Conversion to PCL?

[JJ]

Hello:

I'm new to this group. I found a reference to it and just thought I'd try
my question here.

We have a company logo. I can get it in jpg or bmp format. I might even be
able to get it in PDF format...

But what we need to do is convert it to PCL. Then I have to store that PCL
somewhere so that later, it can be "sent" to the printer on the fly.
Basically, we'd like to print the logo from our internal system vs. buying
pre-printed letterhead paper.

We cannot load "macros" to the printers themselves. We have dozens of
printers that might be doing this printing. They are all PCL capable
printers.

We do currently use PCL to change font sizes, color, draw boxes, etc. I
just haven't been able to get a PCL version of our logo that will work.
I've contacted VeryPDF and their s/w will make a PCL, but when I try to use
it, I get errors from it.

Has anyone done this or know how? We only have one logo and it would be a
one-time shot. Is there a company or service that could do this for us for
a reasonable fee? Or any thing I can download that will allow me to do
this?

Any assistance is appreciated! JJ

 

[Fred McKenzie]

We have a company logo. I can get it in jpg or bmp format. I might even be
able to get it in PDF format...

But what we need to do is convert it to PCL. Then I have to store that PCL
somewhere so that later, it can be "sent" to the printer on the fly.
Basically, we'd like to print the logo from our internal system vs. buying
pre-printed letterhead paper.

JJ-

I think I understand. But just sending a PCL logo to the printer will
result in a page spitting out with the logo on it, nothing else. (It
might be cheaper to pay for pre-printed letterhead paper!) You would
need to incorporate a method of intercepting PCL print jobs,
concatenating them with the logo, and sending the combination on to the
printer.

Then what do you do about subsequent pages of a multipage document? Do
you want the logo on each page?

I think an easier method would be to develop a template document that
contains the logo, and require everyone to use it. If several word
processor programs are used, it should be easy to adapt the template for
each.

Fred

 

[ted]

Hello:

I'm new to this group. I found a reference to it and just thought I'd try
my question here.

We have a company logo. I can get it in jpg or bmp format. I might even be
able to get it in PDF format...

But what we need to do is convert it to PCL. Then I have to store that PCL
somewhere so that later, it can be "sent" to the printer on the fly.
Basically, we'd like to print the logo from our internal system vs. buying
pre-printed letterhead paper.

We cannot load "macros" to the printers themselves. We have dozens of
printers that might be doing this printing. They are all PCL capable
printers.

We do currently use PCL to change font sizes, color, draw boxes, etc. I
just haven't been able to get a PCL version of our logo that will work.
I've contacted VeryPDF and their s/w will make a PCL, but when I try to use
it, I get errors from it.

Has anyone done this or know how? We only have one logo and it would be a
one-time shot. Is there a company or service that could do this for us for
a reasonable fee? Or any thing I can download that will allow me to do
this?

Any assistance is appreciated! JJ

Why don't you just make a template document in whatever your word-processing
program is and put the image in that? Then it will work on PCL, PostScript
or whatever..

 

[Guest]

I think I understand. But just sending a PCL logo to the printer will
result in a page spitting out with the logo on it, nothing else. (It
might be cheaper to pay for pre-printed letterhead paper!) You would
need to incorporate a method of intercepting PCL print jobs,
concatenating them with the logo, and sending the combination on to the
printer.

One can modify the code so as not to eject the page. The data you add
after your code should not reset the printer for a new page. I have
done this sort of thing (printing address labels with PrintMaster Gold
for DOS a long time ago ... which couldn't do it! - I used the programme
to print a page header, it could do that, which was one line of images
for a label ... I extracted the PCL graphics - the one row of lables,
and used a batch file to position the head using simple PCL code, dump
that code to the printer, print that line of graphics (dump the PCL
code for one row of labels), position the head, print the graphics, etc.).

Print your logo ... but print to a FILE (not to the printer). If you know
some basic PCL (head movement, starting graphic section, page resets) you
can remove all but the graphics (with the code to start graphics, position
it, end graphics but removing page resets and page ejects). You can (binary)
copy/send/dump that to the printer and then send more data (perhaps from a
programme which does not reset the page before printing or ... sending from
a programme to another file from which you can remove such resets).

To edit the data you print to a FILE (PCL code) (to clean it up, removing
page initialization, resets and ejects) you will need a good binary (or hex)
capable text editor (don't try to edit it in Word!)

It's a pain to edit the PCL code but once you have it things should work
fine.

 

[ted]

One can modify the code so as not to eject the page. The data you add
after your code should not reset the printer for a new page. I have
done this sort of thing (printing address labels with PrintMaster Gold
for DOS a long time ago ... which couldn't do it! - I used the programme
to print a page header, it could do that, which was one line of images
for a label ... I extracted the PCL graphics - the one row of lables,
and used a batch file to position the head using simple PCL code, dump
that code to the printer, print that line of graphics (dump the PCL
code for one row of labels), position the head, print the graphics, etc.).

