Direct Printing Utility? LaserJet

[Eli]

Hello there,
Appreciated if you can help with the name of a utility that helps in
sending a postscript file to the printer. The OS used is Windows 98
SE.
I'm trying to print a large-size file on an HP LaserJet 4000N (PCL6).
The file contains many pictures. My network machine at the Uni is
pretty slow. I am thinking of preparing the postscript file beforehand
but couldn't locate the proper utility to send that postscript file to
the printer.
A bit of research led me to HP PrintSmart 2. Is this the best option
you think? If yes, can you recommend where to download it from. I
could not find the proper way on (www.hp.com).
Thanks for your help.

Eli

[Ben Myers]

From what you've described, you need either the software that converts
PostScript to PCL6 or a PostScript SIMM installed in the 4000N. For the former,
I can suggest GhostScript. For the latter, try eBay, which will be much less
expensive than an HP dealer... Ben Myers

On 28 Sep 2004 10:44:16 -0700, elitra@rock.com (Eli) wrote:
Hello there,Appreciated if you can help with the name of a utility that helps insending a postscript file to the printer. The OS used is Windows 98SE.I'm trying to print a large-size file on an HP LaserJet 4000N (PCL6).The file contains many pictures. My network machine at the Uni ispretty slow. I am thinking of preparing the postscript file beforehandbut couldn't locate the proper utility to send that postscript file tothe printer.A bit of research led me to HP PrintSmart 2. Is this the best optionyou think? If yes, can you recommend where to download it from. Icould not find the proper way on (www.hp.com).Thanks for your help.Eli

[Eli]

Thanks Ben,
Both your suggestions are appreciated but are not exactly what I'm
after.
Basically, when printing the document, I chose "print to file". This
has created a file containing the proper PCL6 commands to produce the
document as it will appear in the printer's memory.
What I need now is simply a utility to tell the printer CPU that "here
are the PCL6 commands, go ahead and send them to the printing
mechanism. No more processing needed".
My idea is not new at all. Whenever I was working for Apple Macintosh
Centre, my colleagues and myself all used to prepare the document
(postscript2 by then) on our personal work stations (print to file)
then eventually send the file to the printer using a utility that came
on a floopy with it.
This utility is my target now for LaserJet. My guess is that such
utility exists and for free but one needs to know the exact name. I
also feel that it will work for all HP PCL6 printers.
Thanks again Ben for your time to compose the reply.

Eli

[Ben Myers]

I am unaware of a utility that takes PCL6 as input and produces PostScript as
output.

If you are using a Windows NT-based operating system (NT, 2000, XPee), there are
UNIX-derived LPD utilities available. They take spooled printer output and
print it to the desired printer. But they offer ZERO options for converting
from PCL to PostScript.

If you have access to the DOS command line on your system, the trusty old-time
COPY command can also take a spooled file and copy it to a printer device, e.g.

COPY <filename> <devicename>

where filename is either a fully qualified complete path and file name, or a
file in the current folder (directory)
and devicename is a fully qualified (usually) networked device name.

If the printer is directly attached to the LPT1 port, a typical COPY command
would look like:

COPY MYDATA.PRN LPT1:

.... Ben Myers



On 4 Oct 2004 06:14:35 -0700, elitra@rock.com (Eli) wrote:
Thanks Ben,Both your suggestions are appreciated but are not exactly what I'mafter.Basically, when printing the document, I chose "print to file". Thishas created a file containing the proper PCL6 commands to produce thedocument as it will appear in the printer's memory.What I need now is simply a utility to tell the printer CPU that "hereare the PCL6 commands, go ahead and send them to the printingmechanism. No more processing needed".My idea is not new at all. Whenever I was working for Apple MacintoshCentre, my colleagues and myself all used to prepare the document(postscript2 by then) on our personal work stations (print to file)then eventually send the file to the printer using a utility that cameon a floopy with it.This utility is my target now for LaserJet. My guess is that suchutility exists and for free but one needs to know the exact name. Ialso feel that it will work for all HP PCL6 printers.Thanks again Ben for your time to compose the reply.Eli

[Stefaan A Eeckels]

On Mon, 04 Oct 2004 13:24:14 GMT
ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers) wrote:
I am unaware of a utility that takes PCL6 as input and produces PostScript as output.

Artifex GhostPCL is what you're looking for, I believe.

--
Stefaan
--
"What is stated clearly conceives easily." -- Inspired sales droid

[Ben Myers]

Interesting item. Available in source code form only, according to the Artifex
web site. Not too friendly (or useful!) for those of us who do not have access
or familiarity with the GCC C compiler. Are there any web sites which have
compiled Win32 or Linux versions available for download?

.... Ben Myers

On Mon, 4 Oct 2004 16:34:42 +0200, Stefaan A Eeckels <tengo@DELETEMEecc.lu>
wrote:
On Mon, 04 Oct 2004 13:24:14 GMTben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers) wrote: I am unaware of a utility that takes PCL6 as input and produces PostScript as output.Artifex GhostPCL is what you're looking for, I believe.--Stefaan--"What is stated clearly conceives easily." -- Inspired sales droid

[Warren Block]

Eli <elitra@rock.com> wrote: Appreciated if you can help with the name of a utility that helps in sending a postscript file to the printer. The OS used is Windows 98 SE.

"copy /b"
I'm trying to print a large-size file on an HP LaserJet 4000N (PCL6).

The 4000N is PCL *and* PostScript. Well, it's a PostScript clone, not
true Adobe, but it handles most PostScript code.

You don't mention how the printer is connected, but it sounds like a
network printer. Network print servers like HP JetDirects accept print
jobs through several methods. One that might be easy because it doesn't
need any additional software is to FTP the file directly to the printer.

--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA

[Eli]

Thanks all for your replies.
It turned out that your suggestion "C:>COPY file LPT1:" was the proper
and simplest way.
My idea is that one needed something advanced similar to the utilities
one had used under Apple Mac but thanks to the DOS Prompt things are
much easier under Windows.
Wish you all a great day,

Eli

[Alex van Denzel]

Eli wrote: Thanks all for your replies. It turned out that your suggestion "C:>COPY file LPT1:" was the proper and simplest way. My idea is that one needed something advanced similar to the utilities one had used under Apple Mac but thanks to the DOS Prompt things are much easier under Windows. Wish you all a great day, Eli

One can create a batch-file containing

@echo off
REM file-to-print.bat
REM Print PRN file direct to printer

set PRINTER=LPT1

copy /b "%1" %PRINTER%

REM End of "file-to-print.bat"

and use the explorer to "Open with..." PRN files with this batch file.

The next time you double-click the file, it goes directly to the printer.

Other possibilities come to mind, like using a folder to store the prn
files, and using a batch file to copy them one after another to the
printer, and using a scheduled task to start the batchfile at night.

On the other hand, if you are using this way to off-load processing
power from the printer to the pc, you are mistaken.

Using PCL definedly uses less resources on the printer than PostScript,
but with printing directly to the printer, you are doing the same. The
printer driver (on the PC) always creates a PCL file (or data-stream if
it is not a real file) and sends it to the printer device.

The printer always has to process the PCL data. I'm not sure about the
printer-internal PostScript processor, but it's possible that internally
it uses PCL too.

So your idea of off-loading processing resources from the printer
actually doesn't do that.

--
Alex.