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HP Printers/Printer Command Language (PCL) by PAW_Fl
Posted by BrendaTX of TX on 6/17/05 8:51am Msg #45471
Adding this priceless post to our recommended reading for new people:

HP's History Of Printer Command Language (PCL)
Posted by PAW_Fl on 6/17/05 8:19am

HP's History Of Printer Command Language (PCL)

In order to provide an efficient and effective way to control printer features across many different printing devices, HP created PCL. PCL was originally conceived and devised for HP's dot matrix and Inkjet printers. The first printer in HP's LaserJet series, the HP LaserJet was released in 1984 with the PCL 3 version of the language.

PCL commands are compact escape sequence codes that are embedded in the print job before being sent to the printer. Issuance of the sequence was relatively easy from any high level language or from assembler. HP PCL formatters and fonts were designed to quickly translate application output into high-quality, device-specific, raster print images. The PCL printer language is common to virtually all HP printers, but not universal and not always backward compatible. This conceptual thinking enabled HP to minimize printer support problems and protect HP printer investment in applications and printer driver software. It is why the HP laser printers quickly became the industry standard.

The PCL printer language is successful because the following points remain consistent across all levels:

1. All HP LaserJet series printers implement PCL printer language features consistently.
2. HP printers implement the PCL feature in very cost-effective formatters.
3. HP printers have the ability to ignore most unsupported commands without causing the printer or issuing device to crash.

There are six major levels of PCL. The creation of these levels was driven by the combination of printer technology developments, changing user needs and application software improvements. The first versions of PCL (PCL 1 and 2) were used in HP impact and Inkjet printers in the early 1980s. The major phases of the PCL printer language are as follows:

PCL 1 This version is supported by all HP LaserJet series printers (except the HP LaserJet 3100 and 3150 series products). It provided very basic printing and spacing functionality, but was limited to only text printing and ASCII characters. PCL 1 is the foundational base set of functions provided for simple, single-user workstation output. It was created in the late 1970s and introduced in the late 70s and early 80s.

PCL 2 As was PCL 1, this version is supported by all HP LaserJet series printers (except the HP LaserJet 3100 and 3150 series products). Hence it covered all PCL functionality and provided Electronic Data Processing/Transaction functionality. Functions were added for general purpose, multi-user system printing, but still in ASCII printing only. It was Introduced in the early part of 1982.

PCL 3 This was the first of the intelligent series of efforts by HP to incorporate graphics, crude as they were back then. It was the embedded code for the original HP LaserJet series printer, and the HP LaserJet Plus series printer. This version provided the commands and features required for simple high quality word processing and data printing. Allowed for the use of a limited number of bitmapped fonts and graphics. It quickly rose to the position of industry standard and PCL 3 was widely imitated by other printer manufacturers, commonly referred to as "LaserJet Plus Emulation" when used by other companies. It came out in 1984.

PCL 4 This industry standard release was the embedded code for the HP LaserJet Series II, commonly referred to as the workhorse laser, the HP LaserJet IID, HP LaserJet IIP, and HP LaserJet IIP Plus. It had a host of new page printing capabilities, including support for macros, larger bitmapped fonts and graphics. Introduced in 1985, it was the most radical of version improvements and would be more than sufficient for users for several years.

PCL 5 As the foundation of the HP LaserJet III, HP LaserJet IIID, HP LaserJet IIIP, and HP LaserJet IIISI, PCL 5 provided ultimate office publishing functionality. It was released to allow compatibility for industry acceptance for font scaling, outline fonts and HP-GL/2 (vector) graphics. PCL 5 was designed for more complex desktop publishing, graphic design, and presentation applications. Introduced in mid-1990 with the HP LaserJet III, this is the most widely used version of PCL compatibility in use by customers.

