HP deskjet 600 User Manual

Hewlett-Packard created the HP PCL Printer Language to provide an economical and efficient
way for application programs to control a range of printer features across a number of printing
devices.  HP has evolved both the definition and implementations of the HP PCL printer lan-
guage to provide the optimal price and performance balance.  HP PCL 3 continues to lead with
enhancements to the HP PCL printer language in order to deliver powerful technology
advances.

The HP PCL printer language commands are compact escape sequence codes that are
embedded in the print job data stream.  This approach minimized both data transmission and
command decode overhead.  HP PCL printer language formatters and fonts are designed to
quickly translate application output into high-quality, device-specific, raster print images.

HP PCL printer language commonality from HP printer to HP printer helps to minimize printer
support problems and protect HP printer customer investment in applications and printer driver
software.

HP PCL language printer commands provide access to printer features.  There are two gen-
eral types of HP PCL language commands:

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Control codes

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HP PCL commands

A control code is a character that initiates a printer function, for example Carriage Return
(CR), Line Feed (LF), Form Feed (FF), etc.  

HP PCL commands provide access to the printer's HP PCL control structure.  The HP PCL
structure controls all of the printer's features.

HP PCL printer commands consist of two or more characters.  The first character is always the
ASCII escape character, identified by Esc.  Esc is a special control code, which identifies the
subsequent string of characters as a printer command.  As the printer monitors incoming data
from a computer, it is "looking" for this character.  When this character appears, the printer
reads it and the subsequent string of characters as a command to be performed and not as
data to be printed.