PTX_PRM_PCL_II_P8_257400A PTX_PRM_PCL_II_P8_257400c PTX PRM PCL II P8 257400c

User Manual: PTX_PRM_PCL_II_P8_257400c

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PCL®-II/LinePrinter Plus®
Programmer’s Reference Manual
Line Matrix Series Printers
Trademark Acknowledgements
IBM and Proprinter are registered trademarks, and PC-DOS is a trademark of
International Business
Machines Corporation.
Centronics is a registered trademark of Genicom Corporation.
Epson is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.
Hewlett-Packard, HP and PCL are registered trademarks, and LineJet is a
trademark of Hewlett-Packard
Company.
IGP, PGL, LinePrinter Plus, and Printronix are registered trademarks of
Printronix, LLC.
Magnum and QMS are registered trademarks, and Code V is a trademark of
Quality Micro Systems, Inc.
Microsoft, MS, Windows and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.
PKUNZIP is a registered trademark of PKWARE, Inc.
Postnet is a registered trademark of the United States Postal Service.
This product uses Intellifont Scalable typefaces and Intellifont technology.
Intellifont is a registered
trademark of Agfa Division, Miles Incorporated
(Agfa).
CG, Garth Graphic, Intellifont, and Type Director are registered trademarks,
and Shannon and CG
Triumvirate are trademarks of Agfa Division, Miles
Incorporated (Agfa). CG Bodoni, CG Century
Schoolbook, CG Goudy Old
Style, CG Melliza, Microstyle, CG Omega, and CG Palacio are products of
Agfa Corporation. CG Times, based on Times New Roman under license
from The Monotype Corporation
Plc is a product of Agfa.
Univers is a registered trademark of Linotype AG and/or its subsidiaries.
Letraset is a registered trademark, and Aachen, Revue and University Roman
are trademarks of Esselte
Pendaflex Corporation.
Futura is a registered trademark of Fundición Tipográfica Neufville, S.A.
ITC Avant Garde Gothic, ITC Benguiat, ITC Bookman, ITC Century, ITC
Cheltenham, ITC Clearface, ITC
Galliard, ITC Korinna, ITC Lubalin Graph,
ITC Souvenir, ITC Tiepolo, ITC Zapf Chancery, and ITC Zapf
Dingbats are
registered trademarks of International Typeface Corporation.
Albertus, Gill Sans, and Times New Roman are registered trademarks, and
Monotype Baskerville is a
trademark of The Monotype Corporation Plc,
registered in the U.S. Pat. and TM office and elsewhere.
Hiroshige and Marigold are trademarks of AlphaOmega Typography, Inc.
Printronix, LLC. makes no representations or warranties of any kind regarding this material, including, but
not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Printronix, LLC.
shall not be held responsible for errors contained herein or any omissions from this material or for any
damages, whether direct, indirect, incidental or consequential, in connection with the furnishing,
distribution, performance or use of this material. The information in this manual is subject to change
without notice.
This document contains proprietary information protected by copyright. No part of this document may be
reproduced, copied, translated or incorporated in any other material in any form or by any means,
whether manual, graphic, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, without the prior written consent of
Printronix, LLC.
COPYRIGHT 2001, 2012 PRINTRONIX, LLC.