Print your logo ... but print to a FILE (not to the printer). If you know
some basic PCL (head movement, starting graphic section, page resets) you
can remove all but the graphics (with the code to start graphics, position
it, end graphics but removing page resets and page ejects). You can (binary)
copy/send/dump that to the printer and then send more data (perhaps from a
programme which does not reset the page before printing or ... sending from
a programme to another file from which you can remove such resets).

To edit the data you print to a FILE (PCL code) (to clean it up, removing
page initialization, resets and ejects) you will need a good binary (or hex)
capable text editor (don't try to edit it in Word!)

It's a pain to edit the PCL code but once you have it things should work
fine.

Yes, it is *possible*, but it's almost certainly not what you really want
to do. This is what word processors are for, and anything more modern
than WordStar will certainly handle it without involving a bunch of
printer-specific code mangling.

 

[Guest]

Print your logo ... but print to a FILE (not to the printer). If you know
some basic PCL (head movement, starting graphic section, page resets) you
can remove all but the graphics (with the code to start graphics, position
it, end graphics but removing page resets and page ejects). You can (binary)
copy/send/dump that to the printer and then send more data (perhaps from a
programme which does not reset the page before printing or ... sending from
a programme to another file from which you can remove such resets).

To edit the data you print to a FILE (PCL code) (to clean it up, removing
page initialization, resets and ejects) you will need a good binary (or hex)
capable text editor (don't try to edit it in Word!)

It's a pain to edit the PCL code but once you have it things should work
fine.

One note ... if the data you want to presend to the printer has a header
and footer, are you using an inkjet or laser? A laser loads the whole page
and can have commands to print the header, move to the footer, print and
then go back to the top to add the content and the printer will layout the
whole page before printing. HP Inkjets also support PCL but they don't have
the memory. They have enough memory for a line or two. It will print the
header, then the footer and will printer them physically instead of laying
out a page in memory to add more content. Then you want to go back to the
top to add more content ... and that won't work. (At one time I helped
someone here with a similar problem but could only check what I was doing in
the header since I had an inkjet printer - but he responded that the header
and footer worked on his office's laser printer).

 

[JJ]

Hi Fred,

JJ-

I think I understand. But just sending a PCL logo to the printer will
result in a page spitting out with the logo on it, nothing else. (It
might be cheaper to pay for pre-printed letterhead paper!) You would
need to incorporate a method of intercepting PCL print jobs,
concatenating them with the logo, and sending the combination on to the
printer.

Then what do you do about subsequent pages of a multipage document? Do
you want the logo on each page?

Yes, we'd need the logo to appear in the upper lefthand corner just as it
would on pre-printed purchased letterhead.

I think an easier method would be to develop a template document that
contains the logo, and require everyone to use it. If several word
processor programs are used, it should be easy to adapt the template for
each.

Well, that's not really what we are doing. We are a lab and are reporting
results to printers in the field. We already use PCL to control font sizes,
placement of text, color changes, bolding, etc. We really just need an
"in-line" PCL of our logo that we can just send to the printer like we do
the other PCL commands we do. I have some PCL docs, it looks possible, I
just can't figure out how to do it.

I do now have our logo in PCL in a file...just can't seem to incorporate it
into the routine writing out the rest of the report. Thx for the input! JJ

 

[JJ]

One can modify the code so as not to eject the page. The data you add
after your code should not reset the printer for a new page. I have
done this sort of thing (printing address labels with PrintMaster Gold
for DOS a long time ago ... which couldn't do it! - I used the programme
to print a page header, it could do that, which was one line of images
for a label ... I extracted the PCL graphics - the one row of lables,
and used a batch file to position the head using simple PCL code, dump
that code to the printer, print that line of graphics (dump the PCL
code for one row of labels), position the head, print the graphics, etc.).

Print your logo ... but print to a FILE (not to the printer). If you know
some basic PCL (head movement, starting graphic section, page resets) you
can remove all but the graphics (with the code to start graphics, position
it, end graphics but removing page resets and page ejects). You can
(binary)
copy/send/dump that to the printer and then send more data (perhaps from a
programme which does not reset the page before printing or ... sending
from
a programme to another file from which you can remove such resets).

To edit the data you print to a FILE (PCL code) (to clean it up, removing
page initialization, resets and ejects) you will need a good binary (or
hex)
capable text editor (don't try to edit it in Word!)

It's a pain to edit the PCL code but once you have it things should work
fine.

Thanks! That gives me some ideas. JJ

 

[JJ]

Hi Ted,

Yes, it is *possible*, but it's almost certainly not what you really want
to do. This is what word processors are for, and anything more modern
than WordStar will certainly handle it without involving a bunch of
printer-specific code mangling.

We are not using any word processors. We need to have "in-line" PCL to send
to the printer within a program that is sending other PCL commands and
printing a report. All this is on the fly and does not use any other
external word processing software. Thx though! JJ

 

[JJ]

One note ... if the data you want to presend to the printer has a header
and footer, are you using an inkjet or laser? A laser loads the whole page
and can have commands to print the header, move to the footer, print and
then go back to the top to add the content and the printer will layout the
whole page before printing. HP Inkjets also support PCL but they don't
have
the memory. They have enough memory for a line or two. It will print the
header, then the footer and will printer them physically instead of laying
out a page in memory to add more content. Then you want to go back to the
top to add more content ... and that won't work. (At one time I helped
someone here with a similar problem but could only check what I was doing
in
the header since I had an inkjet printer - but he responded that the
header
and footer worked on his office's laser printer).

