Printer-PCL Compatibility
Bill Campbell
bill at celestial.com
Tue Mar 31 16:22:42 PDT 2015
On Tue, Mar 31, 2015, Bob Rasmussen wrote:
> Bill, doesn't a PPD, and your response in general, suggest a PostScript
> solutionand require a PostScript capable printer?
No, ghostpdl produces PDF files from PCL, and CUPS does an excellent job of
massaging PDF to print on different printers. My guess is that it would
work with PostScript as well.
While my Ricoh Aficio SP C242sf grok's PostScript, the Epson WF-3640
doesn't, and both work fine from my CentOS 5 system via the network.
Using ghostpdl for this solves a major problem for me as I have general
purpose printer routines that generate PCL with embedded formatting codes
for things like CPI, LPI, underscore, etc., and I didn't know how to get
them to PDF or PostScript before I found ghostpdl.
> On Tue, 31 Mar 2015, Bill Campbell wrote:
>
>> On Tue, Mar 31, 2015, Chris Sellitto wrote:
>>> Bob,
>>
>>> I forgot to mention that when I print the same exact reports to an HP
>>> LaserJet printer, in house, it prints fine every time.
>>
>> You didn't say what OS you're using.
>>
>> I have this HP 100 printer that I use primarily to print bridge
>> convention cards when I'm out of town using a Macbook Pro.
>>
>> I've found that I have been able to print to CUPS printers from
>> my Linux boxes where I have PCL output by using the ghostpdl
>> software to convert PCL to PDF, then sending this to the printer
>> using the normal CUPS routines.
>>
>> I do cheat a bit though as I copy the printer's PPD file from my
>> Mac to the Linux box. I've done this recently with a Ricoh
>> Aficio color laser and an Epson Workforce 3640 with excellent
>> results. I'll have to give it a try on the HP 100.
>>
>>> Thank you
>>> Chris
>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Bob Rasmussen [mailto:ras at anzio.com]
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 12:17 PM
>>>> [...]
>>>> If the printouts are generally correct, then the issue is probably NOT
>>>> incompatibility of language. Based on your description of the behavior,
>>>> I'd say that the issue is in the number of lines per page that the
>>>> printer can print, at the specified linespacing. Linespacing is referred
>>>> to as Vertical Motion Index (VMI) in PCL-speak. It's set by the command
>>>> <esc>&l#C
>>>> where "#" represents a number. Try reducing that number in the printcode
>>>> table.
>>>>
>>>> (Yes, I know this answer assumes a certain basic knowledge of PCL
>>>> syntax.)
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, 31 Mar 2015, Chris Sellitto wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hello all,
>>>>>
>>>>> FilePro® 5.0.13
>>>>> Windows 7/8
>>>>>
>>>>> We have field reps that use the HP OfficeJet 100 Mobile printer. They
>>>> have been experiencing alignment issues with a few of their
>>>> reports/forms. If a report contains a lot of records (several hundred),
>>>> it will gradually go out of alignment, where the headers start lower on
>>>> each subsequent page. Sometimes it will even start the report over
>>>> after printing a couple of pages. We have our printers defined as
>>>> follows.
>>>>>
>>>>> ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
>>>>> ??? P R I N T E R M A I N T E N A N C E ???
>>>>> ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --Name-- --Type-- --Destination File--- ------------Comment----
>>>> --------
>>>>> 1 ??? ??? ???
>>>> ???
>>>>> 2 ??? ??? ???
>>>> ???
>>>>> * 3 hplaser4??? hplaser4??? win:hpdeskjet ???
>>>> ???
>>>>> 4 hp-500 ??? hp-500 ??? win:hpdeskjet ??? For 222 Forms
>>>> ???
>>>>> 5 ??? ??? ???
>>>> ???
>>>>> 6 ??? ??? ???
>>>> ???
>>>>> 7 ??? ??? ???
>>>> ???
>>>>> 8 ??? ??? ???
>>>> ???
>>>>> 9 ??? ??? ???
>>>> ???
>>>>>
>>>>> The output formats are defined with the hplaser4, and hp-500 where
>>>> applicable. The 222 Form is a preprinted document that has not changed
>>>> its format for over 10 years.
>>>>>
>>>>> We used to use the hp-500 printers (many years ago without issue), and
>>>> since the personnel had changed for ordering equipment, they started
>>>> ordering the OfficeJet 100 Mobile printer without our knowledge. This is
>>>> when our issues started. I notice that on HP's web page, the 100 Mobile
>>>> uses HP PCL 3 GUI. My question is, is filePro® compatible with the HP
>>>> PCL 3 GUI version of the printer control language? If not, does anyone
>>>> know of a good, reliable mobile printer, available now that plays nice
>>>> with filePro®?
>>>>>
>>>>> I hope I have included enough information.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thank you in advance
>>>>> Chris Sellitto
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>>
>> --
>> Bill
>> --
>> INTERNET: bill at celestial.com Bill Campbell; Celestial Software LLC
>> URL: http://www.celestial.com/ PO Box 820; 6641 E. Mercer Way
>> Voice: (206) 236-1676 Mercer Island, WA 98040-0820
>> Fax: (206) 232-9186 Skype: jwccsllc (206) 855-5792
>>
>> There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not
>> want merely because you think it would be good for him. -- Robert Heinlein
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>
> Regards,
> ....Bob Rasmussen, President, Rasmussen Software, Inc.
>
> personal e-mail: ras at anzio.com
> company e-mail: rsi at anzio.com
> voice: (US) 503-624-0360 (9:00-6:00 Pacific Time)
> fax: (US) 503-624-0760
> web: http://www.anzio.com
> street address: Rasmussen Software, Inc.
> 10240 SW Nimbus, Suite L9
> Portland, OR 97223 USA
Bill
--
INTERNET: bill at celestial.com Bill Campbell; Celestial Software LLC
URL: http://www.celestial.com/ PO Box 820; 6641 E. Mercer Way
Voice: (206) 236-1676 Mercer Island, WA 98040-0820
Fax: (206) 232-9186 Skype: jwccsllc (206) 855-5792
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