On Sunday 11 February 2007 09:29, Don Cox wrote:
> On 10/02/07, Don Ferguson wrote:
> > When a 'proper' PostScript program is sent to a
PostScript capable
> > printer, there is no translation process. The
printer has "a
> > Postscript engine" within it and that engine
understands the
> > PostScript language and will transform PostScript
directives into
> > appropriate printer commands for the particular
printer. For example,
> > I assume that "the PostScript engine"
within an HP laser printer would
> > be quite different from one within a Brother laser
printer, assuming
> > both were PostScript capable.
>
> Probably not. The output from a Postscript interpreter
is a bitmap image
> at the resolution specified.
>
> What would be different is the way the printers
transfer that image to
> paper.
>
> > If you have an editor which will handle binary
codes -- e.g., will
> > recognize the Escape character, and other
"Control characters" -- then
> > you can edit a PCL file. However, I don't know how
you would get your
> > hands on the "PCL file" in the first
place.
>
> Collect it from a print spooler?
or just use "print to file" in the print
requester. Or create one from scratch
using a text editor and then compile it with the program
mentioned elsewhere.
> > If you have the patience
> > and knowledge of PCL codes, you could prepare a
PCL document and then
> > send it to your PCL equipped printer for printing.
Although feasible,
> > I cannot imagine anyone doing that for 'ordinary'
printing.
>
> But the author of a printer driver would have to do
that.
Moreover the only difference from PostScript here is that
with PCL you would
need to "compile" your page. There are already
compilers that will do this
for you. No need to deal with control codes, just text
commands similar to
PostScript. (However, unlike PostScript there are to my
knowledge no flow
control commands.)
PCL is not "like" PostScript, but that isn't
because PCL doesn't describe a
page, it is because PostScript goes beyond simple page
description and
includes functional programming capabilities.
Tim Doty
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http
://groups.yahoo.com/group/PageStreamSupport/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PageStreamSupport/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:PageStreamSupport-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:PageStreamSupport-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
PageStreamSupport-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.c
om/info/terms/
|