All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................. 13
About this Guide ................................................................................................ 13
Warnings and Special Information .............................................................. 13
Related Product Information
............................................................................. 13
Software Features ............................................................................................. 13
PCL-II .......................................................................................................... 13
P-Series ...................................................................................................... 14
Proprinter III XL ........................................................................................... 14
Epson FX-1050 ........................................................................................... 14
HP PCL-II .................................................................... 17
Introduction ........................................................................................................ 17
HP PCL-II Emulation Default Settings ........................................................ 18
Switching between the Emulations ............................................................. 18
Configuring the PCL-II Emulation with Control Codes ...................................... 19
Printer Feature Set Compatibility ................................................................ 19
General Information .................................................................................... 19
Escape Sequences ..................................................................................... 20
Bar Codes ................................................................................................... 22
US Postnet Barcodes .................................................................................. 30
Character Density Selection ....................................................................... 34
Character Font Selection ............................................................................ 37
Character Overstrike ................................................................................... 38
Character Style Selection ........................................................................... 38
Cursor Positioning ....................................................................................... 40
Display Functions Mode .............................................................................. 40
Horizontal Margin Selection ........................................................................ 40
Line Spacing ............................................................................................... 41
Logical Page Length Selection ................................................................... 41
Perforation Skip Mode ................................................................................ 41
Print Mode Selection ................................................................................... 42
Print Pitch Selection .................................................................................... 42
Printing in the Hex 80 through Hex FF Region ........................................... 42
PTX Linefeed .............................................................................................. 43
Programmable Reset .................................................................................. 43
Programmable VFC .................................................................................... 44
Raster Graphics .......................................................................................... 51
Self-test ....................................................................................................... 52
Standard (Computed) VFC ......................................................................... 52
Stroke Weight (Bold) ................................................................................... 52
Switching Character Fonts .......................................................................... 53
Text Length (Vertical Margin) Selection ...................................................... 53
Transparent Print Data ................................................................................ 53
Underline Mode ........................................................................................... 53
Vertical Forms Control (VFC) ...................................................................... 53
HP e3000 Information........................................................................................ 54
Feature Access and Transparent Modes .................................................... 54
VFC Download with a Serial Interface ........................................................ 54
Carriage-Control Directives ......................................................................... 55
Graphics ...................................................................................................... 55
Printing in the Perforation Skip Region ....................................................... 55
HP 1000 Information .......................................................................................... 56
Downloading VFC ....................................................................................... 56
Perforation Skip Mode ................................................................................ 56
P-Series Printer Emulation ........................................... 57
Overview ............................................................................................................ 57
P-Series Default Values and States ........................................................... 58
Configuring the P-Series Emulation with Control Codes................................... 59
Format for Control Code Descriptions ........................................................ 59
Switching Between the Emulations ............................................................. 60
Special Function Control Code (SFCC) Header ......................................... 60
SFCC Command Line ................................................................................. 60
Attribute Set and Reset Codes ................................................................... 61
NUL Code ................................................................................................... 61
Print Modes Supported for Character Sets ................................................. 61
The Control Codes ...................................................................................... 62
Backspace................................................................................................... 64
Bell .............................................................................................................. 64
Bold Print ..................................................................................................... 64
Bold Print Reset .......................................................................................... 65
Carriage Return .......................................................................................... 65
Character Set Select ................................................................................... 66
Character Set Select: ECMA Latin 1 Extended .......................................... 68
Character Set Select: International Languages .......................................... 69
Characters 80-9F (Control Codes) ............................................................. 70
Characters 80-9F (Printable Symbols) ....................................................... 70
Elongated (Double High) Print, One Line Only ........................................... 70
Elongated (Double High) Print, Set/Reset .................................................. 71
Emphasized Print ........................................................................................ 71
Emphasized Print Reset ............................................................................. 72
Emulation Reset .......................................................................................... 72
Expanded Print (Double Wide), One Line Only .......................................... 72
Expanded Print (Double Wide), Set/Reset ................................................. 73
Extended Character Set .............................................................................. 73
Extended Character Set Cancel (Primary Set Select) ................................ 74
Form Feed................................................................................................... 74
Forms Length Set (Inches) ......................................................................... 74
Forms Length Set (Lines) ........................................................................... 75
Line Feed .................................................................................................... 75
Line Spacing 1/6 Inch (6 lpi) ....................................................................... 76
Line Spacing 1/8 Inch (8 lpi) ....................................................................... 76
Line Spacing 8 or 10.3 lpi (1 Line Only) ...................................................... 76
Line Spacing 7/72 Inch ............................................................................... 77
Line Spacing n/72 Inch ............................................................................... 77
Line Spacing n/216 Inch ............................................................................. 78