We currently use PCL to print header and footer and move around and print
other stuff in various fonts, colors, etc. Then go back to the top and
print the body of the report...so that's not a problem. They are KYOCERA
lasers for the most part I believe. Thx! JJ

 

[JJ]

Why don't you just make a template document in whatever your
word-processing
program is and put the image in that? Then it will work on PCL,
PostScript
or whatever..

I replied to one of your other replies. We are not using any word processing
software. Thx! JJ

 

[ted]

I replied to one of your other replies. We are not using any word processing
software. Thx! JJ

Hmm. OK, sounds like you've got an interesting setup there!

Well, three other possibilities then:

1) Expediency -- If you have a fairly low volume of output, just print
the logo on 100 sheets (or whatever) and load the printed pages back in
the input bin.

2) pnmtopclxl -- http://netpbm.sourceforge.net/doc/pnmtopclxl.html
This could be put in a batch file (or shell script on linux or cygwin
on Windows). The "-embedded" option looks promising.

3) ghostscript -- The GhostScript PostScript interpreter has a pcl3 driver
as well as a number of specific Laserjet drivers. Get your logo in
PostScript format with netpbm or "print to file" from a word processor,
then use GhostScript to convert that to a pcl.

Ted

 

[Fred McKenzie]

I do now have our logo in PCL in a file...just can't seem to incorporate it
into the routine writing out the rest of the report.

JJ-

I'm not familiar with PCL, but you seem to be since you use it for your
custom reports. Have you examined your logo PCL file with a text
editor? It might be a simple procedure to adapt it to your needs if it
is a text command language.

Fred

 

[JJ]

JJ-

I'm not familiar with PCL, but you seem to be since you use it for your
custom reports. Have you examined your logo PCL file with a text
editor? It might be a simple procedure to adapt it to your needs if it
is a text command language.

Fred

Hi Fred,

It's a pretty big file and I've looked at it. It has a bunch of esc
commands in it, but I just might have to dig into it and try to figure out
what it's doing and just write that into the routine. It's a thought. Thx,
JJ

 

[JJ]

Hmm. OK, sounds like you've got an interesting setup there!

Well, three other possibilities then:

1) Expediency -- If you have a fairly low volume of output, just print
the logo on 100 sheets (or whatever) and load the printed pages back in
the input bin.

2) pnmtopclxl -- http://netpbm.sourceforge.net/doc/pnmtopclxl.html
This could be put in a batch file (or shell script on linux or cygwin
on Windows). The "-embedded" option looks promising.

3) ghostscript -- The GhostScript PostScript interpreter has a pcl3 driver
as well as a number of specific Laserjet drivers. Get your logo in
PostScript format with netpbm or "print to file" from a word processor,
then use GhostScript to convert that to a pcl.

Ted

Thanks Ted. I actually have the logo in PCL already. I'm just trying to
figure out how to get it to the printer now. Nothing I try is working.
Thx, JJ

 

[Gernot Hassenpflug]

Hmm. OK, sounds like you've got an interesting setup there!

Well, three other possibilities then:

1) Expediency -- If you have a fairly low volume of output, just print
the logo on 100 sheets (or whatever) and load the printed pages back in
the input bin.

2) pnmtopclxl -- http://netpbm.sourceforge.net/doc/pnmtopclxl.html
This could be put in a batch file (or shell script on linux or cygwin
on Windows). The "-embedded" option looks promising.

3) ghostscript -- The GhostScript PostScript interpreter has a pcl3 driver
as well as a number of specific Laserjet drivers. Get your logo in
PostScript format with netpbm or "print to file" from a word processor,
then use GhostScript to convert that to a pcl.

Can you try to send it (in an image format) to an existing printer,
choosing PCL driver (if that option is available, as it often appears to
be) but to a file rather than to the printer itself. Then you could
maybe see what ESC commands are needed.

 

[JJ]

Can you try to send it (in an image format) to an existing printer,
choosing PCL driver (if that option is available, as it often appears to
be) but to a file rather than to the printer itself. Then you could
maybe see what ESC commands are needed.

I have it as PCL now already. I just have to figure out how to output that
directly to the printer via our system. Thx, JJ

 

[Guest]

Can you try to send it (in an image format) to an existing printer,
choosing PCL driver (if that option is available, as it often appears to
be) but to a file rather than to the printer itself. Then you could
maybe see what ESC commands are needed.

Create a page with the logo where you want it and print that to file
(PCL code).

Removing printer initialization, resets, form feed you can keep the
positioning, start of graphics, end of graphics code and have what
should print your logo just where you want it in the right size.

 

[Gernot Hassenpflug]

Create a page with the logo where you want it and print that to file
(PCL code).

Removing printer initialization, resets, form feed you can keep the
positioning, start of graphics, end of graphics code and have what
should print your logo just where you want it in the right size.

That is kind of what I meant. Comparison with a working print job: heck
even a single character on a page would do I suspect.