PCL 5E (Enhanced) Though it was labeled an enhancement to PCL 5, it was the internal code released with the HP LaserJet 4, HP LaserJet 4M, HP LaserJet 4L, HP LaserJet 4ML, HP LaserJet 4P, HP LaserJet 4MP, HP LaserJet 4Plus, HP LaserJet 4Mplus, HP LaserJet 5P, HP LaserJet 5MP, HP LaserJet 5L, HP LaserJet 5L-FS, HP LaserJet 5Lxtra, HP LaserJet 6L, HP LaserJet 6LXI, HP LaserJet 6LSE, HP LaserJet 6P, HP LaserJet 6MP, HP LaserJet 6PXI, HP LaserJet 6PSE and HP LaserJet 5si. HP LaserJet 8000 series, HP LaserJet 9000 series printers. It had major improvements and changes including bidirectional communication between the printer and the PC. It featured a wider selection of fonts for use primarily with the Microsoft Windows environment and applications.

PCL 5C (Color) This was also an enhancement to PCL 5 to add functional color support for HP Color LaserJet, HP Color LaserJet 5, HP Color LaserJet 5M, HP Color LaserJet 2500 series, HP Color LaserJet 4500 series, HP Color LaserJet 4550 series, HP Color LaserJet 4600 series, HP Color LaserJet 5500 series, HP Color LaserJet 8500 series and HP Color LaserJet 8550 series printers. It offered no other changes except the commands needed to support color printing.

PCL 6 This version offered significant changes in the backward compatibility issue for HP. PCL6 is very different from PCL5 and previous PCL versions. One significant difference is the manner in which the commands are sent to the printer. The target was performance and reliability; the jury is still out on the question of better. Prior to PCL 6, each new version of the language included commands not found in older versions as well as the older PCL commands. As a result, printers with more recent versions of PCL are backwards compatible with software that supports older versions of the language. PCL 6 was released with the HP LaserJet 4000 series, HP LaserJet 4100 series, HP LaserJet 2100 series, HP LaserJet 2200 series, HP LaserJet 1200, HP LaserJet 3200, HP LaserJet 3300, HP LaserJet 4200 series, HP LaserJet 4300 series, HP LaserJet 5000 series, HP LaserJet 5100 series, HP LaserJet 8000 series and HP LaserJet 9000 series printers. PCL 6 features new modular architecture that can be easily modified for future HP printers. The efforts for faster, post printing return to application have made somewhat of a problem with older operating systems. Other performance efforts are faster printing of complex graphics, more efficient data streams for reduced network traffic, better WYSIWYG printing, improved print quality, truer document fidelity, and complete backward compatibility. The compatibility issues have caused many users to select PCL 5 as the language version.

The PCL printer commands activate the printer features. Be design, HP provided four general types of HP printer language commands. Control codes, PCL commands, HP-GL/2 commands and PJL commands.

A control code is a character that initiates a printer function (for example, Carriage Return (CR), Line Feed (LF), Form Feed (FF), etc.).

PCL commands provide access to the printer's PCL control structure. The PCL structure controls all of the printer's features except those used for vector graphics, which are controlled by the HP-GL/2 commands. PCL commands (other than single-character control codes) are also referred to as "escape sequences." That design provided very easy use from high level programming languages and in reality, made the PCL the industry standard. The terms are used interchangeably. Once a PCL command sets a feature of the printer that feature remains set until that PCL command is repeated with a new value, or the printer is reset to default. In other words you turn on the feature and then turn it off.

HP-GL/2 (vector graphic) commands are two letter codes that represent the function of the command (such as IN for initialize). After the two-letter mnemonic, there may be one or more parameters that identify details of how to process the command.