Overscoring ................................................................................................. 78
Plot, Even Dot (P-Series High Density Graphics) ....................................... 79
Plot, Odd Dot (P-Series Normal Density Graphics) .................................... 79
Print Mode/Pitch Selection .......................................................................... 80
Reverse ....................................................................................................... 83
Superscript/Subscript Printing..................................................................... 83
Superscript/Subscript Printing Reset .......................................................... 84
Underline ..................................................................................................... 84
VFU Commands ......................................................................................... 84
Vertical Tab ................................................................................................. 84
IBM Proprinter III XL Emulation .................................... 85
Overview ............................................................................................................ 85
Proprinter III XL Emulation Default Settings ............................................... 86
Configuring the Proprinter III XL Emulation with Control Codes ....................... 87
Format for Control Code Descriptions ........................................................ 87
Escape Control Codes Overview ................................................................ 87
Graphics Control Codes Overview ............................................................. 88
Switching Between the Emulations ............................................................. 89
The Control Codes ...................................................................................... 89
Backspace................................................................................................... 91
Bell .............................................................................................................. 91
Bit Image Mode, Single Density (Normal Speed) ....................................... 92
Bit Image Mode, Double Density (Half Speed) ........................................... 92
Bit Image Mode, Double Density (Normal Speed) ...................................... 93
Bit Image Mode, Quadruple Density (Half Speed)...................................... 93
Bold Printing ................................................................................................ 94
Bold Printing, Cancel .................................................................................. 94
Cancel ......................................................................................................... 94
Carriage Return .......................................................................................... 95
Carriage Return Set .................................................................................... 95
Character Pitch 12 cpi ................................................................................. 95
Character Set Select: Set 1 (A)................................................................... 95
Character Set Select: Set 2 (B)................................................................... 96
Condensed Print ......................................................................................... 96
Condensed Print, Cancel ............................................................................ 96
Deselect Printer .......................................................................................... 97
Double Wide Print ....................................................................................... 97
Double Wide Print (One Line Only) ............................................................ 98
Double Wide Print (One Line Only) Cancel ................................................ 98
Emphasized Print ........................................................................................ 98
Emphasized Print, Cancel ........................................................................... 99
Form Feed................................................................................................... 99
Forms Length Set in Inches ........................................................................ 99
Forms Length Set in Lines ........................................................................ 100
Initialize Parameters ................................................................................. 100
Line Feed .................................................................................................. 102
Line Feed n/216 Inch (One Line Only) ...................................................... 102
Line Spacing 1/8 Inch (8 lpi) ..................................................................... 103
Line Spacing 7/72 Inch (10.3 lpi) .............................................................. 103
Line Spacing n/72 Inch (Executes) ........................................................... 104
Line Spacing n/72 Inch (Storage) ............................................................. 104
Line Spacing n/216 Inch ........................................................................... 105
Margin, Bottom .......................................................................................... 105
Margin Cancel, Bottom ............................................................................. 106
Margins, Horizontal ................................................................................... 106
Overscoring ............................................................................................... 106
Print All Characters ................................................................................... 107
Print Next Character ................................................................................. 107
Print Mode ................................................................................................. 107
Print Quality............................................................................................... 108
Proportional Spacing ................................................................................. 108
Select Attributes ........................................................................................ 108
Set Top-of-Form ........................................................................................ 109
Superscript/Subscript Printing................................................................... 110
Superscript/Subscript Printing, Cancel ..................................................... 110
Tab, Horizontal .......................................................................................... 110
Tab Set/Clear, Horizontal .......................................................................... 111
Tab, Vertical .............................................................................................. 111
Tab Set/Clear, Vertical .............................................................................. 112
Tabs, Clear All (Return to default) ............................................................ 112
Underline ................................................................................................... 112
Unidirectional Printing ............................................................................... 113
Epson FX-1050 Emulation ......................................... 115
Overview .......................................................................................................... 115
Epson FX-1050 Default Values and States .............................................. 115
Epson Emulation Exceptions and Differences .......................................... 116
Epson Character Sets ............................................................................... 117
Configuring the Epson FX-1050 Emulation with Control Codes ..................... 118
Format for Control Code Descriptions ...................................................... 118
Escape Sequences ................................................................................... 118
Attribute Set and Reset Codes ................................................................. 118
NUL Code ................................................................................................. 118
Switching Between the Emulations ........................................................... 119
The Control Codes .................................................................................... 119
Backspace................................................................................................. 121
Bell ............................................................................................................ 121
Cancel Line ............................................................................................... 122
Carriage Return ........................................................................................ 122
Character Pitch 10 CPI ............................................................................. 122
Character Pitch 12 CPI ............................................................................. 122
Character Pitch 15 CPI ............................................................................. 123
Character Set Select: International Languages ........................................ 123
Clear Bit 7 of Incoming Data Bytes to 0 .................................................... 124
