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You can select the page size with the PAGE_SIZE parameter. The following page sizes are supported for PCL files:
7_envelope or Monarch
A4
A3
Business_envelope or COM10
C5_envelope
DL_envelope
Executive
Letter (A)
Legal
Ledger (B)
If you specify an unsupported page size, the PCL translator selects a supported size that is closest to the size you specified.
Page size commands in the PCL file override the page size you specify in the PRINT parameter. You can create a PostScript setup module to be applied to the translated file that redefines the page size operators so that they are ignored when the file is printed. See Section 7.3.3 for information on creating setup modules. |
DCPS ignores the following print parameters when printing PCL files using the native PCL capability of a supported printer:
INPUT_TRAY
OUTPUT_TRAY
PAGE_ORIENTATION
PAGE_SIZE
SHEET_SIZE
SIDES
In these cases the default setting of the printer takes effect. You can manipulate PCL printer tray selection by inserting appropriate PCL escape sequences in the print file or in setup modules.
Alternatively, you can have these parameters affect your job by forcing
translation to PostScript on the host. To force translation, use a DCPS
feature that forces translation such as PAGE_LIMIT or NUMBER_UP.
7.3.2 Using Escape Sequences to Modify PCL Print Jobs
The format of the front panel mode escape sequence is:
Escape Sequence Format
ESC ! ` value P |
Decimal Values
027 033 096 080 |
This format shows spaces between the elements of the command for clarity. Do not include spaces in your actual command. |
Specify front panel settings by following these steps:
Front panel mode is also disabled by the PCL reset escape sequence (ESC E).
You can include PCL escape sequences for any of the following print attributes:
PCL escape sequences allow you to specify both a primary and a secondary font. Escape sequences for both types of fonts can be included in the front panel mode escape sequence for selecting a default font.
For example, a PCL escape sequence that sets the pitch to 16.66 characters per inch (cpi) and ISO 17 Spanish symbol set is formatted as follows:
ESC ! ` 1 P ESC (s16.66H ESC (2S ESC ! ` 0 P |
This format shows spaces between the elements of the command for clarity. Do not include spaces in your actual command. |
This command includes escape sequences that do the following:
To create a setup module, follow these steps:
$ PRINT /QUEUE=PS$A14 /PARAMETERS=DATA_TYPE=PCL /SETUP=module-name file.DAT |
For example, the following PostScript setup module redefines the tray select escape sequence (a4tray). The PCL file contains a page size command to select A4 paper. If your printer does not support A4 paper, you must make the printing system ignore the page size command to print the file. You create a PostScript setup module that redefines the PostScript operator to select A4 paper, as follows:
statusdict begin /a4tray {} def end |
When producing a file to be printed using the PCL translator, choose the LaserJet IID printer from your application. There are incompatibilities among LaserJet printers; therefore, files created for a LaserJet model other than the LaserJet IID printer may not be printed as expected.
The PCL translator handles PCL files like the LaserJet IID printer, except in the following cases:
Documentation specifying the PCL language is available from Hewlett-Packard. The documentation specific to the LaserJet IID includes:
HP LaserJet IID Printer Technical Reference Manual | HP part number 33447 90905 |
HP LaserJet IID Printer User's Manual | HP part number 33447 90901 |
PCL files can be automatically recognized by the DECprint Supervisor
software. Files that begin with the PCL reset escape sequence (ESC E)
or have a file extension identified as a PCL data type are
automatically recognized as PCL files.
7.4 Changing the Input Tray
A PCL file may contain instructions to select the printer input tray on a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet IID printer. When you print this file on a different type of printer, the print job will fail if the specified input tray is not available. You can modify the print job to redefine the input tray selection command, using a PostScript setup module. You can create a PostScript setup module to redefine the appropriate PostScript operators, changing the selected input tray. The following example shows a PostScript setup module to select PostScript tray 3 for the upper input tray, and PostScript tray 1 for the bottom input tray.
/settoptray {statusdict begin 3 setpapertray end} def /setbottomtray {statusdict begin 1 setpapertray end} def |
Input tray values are specific to the printer. Refer to the PostScript documentation for your printer to determine the numbers for the available trays.
The input tray selection commands, and the PostScript operators to which the PCL translator converts them, are listed in Table 7-2. The translator uses the default setpapertray value if no other value has been defined. A setup module with a different value overrides the default value.
PCL Commands | PostScript Extension Operator | Default setpapertray Value |
---|---|---|
Upper tray | settoptray | 1 |
Manual input | setmanualfeedtray | 0 |
Manual envelope input | setmanualfeedtray | 0 |
Lower tray | setbottomtray | 2 |
Optional large tray | setlcittray | 3 |
Envelope feeder | setenvelopefeedertray | 3 |
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 DECprint Supervisor for OpenVMS System 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:
To include a soft font or macro in a setup module, follow these steps:
$ 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.
7.5.2 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.
7.6 PC Driver Settings to Avoid Problems with PJL and TBCP
Two printing protocols may cause problems with DCPS. These are HP PJL
(Print Job Language), and HP TBCP (Tagged Binary Communication
Protocol). Documents created from a Windows 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.
7.6.1 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. When an
application is creating files for printing to printers that support PJL
or TBCP, the files can include PJL and TBCP.
7.6.2 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.
7.6.2.1 Preventing problems with PostScript
When an application is generating PostScript output, use the following guidelines:
Whether printing to a printer or saving to a file, it is best to avoid both TBCP and PJL.
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 Windows user, Compaq recommends that TBCP be disabled.
Disable the "Tagged Binary" item from the Advanced Options
Menu of printer drivers that offer this option. This disables TBCP, and
the TBCP introducer is not included in the file. 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.
7.6.2.2 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.
7.7 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 which contain commands to switch to PostScript may be printed entirely as PCL. This result occurs if all of the following cases are true:
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:
If concatenated PCL files are not acceptable, the following workarounds can be used:
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