HP made great efforts to yield an ease on selecting feature and capabilities in the PCL designs and procedures. That ease rewarded HP with the popularity that is second to none in the industry for laser printers. They have been active in creating other printer languages and utilities as well, such as PJL, a JCL type language and utility.
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Messages in this Thread
 Almost everything you need to know to become successful - Dorothy/MI on 4/22/05 11:00am
 Good job, Dorothy-MI! n/m -  Brenda Stone on 4/22/05 11:07am
 Thank you again, Dorothy and Brenda, et al!! - Mary Mantz on 4/22/05 4:42pm
 further evidence of a slow down - anon on 4/22/05 11:48am
 Loan Signer Training - Anya/LA (CA) on 4/22/05 1:04pm
 Re: Loan Signer Training - MaggieMae_CA on 4/22/05 3:23pm
 Re: Loan Signer Training - Mary Mantz on 4/22/05 4:45pm
 Added to thread #33325-Counter-point View- NSA training -  BrendaTX on 7/13/05 9:06am
 Re: Loan Signer Training - Carlos/CA on 12/10/10 12:10pm
 Re: further evidence of a slow down -  Stephen_VA on 4/22/05 2:51pm
 Re: Almost everything you need to know to become successful - chelleCA on 4/22/05 2:11pm
 Re: Almost everything you need to know to become successful - Knotaree DC on 4/22/05 3:49pm
 Re: ALMOST everything you need to know to become successful - JanetK/CA on 7/18/05 12:33am
 Details and Accuracy are Important - adding to #33325 -  BrendaTX on 7/14/05 11:00am
 Re: Almost everything you need to know to become successful -  Laura_NH on 4/22/05 10:50pm
 Re: Almost everything you need to know to become successful - Sansan7 on 5/18/05 9:11pm
 Re: Almost everything you need to know to become successful - David Woodul on 5/30/05 5:30pm
 CA-Almost everything you need to know to become successful - Elda Garibay on 6/1/05 2:17pm
 Re: Almost everything you need to know to become successful - sweetpea, al on 6/1/05 5:50pm
 Re: Almost everything you need to know to become successful - nkroyall on 6/7/05 4:17pm
 Additional information - Not an entitlement - Dorothy/MI on 6/13/05 8:57am
 Bookmark 'em - BrendaTX on 6/13/05 9:32am
 Re: Additional information - Not an entitlement -  Judith_VA on 6/13/05 3:00pm
 Re: Additional information - spell check - SamIam_CA on 6/13/05 3:27pm
 Recommended Reading: As a new NSA..here is my perspective - BrendaTx on 6/13/05 9:32pm
 Re: Recommended Reading: Added Nicole to #33325 thread n/m - BrendaTx on 6/13/05 9:33pm
 Re: Additional information - Not an entitlement - NJDiva on 9/29/10 10:00pm
 Adding to "Success" thread #33325 - Here's eDoc practice. - BrendaTx on 6/13/05 9:36pm
 HP Printers/Printer Command Language (PCL) by PAW_Fl - BrendaTX on 6/17/05 8:51am
 Re: Adding to "Success" thread #33325 - Here's eDoc practice. -  katsr_CA on 8/31/05 2:40pm
 Re: Adding to "Success" thread #33325 - Here's eDoc practice. - DTNotaries on 3/16/06 6:59pm
 Re: 2nd link doesn't work any longer - Jodith/WA on 1/2/10 6:25pm
 Jodith, this is a very old thread (4 years) -  BrendaTx on 1/2/10 6:31pm
 Re: Jodith, this is a very old thread (4 years) - Jodith Allen on 1/2/10 6:39pm
 Re: More advice from Brenda/TX - Dorothy/MI on 6/16/05 9:55pm
 Beginner's FAQs (Compliments of AngelinaAZ) -  BrendaTX on 6/17/05 5:13am
 Making the Confirmation Call...by Iris-WA -  BrendaTX on 7/12/05 2:56pm
 What Ernest CT says about the Confirmation Call - BrendaTX on 7/12/05 2:58pm
 Why people are reluctant to post TC info from Nd_WA -  BrendaTX on 7/21/05 8:10am
 Re: Why people are reluctant to post TC info from Nd_WA - tfarmertx on 7/23/05 8:02pm