Condensed Print ....................................................................................... 124
Condensed Print Reset ............................................................................. 125
Cut-Sheet / Paper Feed Control ............................................................... 125
Define a Download Character ................................................................... 125
Delete Character ....................................................................................... 125
Double High Print, Set/Reset .................................................................... 125
Double Strike............................................................................................. 126
Double Strike, Cancel ............................................................................... 126
Double Wide Print ..................................................................................... 127
Double Wide Print (One Line) ................................................................... 127
Double Wide Print (One Line), Cancel ...................................................... 127
Emphasized Print ...................................................................................... 128
Emphasized Print, Cancel ......................................................................... 128
Enable Printing Hex Codes 00-1F and 80-9F ........................................... 128
Form Feed................................................................................................. 130
Graphics, Standard Density ...................................................................... 130
Graphics, Double Density ......................................................................... 130
Graphics, Double Density Double Speed ................................................. 131
Graphics, Quadruple Density .................................................................... 131
Half Speed Mode, On/Off .......................................................................... 132
Horizontal Tab Execute ............................................................................. 132
Horizontal Tab Set/Release ...................................................................... 132
Initialize Printer ......................................................................................... 133
Italic Printing.............................................................................................. 133
Italic Printing, Cancel ................................................................................ 133
Line Feed .................................................................................................. 134
Line Feed n/216 Inch ................................................................................ 134
Line Spacing 1/6 Inch (6 lpi) ..................................................................... 134
Line Spacing 1/8 Inch (8 lpi) ..................................................................... 135
Line Spacing 7/72 Inch ............................................................................. 135
Line Spacing n/216 Inch ........................................................................... 135
Line Spacing n/72 Inch ............................................................................. 136
Make Hex 80-9F Control Codes ............................................................... 136
Make Hex 80-9F Printable ........................................................................ 136
Master Print Select .................................................................................... 139
Paper Out Detection, Enable .................................................................... 139
Paper Out Detection, Disable ................................................................... 139
Pass Bit 7 from Host ................................................................................. 140
Printer Select............................................................................................. 140
Printer Deselect ........................................................................................ 140
Reassign Graphics Mode .......................................................................... 140
Remove Downloaded Characters ............................................................. 141
Select Graphics Mode ............................................................................... 141
Select Italic Character Set ........................................................................ 142
Select 9-Pin Graphics Mode ..................................................................... 142
Select Print Quality ................................................................................... 142
Select/Deselect Proportional Spacing ...................................................... 143
Select Serif or Sans Serif Font.................................................................. 143
Select User-Defined Font .......................................................................... 143
Select Vertical Tab Channel ..................................................................... 143
Set Absolute Horizontal Print Position in 1/60 Inch .................................. 144
Set Bit 7 of Incoming Data Bytes to 1 ....................................................... 144
Set Form Length in Inches ........................................................................ 144
Set Form Length in Lines .......................................................................... 145
Set Intercharacter Spacing in 1/120 Inch .................................................. 145
Set Margin, Left ......................................................................................... 145
Set Margin, Right ...................................................................................... 146
Set Relative Horizontal Print Position in 1/120 Inch ................................. 146
Set Vertical Tabs in Channels................................................................... 146
Skip Over Perforation ................................................................................ 147
Skip Over Perforation, Cancel .................................................................. 147
Superscript and Subscript Printing ........................................................... 147
Superscript and Subscript Printing, Cancel .............................................. 148
Underline ................................................................................................... 148
Unidirectional Printing, 1 Line ................................................................... 148
Unidirectional Printing, Set/Reset ............................................................. 148
Vertical Tab, Execute ................................................................................ 149
Vertical Tab, Set/Clear .............................................................................. 149
Graphics .................................................................... 151
Overview .......................................................................................................... 151
Bit Image Graphics .......................................................................................... 151
Designing a Bit Image Pattern .................................................................. 152
.................................................................................................................. 153
Bit Image Density ...................................................................................... 153
Bit Image Programming Format ................................................................ 154
Bit Image Sample Program ....................................................................... 154
Plot Mode ........................................................................................................ 155
Plot Density ............................................................................................... 155
Plot Data Byte Format ............................................................................... 156
Plot Data Line Format ............................................................................... 157
Plotting the Data ....................................................................................... 158
Exiting from P-Series Plot Mode ............................................................... 159
Combining Graphics and Text ......................................................................... 160
Plot Data Byte Dot Patterns ...................................................................... 161
Vertical Page Formatting ........................................... 163
Overview .......................................................................................................... 163
Planning a Vertical Page Format ..................................................................... 163
VFU Characteristics .................................................................................. 163
Proprinter and Epson Vertical Tab Table ........................................................ 164
Executing Vertical Tabs ............................................................................ 164
Vertical Tab Positions ............................................................................... 164
P-Series EVFU (Electronic Vertical Format Unit) ............................................ 165
Start Load Code - Hex 1E ......................................................................... 165
Channel Assignment ................................................................................. 165
