PCL problem, please help!

[jcukeng]

Cannot switch styles and fonts... What is wrong?
Esc(s4S should switch to Condensed but it doesn't
Esc(s32S should switch to Outline but it doesn't
Esc(s128S should switch to Shadowed but it doesn't...
and so on. What is wrong?

And one more question, perhaps the most important. I need to print big (2-3 cpi) shading letters, like "dimmed" letters. How can I do it?

Printer HP LaserJet 4P.

Thank you!

 

[jlasman]

I suggest that you get the PCL5 Technical Reference. It's available as PDF via the web.

What you have to understand is that the codes you show DO NOT switch anything. They SELECT fonts by attribute, they do NOT create them. That means that just issuing a code for some font attribute does NOT create the font. It must be resident in the printer to be available.

Additionally, attributes have priorities. For example, the symbol set has the highest priority, and the PCL interpreter will always satisfy that requirement before any other such as style etc..

To print an outline font, you must first have an outline font. You CAN print outline characters in HP-GL/2. In fact you cand do all kinds of text transformations in hp-GL/2.

In PCL, you CAN print shaded text, reverse print, etc. But that is not done using the normal font SELECT commands.

Have a look at the technical reference, about 1000 pages.




Jim Asman