 Acronyms regarding loans by Brian/CA -  BrendaTX on 7/21/05 9:07pm
 Re: Acronyms regarding loans by Brian/CA - linda/ca on 7/23/05 9:51pm
 Re: Acronyms regarding loans by Brian/CA - linda/ca on 7/24/05 3:19am
 End of Month - Bonnie/FL Explains -  BrendaTX on 7/24/05 12:48pm
 Accepting an Assignment / Quoting Fee / EOM (+ to #33325) -  Brenda Stone on 7/26/05 4:13am
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 Quoting your fee to SS's...ASK like THIS - TCMN on 7/26/05 5:19pm
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 Re: Pricing and Fees by NorCalDar on 10/7/05 - Nathan Ellsworth on 10/19/05 11:19pm
 I disagree - the $10 @ is justified - ALL SONOMA MOBILE NOTARY - Judith Neeley on 2/19/08 9:13pm
 Required Reading - NSA 101-Orientation by Roger OH -  BrendaTx on 11/14/05 3:56pm
 Required Reading - NSA 101 - UPDATE to #33325- by Roger OH -  BrendaTx on 5/17/06 5:24pm
 Adding #76283 to the thread of Message #33325 - BrendaTx on 1/27/06 12:21pm
 Jersey Boy's 2 cents... Adding to #33325 -  BrendaTx on 2/3/06 10:21am
 Re: Almost everything you need to know to become successful - Brenda Stone on 2/5/06 3:50pm
 For Income Tax starting place, see Msg #94550 - BrendaTx on 2/5/06 3:52pm
 A Lesson on Attitude for New SAs... - BrendaTx on 2/9/06 3:00pm
 A Lesson on Attitude for new SA's .... by JanetK_CA - TitleGalCA on 2/9/06 8:27pm
 above post by JanetK_CA, not TitleGal N~M - TitleGalCA on 2/9/06 8:28pm
 Posted from msg 95364 - Brenda_TX - Newbie Msg for Today - Dorothy_MI on 2/10/06 2:37pm
 Re: Posted from msg 95364 - Brenda_TX - Newbie Msg for Today - lulu on 2/10/06 3:11pm
 Msg List - Going Mobile - adding to #33325 (From BeccaFL) -  BrendaTx on 2/13/06 10:20am
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 From CharlesCA - Adding to 33325 - True Professional Society -  BrendaTx on 2/13/06 3:07pm
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 The Other Side of the Coin (back by popular demand) -  BrendaTx on 3/28/06 5:04pm
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 Signing errors through the lenders eyes by Renee Kovacs -  TitleGalCA on 4/5/06 11:31pm
 Re: Almost everything you need to know to become successful - Anonymous from 71.66.111.249 on 4/30/06 6:24pm
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 Re: Deed of Trust/Mortgage - PAW - Added to #33325 -  BrendaTx on 5/2/06 12:30pm
 Notary Certifying Copy - See Thread beginning w/Msg #117135 n/m -  BrendaTx on 5/2/06 12:32pm
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 Msg to New Signing Agents from Sylvia_FL added to #33325 -  BrendaTx on 5/17/06 11:44am
 Demand for payment letter - adding to 33325 by droman_IL -  BrendaTx on 5/18/06 7:22am
 New Signing Agents-Read This First! Adding to #33325 Marlene -  BrendaTx on 5/19/06 9:24am
 Signing prior to printed date ReneeK - added to 33325 -  BrendaTx on 5/19/06 9:32am
 Re: Signing prior to printed date BarbaraL-CA added to 33325 -  BrendaTx on 5/19/06 9:37am
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 Apostille (or apostilles) Adding to #33325 [by Gerry VT] -  BrendaTx on 5/31/06 5:55pm
 Addition to 33325 - First & Second by ND-WA and CMS-NY -  BrendaTx on 6/1/06 10:39am
 By BrendaTX 5/26/06: *...for those who understand business* -  Ndwa on 6/2/06 4:20pm
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 Newbies - a lesson on attitude by Janet K - adding to 33325 -  BrendaTx on 6/8/06 10:54am
 Date Clarification - Roger OH - adding to 33325 -  BrendaTx on 6/23/06 2:52pm
 Considerations for getting started/Dorothy MI /add to #33325 -  BrendaTx on 7/9/06 1:15pm