End Load - Hex 1F .................................................................................... 165
Using the EVFU ........................................................................................ 165
Clearing the EVFU Memory ...................................................................... 166
Standard ASCII Character Set ................................... 167
P-Series Emulation Character Sets ........................... 169
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 169
IBM PC, Primary Subset: ASCII (USA) ........................................................... 170
IBM PC, Primary Subset: French .................................................................... 171
IBM PC, Primary Subset: German .................................................................. 172
IBM PC, Primary Subset: English (UK) ........................................................... 173
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Danish .................................................................... 174
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Swedish .................................................................. 175
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Italian ...................................................................... 176
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Spanish .................................................................. 177
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Japanese ................................................................ 178
IBM PC, Primary Subset: French Canadian .................................................... 179
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Latin American ....................................................... 180
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Danish II ................................................................. 181
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Spanish II ............................................................... 182
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Latin American II .................................................... 183
IBM PC, Extended Subset: 0437 PC Character Set ....................................... 184
IBM PC, Extended Subset: 0850 PC Multilingual ........................................... 185
Multinational, ASCII (USA) .............................................................................. 186
Multinational, EBCDIC ..................................................................................... 187
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: ASCII (USA) ................................................. 188
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: German......................................................... 189
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Swedish ........................................................ 190
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Danish .......................................................... 191
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Norwegian .................................................... 192
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Finnish .......................................................... 193
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: English (UK) ................................................. 194
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Dutch ............................................................ 195
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: French .......................................................... 196
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Spanish......................................................... 197
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Italian ............................................................ 198
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Turkish .......................................................... 199
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Japanese ...................................................... 200
ECMA Latin 1, Extended Subset: Multinational .............................................. 201
ECMA Latin 1, Extended Subset: Barcode 10 cpi ........................................... 202
ECMA Latin 1, Extended Subset: Greek ......................................................... 203
ECMA Latin 1, Extended Subset: Graphic ...................................................... 204
ECMA Latin 1, Extended Subset: Scientific 10 cpi .......................................... 205
DEC Multinational, ASCII (USA) ..................................................................... 206
DEC Multinational, French .............................................................................. 207
DEC Multinational, German ............................................................................. 208
DEC Multinational, English (UK) ..................................................................... 209
DEC Multinational, Norwegian/Danish ............................................................ 210
DEC Multinational, Swedish ............................................................................ 211
DEC Multinational, Italian ................................................................................ 212
DEC Multinational, Spanish ............................................................................. 213
DEC Multinational, Japanese .......................................................................... 214
DEC Multinational, French Canadian .............................................................. 215
DEC Multinational, Dutch ................................................................................ 216
DEC Multinational, Finnish .............................................................................. 217
DEC Multinational, Swiss ................................................................................ 218
OCR A ............................................................................................................. 219
OCR B ............................................................................................................. 220
Proprinter Emulation Character Sets.......................... 221
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 221
0437 PC Character Set ................................................................................... 222
0850 PC Multilingual ........................................................................................ 223
OCR A ............................................................................................................. 224
OCR B ............................................................................................................. 225
Epson Emulation Character Sets ............................... 227
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 227
0437 PC Character Set ................................................................................... 228
0850 PC Multilingual ........................................................................................ 229
Epson Set, ASCII (USA) .................................................................................. 230
Epson Set, French ........................................................................................... 231
Epson Set, German ......................................................................................... 232
Epson Set, English (UK) .................................................................................. 233
Epson Set, Danish I ......................................................................................... 234
Epson Set, Swedish ........................................................................................ 235
Epson Set, Italian ............................................................................................ 236
Epson Set, Spanish I ....................................................................................... 237
Epson Set, Japanese ...................................................................................... 238
Epson Set, Norwegian ..................................................................................... 239
Epson Set, Danish II ........................................................................................ 240
Epson Set, Spanish II ...................................................................................... 241
Epson Set, Latin American I ............................................................................ 242
Epson Set, French Canadian .......................................................................... 243
Epson Set, Latin American II ........................................................................... 244
OCR A ............................................................................................................. 245
OCR B ............................................................................................................. 246
Contact Information ................................................... 247
Printronix Customer Support Center ............................................................... 247
Printronix Supplies Department ................................................................ 247
Corporate Offices ...................................................................................... 248
13
Introduction
About this Guide
This manual explains how to work with the standard emulations provided with
your printer so that it works
properly and efficiently.
