HP OpenVMS Systems

Help with Third-Party Printer? (HP PCL)

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The Question is:

 
Hi,
     I'm trying to find a way to format basic
print jobs for a PCL-based printer from a VMS
(5.5-2) system.  The printer is an HP DeskJet
970Cxi with an HP JetDirect 300X printserver
connecting it to the network, and I already
have a print queue set up that can send text
files to this printer using Multinet's (v4.2)
virtual terminal (NTY) feature to connect to
port 9100 on the JetDirect.  All of this works.
 
     I'd like the ability to do some basic
formatting for the printer, however.  We have DCPS (v1.7) installed, but I
 believe DCPS is
for Postscript-based printers only?  Is there
a similar Compaq product for PCL-based printers?
If not, do you know of any third-party packages
for driving PCL printers from VMS?
 
     Lastly, if I have to, I can set up a device
control library with various modules that contain
the proper PCL commands to do the desired
formatting, but how can I get the queue's
processor to insert the contents of each module
at the proper time during the print job?  As far
as I can tell, using the /SETUP qualifier on the
PRINT command (or defining a form with /SETUP)
will cause the contents of the specified module
to be downloaded at the start of the print job,
but I need a way to have the contents of one
module be sent at the beginning of the flag page,
another module at the end of the flag page, another at the beginning of the
 first file in
the job, etc...  Is there any way to do this?  Is
there a list of device control module names that
the standard VMS queue processor will look for in
the specified library to insert at various times
in the print stream?  Is there a better/different
queue processor that can be used?
 
     Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks much!
 

The Answer is :

 
  Please contact HP for assistance with PCL and the PCL language
  and for assistance with HP printers.  Programming techniques of
  interest to creating and sending PCL to the HP printer may well
  be applicable to most any platform, OpenVMS or otherwise.
 
  DCPS is intended for Postscript-based printing.
 
  For information on the device control libraries, please see the
  available OpenVMS system management documentation.
 

  

     

     
answer written or last revised on ( 6-JUN-2000 )
     
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