Re: Creating PCL macros to speed up AFP overlays sent to non-IPDSprinters

Thanks Richard!

On Fri, 13 Feb 2004 10:46:52 -0500, "Richard Casey"
<casey_r@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> said:
> Michael and John (and anybody else!),
> 
> Sending an AFP overlay to a non-IPDS printer using host-print-transform
> (HPT) causes the overlay to be converted and sent for EACH page! To get
> around that overhead, I converted the overlay to a PCL macro which could
> be
> loaded onto the printer. I then modified my print program to send a PCL
> command to "activate" that macro as an overlay. It was quite the learning
> experience (3 steps forward, 2 steps back!), but I'll try to summarize
> what
> I did.
> 
> One question - can you print to your HP4100 (or other laser printer)
> directly from your PC?
> 
> 1) Create your overlay on a PC.
> 
> I used Microsoft Word and imported the signature as a graphic file, but I
> also had success experimenting with Microsoft Paint.
> 
> 2) Print overlay to a file.
> 
> Keep your HP4100 as the selected printer, but click on the "Print to
> file"
> checkbox in the print dialog. That will send all of the PCL commands,
> text,
> etc. to a file that you specify.
> 
> 3) Edit the file.
> 
> Here is where it gets interesting! You'll need a text editor that can
> operate in hex-mode since you will be dealing with non-printable
> characters.
> I use UltraEdit (www.ultraedit.com) but there are a bunch of options out
> there. One important thing is that any nulls (hex 00) in the file be left
> alone. For example, if you switch to text mode in Ultra-Edit, any null
> characters get converted to spaces. It looks the same on the screen, but
> plays havoc with graphics (don't ask how I know this!!).
> 
> Look for <esc>E (hex 1B 45). That is the PCL command for a printer reset.
> It
> should be close to the beginning, perhaps after some @PJL commands.
> Delete
> everything up to, but not including, the <esc>E. Now, look for <ff> (hex
> 0C). That is the character for top-of-form. It should be at the end,
> perhaps
> before some @PJL commands. Delete that character and everything else that
> follows.
> 
> Insert the following after the <esc>E at the beginning of the file.
> 
>       <esc>&f999y0x0S (hex 1B 26 66 39 39 39 79 30 78 30 53)
> 
> This executes the following PCL commands
>       Macro ID # 999
>       Start macro definition
>       Push print position
> 
> Insert the following at the end of the file.
> 
>       <esc>&f1s1x10X  (hex 1B 26 66 31 73 31 78 31 30 58)
> 
> This executes the following PCL commands
>       Pop print position
>       Stop macro definition
>       Make macro permanent
> 
> 4) Send the file to your printer. You'll need a utility that sends the
> file
> directly without inserting any printer control codes. There are several
> "RawPrint" utilities out there (check google). I found one that runs from
> a
> command line, but don't remember where I picked it up from.
> 
> 5) Modify your print program.
> 
> You need to send the following text to the printer before you start
> printing
> your actual documents.
> 
>       <esc>&f999y4X   (hex 1B 26 66 39 39 39 79 34 58)
> 
> This executes the following PCL commands
>       Macro ID # 999
>       Use macro as an overlay (i.e. print it on every page)
> 
> The macro should remain resident in your printer. It will probably be
> cleared if you turn the printer off, so you'll need to resend the file. I
> have my client send the macro to the printer prior to printing their
> documents just to make sure it is in place. I also created another PCL
> file
> to remove the macro from the printer for some additional security. That
> file
> consists of the following text.
> 
>       <esc>E<esc>&f999y5x6X   (hex 1B 45 1B 26 66 39 39 39 79 35 78 36 58)
> 
> This executes the following PCL commands
>       Reset printer
>       Macro ID # 999
>       Disable overlay
>       Delete macro
> 
> FYI - Check out
> http://printers.necsam.com/public/printers/pclcodes/pcl5hp.htm for a
> great
> reference to PCL codes.
> 
> 
> Hope this helps!
> Richard Casey
> 
> 
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