Too dark image

[cypressm]

Hi,

Here is a pcl containing a color pcl image :

http://cypressm.free.fr/images/gu.pcl

It begins like that :
^[*rbC^[*o1d2Q^[&a0H^[&a0V^[*t600R^[&a2409H^[&a141V^[*r4797s-3u1A^[*b9m 281v
^Oÿ^OÑ ]

If I print this file, the image is OK.

Here is the same pcl file, but with some text behind :

http://cypressm.free.fr/images/gu2.pcl

It begins like that :
HELLO THIS IS SOME TEXT^[*rbC^[*o1d2Q^[&a0H^[&a0V^[*t600R^[&a2409H^[&a141V^[*r4797s-3u1A^[*b9m 281v
^Oÿ^OÑ ]

If I print this file, colors are wrong, it is too red.

What's the problem ?

Thanks.

 

[DansDadUK]

As you say, the only difference between the two files appears to be some simple text characters at the start of the second file.

This should make no difference to the colours being printed.

You state that you 'print the file'; just what do you mean by that?

The proper way to 'print' a file containing PCL depends on how the device is connected:

For parallel port, use:

copy  /b  file.pcl  LPT1:

For TCP/IP connect, use:

lpr  -S ipAddress  -P queueName  file.pcl

The lpr parameters required will depend on what Operating System you are using; the queueName can normally be anything, although some printers insist on particular values (e.g.

lpt1_passthru

).

 

[cypressm]

Under Linux, I send the PCL file to the TCP/IP printer like that :

lpr -PMY_PRINTER file.pcl

 

[DansDadUK]

I don't know Linux, although I did play with Unixware a number of years ago; I think that your command:

lpr   -PMY_PRINTER   file.pcl

will create a print request (via the spool scheduler) for the defined printer

MY_PRINTER

.

But how is this logical printer defined? What is its target? Does it just pass data through, or use an interface script which manipulates the data before passing it to the target?

 

[cypressm]

It only pass data, there is no manipulation, it is a direct connection to the printer which is a HP OfficeJet G95 connected to the network.

 

[DansDadUK]

In which case, I have no idea why you should observe the reported symptoms.

 

[jlasman]

You might try adding "-o raw" to the lp command; although, you would probably have bigger problems if this were an issue.

Do you have <esc>E at the beginning of the file?


Jim Asman
jlasman@telus.net

 

[jlasman]

I don't know if this applies here, but...

I read in the PCL Color Reference that if you change the foreground color, to print some color text perhaps, and then print a raster image, the new foreground color will influence the raster image.

Change back to a black foreground color before you print the raster image. <esc>*v0S

Jim Asman
jlasman@telus.net

 

[cypressm]

I had this idea but it does not work.
Moreover, the beginning of the image initialize a palette, and normally it re-initialize all.

To resolve my problem, I begin with the image code, and then I put the text code.

But I don't ever understand why it does not work when we put text before the image...