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PCL5, PCL6 versus Postscript
When installing printer drivers on a PC, why would one choose PCL over Postscript?
Pros, Cons, Performance issues?
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Answers
If you have a RIP (Raster Image Processor), you can.
RIP processes the PostScript files and sends to the
printer in a format that it comprehends.
RIP may be found as software or hardware.
RIP software is installed in the PC or Mac like a printer
driver and print jobs send to it will be processed and converted in a format the printer comprehends. It demands a good machine to run.
RIP hardware is a "box" connected between the PC and the printer or over a network. It has processor (most used is RISC), memory and HD to process, store and manage the print jobs and control the printer.
Most of the cases, RIPs are used by graphics/imaging
professionals which prints in large format printers
(most of the cases, inkjet printers and plotters).
and are very, very, very expensive. Even RIP softwares uses settings and configurations that may cause confusion to a single home user.
There's third-party solutions with reduced costs but also has reduced capabilities.
OK?
Regards,
BBuster
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The PCL5, PCL6 and the PS (PostScript) driver.
Which to use often depends on the need.
The PCL5 is considered to be the most compatible driver to be used in environments with mixed OS. That means if you have both Win95, Win98 or Win XP in a network, this driver tends to work best with them all when installed on the server that manages the printers. The PCL5 also manages most common applications.
The PCL6 driver is the newer version, but does tend to suffer faults in network when they are mixed, and especially when the OS of the server varies from the clients. The PCL6 however is fine as long as it is being used as a single client install with applications like MS Word or Excell.
The PS driver is best used for those who wants to print complex jobs like PDF documents or graphics. Adobe applications seems to benefit the most from PS drivers
Why the Printers Have Three Drivers:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/
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by: BlockBusterPosted on 2000-12-11 at 08:09:04ID: 9074
Hi, pdeleon,
PCL (Printer Control Language) is a printing language developed by HP and PCL drivers is a language (a set of command codes) that enable application programs to control Hewlett-Packard DeskJet (some models), LaserJet (all models), and other HP printers. Many personal computer users find themselves in need of PCL drivers after purchasing a new HP or HP-compatible printer and attaching it to their existing PC and operating system. PCL5 allows you to download macros, fonts and forms to the printer memory (RAM or HD), so you can store unvariable data in the printer and minimize the size of the file you'll print. The fonts, macros and forms are "called" and merged into the printout via PCL commands embedded in the file body.
PostScript is a programming language developed by Adobe and transformed into a printing language. It describes the appearance of a printed page, mantaining its formatting, color and print quality settings. Because of that, print files generated with PS drivers can be portable among different printers without the file that will be printed lose quality, color definitions or formatting. The printer must have a PS module that translates the PostScript commands. Macintosh computers and applications working inside an Windows network environment uses PS drivers (PostScript has born in Mac world - Windows world used PS later).
Both driver types groups the print commands and settings into the whole page, so if there's an error when processing the file, the whole page will be lost and you have to reprint the page you lost, or all the file, depending on the error. They're different of the PCL3 (print language for most DeskJet printers), which separates the file in swaths - this is the reason why DeskJet printer don't need much memory; it has only the necessary to store the swath it's printing now. Resulting: PCL3 always prints. The tradeoff is that PCL3 generates much more data than PCL5,6 or PS files (the PC process all the job and the print file size is large, so PCL3 is most used in parallel connections.
Unlike PCL3 (DeskJet) printers, Laser printers that make use of PCL5, PCL6 or PS must have powerful processors and much more built memory because they have to process the whole page (or the whole print job). By this reason, PCL and PostScript drivers tranfers all the processing charge to the printer and the PC doesn't suffer with performance issues - the "Return to application" time is smaller. The PC "closes" the file and send to the printer, so the print file size is much smaller. By this reason, PCL5,6 and PS are most used in network environments.
Choosing PCL or PS drivers depends on the applications you're using. For example, if you're using graphic applications like PhotoShop, Corel or similars, the best choice is the PS driver. By other hand, if you're using desktop applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint and so on), the best choice is the PCl drivers. If you want to make use of downloading forms and fonts to the printer, you must use PCL drivers because PS drivers doesn't do that.
Hope that it helps.
Best reagards,
BBuster