PRINTER: Need help with PCL support

QuestionTime

PCL - Stands for Printer Command Language. Currently I am looking for a printer that will support PCL on serial interface (COM1) or Ethernet interface.

Do anyone know what are the printers available in the market that support PCL ?

PCL - Printer Command Language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thx

120nm4n

Pretty much all business-class HP and Canon printers do. I don't have any experience with other companies, but we have quite a few new and old HPs and Canons, and they are all PCL.

QuestionTime

Do you mean the newer printer supports PCL as well ? I was looking @ HP web site and not seeing any of their printer support PCL.

rcoop

The primary "laser" printer languages used to be PCL(4-5) and Postscript.

PCL (and PJL - Printer Job Language) are HP (Hewlett Packard) created, but most laser printers usually support one version of the PCL language.

Try any model of HP LaserJet class printer II, III, 4, 5, 6, 8xxx, etc.., and they definitely support PCL as their primary language. Some will also support Postscript, but it requires much more memory and is more processor intensive (co-processor intensive?).

Postscript was created by Adobe, and is a common "page" description language that offers many graphics commands. It used to be what was used in the printing and graphic arts realm, but has become much more popular and standard use in medium to high-end printers. I believe the common/universal PDF is a display format for the Postscript language.

HP Inkjet Printers also use a variant PCL language as well.

Here is a short summary from RedHat on Page Description Languages (PDL):
Printer Languages and Technologies

I would be extremely surprised if HP's current printers were not still using PCL as their primary PDL. There are too many applications that bypass application and OS printer drivers that are written using PCL that those non-PCL printers would no longer support.

My question would be, what languages are HP printers using if not PCL?

Best Regards,
--RCoop

rcoop

Hi QuestionTime,

It looks like some of the personal lasers are using something called "Host-Based Printing", which usually means that the OS is handling the page description language. I don't know if that means it limits what OS's these printers support, but that would be my guess.

Here are 3 current HP models (from http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/can.do?landing=printer&category=LaserJet&catLevel=1&storeName=storefronts), and the printer languages they support:

HP LaserJet P1006 Printer
Host-based printing

HP LaserJet P2035 Printer
Host Based, HP PCL5e

HP LaserJet P2015d Printer
HP PCL 5e, HP PCL 6, HP Postscript level 3 emulation with automatic language switching

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They go from more personal/individual printing to workgroup printing, and the support of PCL starts to show up in the mid-level.

I did notice the new HP LaserJet P2035 Printer still supported Parallel connections in addition to USB.

HTH,
--RCoop

QuestionTime

The problem I have that I will have to have the printer attach to a Windows CE 5.00 device for printing. According to the spec of the device, its compatible to PCL printer.

My questions is where can I find a printer will work to my Windows CE 5.00 device for sure ?

Those 3 HP printer suggested:
HP LaserJet P1006 Printer HP LaserJet P1005 Printer HP LaserJet P1505 Printer

Would that work for sure ?