The Technical Reference Manual is designed so that you can quickly find the
information you need to use
and configure your Printronix® P8000 Series
printer.
Warnings and Special Information
Read and comply with all information highlighted under special headings:
WARNING Conditions that could harm you as well as damage the equipment.
CAUTION Conditions that could damage the printer or related equipment.
IMPORTANT Information vital to proper operation of the printer.
NOTE: Information and helpful tips about printer operation.
Related Product Information
Refer to the following books for printer operation:
• P8000 Administrator’s Manual
Provides configuration instructions and descriptions and troubleshooting
guidelines.
• P8000 User’s Setup Guide
Describes the keys on the control panel and provides quick reference
information on daily printer
operations such as loading paper and
replacing ribbons. Italian, French, German, and Spanish are
included.
• P8000 Maintenance Manual
This manual is not shipped with the printer, but can be ordered. It explains
how to maintain and repair
the LineJet printer at the field service level of
maintenance. This manual covers alignments and
adjustments,
preventive and corrective maintenance, troubleshooting, and basic
principles of
operation.
Software Features
This section outlines many of the features available with the software
described in this manual.
NOTE: For software installation instructions, refer to the Administrator’s Manual.
PCL-II
The PCL®-II emulation software provides the following features:
• Graphics and a selection of print densities. You can enable graphics
mode and specify a density
mode (dots per inch).
14
• Print Attributes. Characters can be bold, italic, double high, double wide,
etc.
• Page Formatting. PCL-II commands allow you to set line spacing, page
length, and vertical forms
control.
• Font Typefaces. Also referred to as print modes. The five typefaces
include Near Letter Quality
(NLQ), Data Processing (DP), High Speed
(HS), OCR A, and OCR B.
• Character Sets. Forty-seven character sets are available. You can print
the character sets in the
different print modes. (OCR A and B character
sets must be printed in OCR A and OCR B print
modes.)
• Bar codes. Several bar codes are available, including Code 3 of 9,
Industrial 2 of 5, Interleaved 2 of 5,
UPC A, EAN 8, EAN 13, UCC/EAN-
128, UPCE, Royal Mail (including KIX format), Postnet® 11.3 cpi,
and
Postnet 4 cpi.
P-Series
The P-Series emulation software provides the following features:
• Graphics and a selection of print densities. You can enable graphics
mode and specify a density
mode (dots per inch).
• Print Attributes. Characters can be bold, double high, double wide, etc.
• Page Formatting. Commands allow you to set line spacing, page length,
and vertical tabbing.
• Font Typefaces. Also referred to as print modes. The five typefaces
include: Near Letter Quality
(NLQ) with or without serifs, Data Processing
(DP), High Speed (HS), OCR A, and OCR B.
• Different character sets are available. You can print the character sets in
the different print modes.
(OCR A and B character sets must be printed in
OCR A and OCR B print modes.)
Proprinter III XL
The Proprinter® emulation software provides the following features:
• Graphics and print densities. You can specify different graphics modes
which use different dpi's (dots
per inch).
• Print Attributes. Characters can be bold, italic, double high, double wide,
etc.
