this print attribute. The last column shows how to present the value for each item.

   Table 10-2 Proprinter Print Attributes

   Item-Id	Description	Default Translator Value	You Specify ...
   2	Slashed 0	Default: 0	1 or 0.
   3	Auto NL	Default: 0	1 or 0.
   4	Form length	Default: based on logical page length. See Section 10.4.2.	The page length in points (72 units per inch). Any value is allowed.
   5	Character set	Default: Set 1	1 indicates character set 1. 2 indicates character set 2.
   6	Auto CR	Default: 0	1 or 0.
   7	Margins	Default: based on logical page width. See Section 10.4.2.	The page width in points (72 units per inch). Any value is allowed.
   8	Ignore FF	This determines whether form feeds are ignored at the top of form. Default: 1	1 or 0.
   12	12 cpi comp.	There are three options: 12, 17.1, or 20 cpi. Default: 12	2 indicates 12 cpi. 3 indicates 17.1 cpi. 4 indicates 20 cpi.
   13	Code page	Default: 437	The code page value: 437 or 850.
   14	AGM	Default: disabled	1 or 0.
   16	Left offset	Default: 18 points (1/4 in.)	The left offset in points. Any value is allowed.
   17	Top offset	Default: 36 points (1/2 in.)	The top offset in points. Any value is allowed. This is the position of the baseline of the first line of the file.
   19	Characters per inch	Default: 10 cpi	1 indicates 10 cpi. 2 indicates 12 cpi. 3 indicates 17.1 cpi. 4 indicates 20 cpi. 5 indicates proportional.
   20	Emphasize	Default: 0	1 or 0.
   21	Dbl Wide	Default: 0 (single)	1 or 0.
   22	Dbl High	Default: 0 (single)	1 or 0.
   23	Printer ID	Number for use with ERDPR. Default: 23	The printer ID number.
   24	9-wire or 24-wire downloaded fonts	A flag that determines 9-wire (0) or 24-wire (1) emulation. This is required so that appropriate downloaded fonts are selected with ESC I. Default: 24-wire	1 or 0.
   25	Grey bitmaps	A flag that is true if bitmaps are printed dark gray (85% black). Default: 0	1 or 0.
   26	Printer ID	Number for use with ERSIC. Default: 3	The printer ID number.
   27	Alternate dots	A flag that determines whether alternate dots are dropped in certain graphics modes. Default: 0	1 or 0.

   10.3.1 Creating a Setup Module for Proprinter Commands

   The front panel mode commands affect the way a file is printed if the commands are in a setup module and the setup module is specified with the file in the PRINT command. To use front panel commands to affect a print job, use the following procedure:

   1. Create a setup module that includes the necessary front panel mode commands.
   2. Ask your system manager to insert the setup module into a Proprinter device control library.
   3. Print the file, specifying the setup module and the file. For example:

      $ PRINT/QUEUE=PS$A14/PARAMETERS=DATA_TYPE=PROPRINTER/SETUP=module-name file-name.DAT

   The system manager can include the setup module in a form definition, which can be associated with a queue by default. In this case, you need only specify the data file name and the queue name in the PRINT command.

   For example, to change the default character set of the translator from code page 437, character set 1, to code page 850, character set 2, create a setup module that contains the following escape sequence:

   Escape Sequence Format

   ESC ` ETX NUL CR R ETX ESC ` STX NUL ENQ STX

   Decimal Values

   027 096 003 000 013 082 003 027 096 002 000 005 002

   Note These examples show spaces between the elements of the command for clarity. Do not include spaces in your actual command.

   To change the translator from printing on just 10 inches of a letter-size sheet to printing on all 11 inches of the sheet, create a setup module that includes the following escape sequences:

   Escape Sequence Format

   ESC ' STX NUL DC1 LF ESC ' ETX NUL EOT CAN ETX

   Decimal Values

   027 096 002 000 017 010 027 096 003 000 004 024 003

   This front panel command changes the top offset to 10 points, and sets the text length to 11 inches. Because most laser printers cannot print on the entire sheet, you may need to scale the page using the NUMBER_UP or LAYUP parameters to fit within the printable area.

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