Redirect/Convert PCL4/5 to NON-PCL4/5 Printer?

[James d.]

I've got a vendor system that only supports HP PCL 4/5. Most of our Inkjet
printers are incompatible. I've been trying to redirect/convert the pcl
output automatically with various methods but haven't had mixed results.

I've installed an HP4 printer driver. I've set it up so my vendor system
can print to it through Windows 2000 with the output going to a file. I can
open the file with a PCL to PDF converter, view and print the file to my
non-pcl printer fine, but this all needs to be automatic.

All the PCL2PDF converters I've found either only work with files (not
standard output), are SDK, or do a whole bunch of other stuff and cost
$800+.

I have Adobe Acrobat w/ Distiller, but haven't figured out a way to pass the
PCL data to it and have it print automatically.

I would love to hear any ideas or suggestions.

thx!

 

[Warren Block]

I've got a vendor system that only supports HP PCL 4/5. Most of our Inkjet
printers are incompatible. I've been trying to redirect/convert the pcl
output automatically with various methods but haven't had mixed results.

I've installed an HP4 printer driver. I've set it up so my vendor system
can print to it through Windows 2000 with the output going to a file. I can
open the file with a PCL to PDF converter, view and print the file to my
non-pcl printer fine, but this all needs to be automatic.

All the PCL2PDF converters I've found either only work with files (not
standard output), are SDK, or do a whole bunch of other stuff and cost
$800+.

I have Adobe Acrobat w/ Distiller, but haven't figured out a way to pass the
PCL data to it and have it print automatically.

Some of the techniques used for Ghostscript on Windows may help. Do a
web search for Ghostscript and "redmon".

 

[Ed Ruf]

I've got a vendor system that only supports HP PCL 4/5. Most of our Inkjet
printers are incompatible. I've been trying to redirect/convert the pcl
output automatically with various methods but haven't had mixed results.

I've installed an HP4 printer driver. I've set it up so my vendor system
can print to it through Windows 2000 with the output going to a file. I can
open the file with a PCL to PDF converter, view and print the file to my
non-pcl printer fine, but this all needs to be automatic.

All the PCL2PDF converters I've found either only work with files (not
standard output), are SDK, or do a whole bunch of other stuff and cost
$800+.

I have Adobe Acrobat w/ Distiller, but haven't figured out a way to pass the
PCL data to it and have it print automatically.

Take a look at RedMon:
http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/redmon/index.htm