• Page Formatting. Commands allow you to set line spacing, page length,
and vertical tabbing.
• Font Typefaces. Also referred to as print modes. The five typefaces
include: Near Letter Quality
(NLQ) with or without serifs, Data Processing
(DP), High Speed (HS), OCR A, and OCR B.
• Numerous character sets are available. You can print the character sets
in the different print modes.
(OCR A and B character sets must be printed
in OCR A and OCR B print modes.)
Epson FX-1050
The Epson® emulation software provides the following features:
• Graphics and print densities. You can enable graphics mode and specify
a density mode (dots per
inch).
• Print Attributes. Characters can be bold, italic, double high, double wide,
etc.
• Page Formatting. Epson commands allow you to set line spacing, page
length, and vertical tabbing.
• Font Typefaces. Also referred to as print modes. The five typefaces
include: Near Letter Quality
(NLQ) with or without serifs, Data Processing
(DP), High Speed (HS), OCR A, and OCR B.
15
• Character Sets. Thirty character sets are available. You can print the
character sets in the different
print modes. (OCR A and B character sets
must be printed in OCR A and OCR B print modes.)
16
17
HP PCL-II
Introduction
This chapter describes the HP® PCL-II emulation host control codes that are supported for your P8000
printer. Emulation refers to the ability of a printer to execute the commands of a particular printer control
language. A printer control language is the coding system used to convey, manipulate, and print data. It
contains character codes and command sequences that configure the emulation. In this manual, the
terms emulation, printer protocol, and printer control language are synonymous.
In the HP PCL-II emulation mode, your printer can print files coded for the HP PCL-II printer control
language. To select the PCL-II emulation mode as the active printer emulation, select PCL-II in the
ACTIVE EMULATION menu and then the PCL-II menu will appear under the EMULATION menu, as
described in the Administrator’s Manual.
The PCL-II emulation provides many configurable parameters. The default parameter values for this
emulation are shown in Table 1. You can modify the emulation parameter values in two ways:
• The PCL-II host control codes. An extensive set of PCL-II control code commands can be sent to the
printer from an attached host computer via the host data stream. Most of this chapter is devoted to
describing the PCL-II control code commands.
• The printer configuration menus. You can modify a subset of the PCL-II emulation parameters using
the printer configuration menus and control panel keys as described in the Administrator’s Manual.
A parameter value set by a host control code overrides a value set from the printer's control panel.
NOTE: Configuration values selected from the menus or via host control codes can be saved to memory
so that they will not be lost when you power off the printer. The menu selection for saving a
configuration to memory is described in the Administrator’s Manual.
18
HP PCL-II Emulation Default Settings
The factory settings for the PCL-II emulation menu options are shown in Table 1. Host control codes can
override the settings for these menu options.
Table 1 PCL-II Menu Option Factory Settings
Parameter Default Setting
Primary/Secondary Character Set
ID 0
Symbol Set Roman-8(8U)
Pitch 10.0 cpi
Density Data Processing
Page Length Representation Inches/Page
Face, CPI Delay Enable
Graphics Density 60 dpi
Max. Line Width 13.2 inches
Perforation Skip Disable
Display Functions Disable
LF after CR Disable
CR after LF Disable
CR after FF Disable
CR after VT Enable
PTX Linefeed Disable
LPI Adjust 6 LPI
Page L. /Lines 66 lines
Page L. /Inches 11 Inches
*Reset Cmd CFG Ld Power-Up Config.
*The Reset Command can also be set to Disable, Current Config, or Factory Config. See the
Administrator’s Manual for more information.
Switching between the Emulations
The printer supports four emulations: PCL-II (the default), LinePrinter Plus®, Code V™ and IGP/PGL. The
LinePrinter Plus has three protocols from which to choose: P-Series, Proprinter III XL, and Epson FX-
1050.
You can switch between PCL-II and any of the LinePrinter Plus protocols by sending one of the following
commands:
19
ESC%-00000X Switches from PCL-II to P-Series
ESC%-00001X Switches from PCL-II to Proprinter III XL
ESC%-00002X Switches from PCL-II to Epson FX-1050
SFCC|};K0 Switches from any of the LinePrinter Plus emulations to PCL-II
NOTE: The SFCC is the Special Function Control Code. From the P-Series protocol, this code is
selectable from the front panel. The default value is hex 01. For the Proprinter and Epson
emulations, the SFCC is always the ESC (hex 1B) character.