 For the Newbies.. Things to carry with you/ADDING TO 33325 -  Brenda Stone on 7/17/06 1:24pm
 More Things to carry with you/ADDING TO 33325 -  BrendaTx on 7/17/06 1:41pm
 Re: More Things to carry with you/ADDING TO 33325 -  BrendaTx on 7/17/06 1:55pm
 Re: More Things to carry with you/ADDING TO 33325 - Brad/AZ on 4/3/07 2:30pm
 Slow down in Business - Surfers or Signers - add to #33325 -  BrendaTx on 7/19/06 2:11pm
 Adding to 33325 - From One Newbie to Another - Great advice -  BrendaTx on 8/12/06 12:05pm
 Re: Adding to 33325 -Check list of compter needs for working -  hcampersFL on 10/30/06 7:10am
 From one Newbie to another…Sharon Nunley -  BrendaTx on 2/9/07 6:43am
 Re: From one Newbie to another…Sharon Nunley -  BrendaTx on 2/9/07 6:44am
 History of the loan industry and how it affects NSAs today - Laura Vestanen on 3/18/07 6:36pm
 If you're a newbee and take $50 signings, PLEASE read - Laura Vestanen on 4/2/07 7:54pm
 Update to Famous Message 33325 - Tim_Mphs/TN on 4/28/07 3:02am
 Re: Almost everything you need to know to become successful - Stella Gonzales on 5/3/07 7:23pm
 Dressing Professionally - by kcg/IN - adding to #33325 -  BrendaTx on 5/4/07 12:12pm
 All of the VA Crespa questions - by Shannon Va- +'d to33325 -  BrendaTx on 5/28/07 9:18am
 First, learn the basics of signing. Added to #33325 -  BrendaTx on 9/4/07 6:41am
 Important for NSAs in Illinois, Maryland, So Carolina, Mass - Laura Vestanen on 11/11/07 5:35am
 Before you think about starting - by CJ in CA - add to 33325 -  BrendaTx on 11/15/07 2:47pm
 NSA Professional Standards -  MistarellaFL on 8/16/08 11:36am
 The Client/Vendor Relationship -- a MUST see video!! -  Marian_in_CA on 5/31/09 4:28pm
 True skinny: Notary advocate / presentment / honor-dishonor - Laura_V on 10/1/09 5:54pm
 Re: True skinny: Notarial protest / certificate of dishonor - Robert/FL on 11/12/09 11:51am
 Believe in yourself! -  John_NorCal on 10/24/09 10:22am
 Forgot to add..... -  John_NorCal on 10/24/09 12:52pm
 Our fees + their relevancy to state of industry - Laura_V on 10/29/09 11:25am
 Re: What is a good rate to set and keep? - Laura_V on 11/25/09 11:57am
 A perspective on our business Posted by JanetK_CA 1/5/10 - Laura_V on 1/5/10 6:34pm
 Post by Les CO re the current state and probable future of.. - Laura_V on 1/12/10 10:05am
 Better is not always cheaper & Cheaper is not always better -  Moneyman/TX on 12/4/10 1:11am
 You are an Independent Contractor...not an employee... - Lee/AR on 4/12/10 8:16am
 Buddy's Lessons - For New Notaries 101 -  BrendaTx on 6/2/12 9:03am
 SS&TC Research Our Industry-We are Certified for God's Sake - bygrace/PA on 6/21/12 6:33pm
 Decide if you are a Checker, Poker or Chess Player - bygrace/PA on 6/21/12 6:37pm
 Tipsabout using signing central and NR forum from NJDIVA -  SheilaSJCA on 8/23/12 11:07am
 Please send information to... - Olivia Mosley on 1/13/15 11:56am
 Olivia Mosley - you are in old files - jba/fl on 1/13/15 8:05pm
 Sequence of events - Lender to NSA by Deborah Breedlove -  BrendaTx on 9/27/12 10:15pm
 Re: Almost everything you need to know to become successful - Janice Stephens on 10/19/12 12:36pm
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 Sample Loan Document Package -  BrendaTx on 11/25/12 3:58pm
 Re: Sample Loan Document Package -  HisHughness on 11/25/12 4:23pm
 LOL~! n/m -  BrendaTx on 11/25/12 7:45pm
 Key Tools for Maximizing NSA Success (adding to 33325) -  BrendaTx on 2/4/13 6:32am



 
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