Re: does anyone have a non-postscript printer?

[Benjamin Lindner]

Ben Abbott wrote:
> On Jun 16, 2009, at 10:18 AM, Przemek Klosowski wrote:
>
> > Ben Abbott wrote:
> > > If someone does have a non-postscript printer and is inclined to do
> > > some tests for me, I'd like to produce a raw file for it (assuming it
> > > is supported by ghostscript) and see if it prints correctly.
> > >
> > > All I need to know is (1) the ghostscript device name, and (2) the  page
> > > size (usletter, or a4).
> >
> > The most common non-postscript printer language is probably HP's PCL
> > (printer control language); ghostscript outputs PCL from the pcl3
> > driver, as well as the various LaserJet and DeskJet drivers (lj*, dj*).
> >
> > There is also bunch of specific inkjet drivers: Canon Bubblejet
> > bj* and Epson epl* drivers, typically tied to a narrow range of 
> > printer models.
> >
> > I think most HP printers that do PCL also use postscript nowadays, but 
> > this is not the
> > case for the inkjets.
>
> I have a HP 2605n (color laser jet with postscript emulation, and PCL). 
> I'm unable to produce a PCL file that will print. In octave, I type ...
>
>     > figure(1)
>     > surf(peaks(25))
>     > print -dpsc test.ps
>
> Then from a terminal command line
>
>     $ gs -dBATCH -dSAFER -dNOPAUSE -dTextAlphaBits=4 -sDEVICE=pcl3 
> -sOutputFile="test.pcl" test.ps
>     $ lpr -l test.pcl
>
> The result is many pages that are mostly blank with some short lines of 
> assorted symbols.
>
> Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

Can't help you with the PCL problem, but ghostscript also provides a pcl 
interpreter called "ghostpcl" or "ghostpdl" (?) similar to the "gs" 
postscript interpreter. http://www.ghostscript.com/GhostPCL.html

This may help to check for errors in the document without having a 
printer ready.

benjamin