Configuring the PCL-II Emulation with Control Codes
The remainder of this chapter describes the PCL-II printer control language codes that may be sent from
a host computer attached to the printer.
The escape (ESC) control code is used to select most of the programmable features.
Commands and control codes sent from a host system override settings in the configuration menus.
However, any configuration settings from host control codes will be gone once the printer is powered off
(or reset to the default values). Host control codes are never reflected in the PCL-II configuration menu. In
order to save a configuration, it is necessary to select the desired options from the front panel and save
the options to one of the printers eight user-selectable configurations. The Administrator’s Manual
describes the menu option for saving changes to the printer memory.
Printer Feature Set Compatibility
The printer uses the “Printer Control Language” which standardizes printer features and user access of
these features, providing compatibility between HP printers. “Printer Control Language” structure consists
of five feature levels:
• Level I Print and Space
• Level II EDP
• Level III Word Processing
• Level IV Page Formatting
• Level V Enhanced Page Formatting
Each PCL level supersedes features of the levels below it. The P8000 printers are Level II printers,
meaning that all applications for Level I and II printers will operate correctly on your printer with no
modifications. In addition to supporting Level I and Level II features, the printer supports a limited set of
additional features that may not be supported by other HP products.
Applications written using these additional features may not operate as intended on other Hewlett-
Packard printers which do not have these capabilities.
General Information
Programmatic Printer Control
Control codes, multi-character escape sequences, and parameterized escape sequences are all used to
control the printers.
The printers execute parameters sequentially, in the order they are received. Therefore, the order of the
parameters is significant. Unrecognized escape sequences are ignored in their entirety and may cause
erroneous printing since the printer may be unable to perform the requested operation.
20
Logical and Physical Pages
The limits of the logical page determine the area in which printing can take place. Logical page length is
set programmatically (in lines per page).
Physical page length is set via the control panel and indicates the actual size of a single page. The
physical page length cannot be changed programmatically. Refer to the Quick Reference Guide for more
information.
Table 2 Control Codes
Function Symbol Binary Level Description
Backspace BS 1000 II Move one column left.
Horizontal
Tab HT 1001 V Move the current active position to the next
tab stop on the current line. The tab stops
are at the left margin and every 8th column
between the left and right margins. If new
position crosses the right margin, the new
position is set to the right margin.
Line Feed LF 1010 I Move to next print line while
maintaining current column position
Form Feed FF 1100 I Move to first line at top of the next page
while maintaining current column position
Carriage
Return CR 1101 I Move to the left margin on current print line
Shift Out SO 1110 I Select following characters from the
current secondary character font until
receipt of a Shift In
Shift In SI 1111 I Select following characters from the current
primary character font until receipt of a Shift
Out
Escape ESC 11011 I The following characters are a special
control sequence
Escape Sequences
An escape sequence consists of the ESC control code followed by one or more characters in succession.
Both two-character and parameterized escape sequences control the printer. Two-character escape
sequences take the form ESCX, where X is a character from the ASCII table (0 through ~).
Parameterized escape sequences are structured in the following form: ESCXy[parameter]Z
This sequence is explained below:
ESCXy Prefix. This part of the escape sequence indicates that the escape sequence is
parameterized and also specifies which type of control is being performed. “X” is
referred to as the parameterized character; “y” is referred to as the group character.
Parameter This string of ASCII characters specifies a value (either numeric or alphanumeric).
21
Z Terminator. This ASCII character indicates the function to which the previous
parameter value applies. If this character is lower case (a,b,c, etc.), it indicates a
combined escape sequence, meaning that more parameterized information will follow.
If the character is upper case (A,B,C, etc.), it terminates the escape sequence string.
NOTE: Brackets [ ] are shown in many of the escape sequences for clarification purposes, but are not
actually part of the escape sequence. For example, the brackets in the escape sequence for
selecting page length (ESC&l[1- 128]P) specify a range of values (1 through 128) for page length.
To specify a page length of 35 lines, the escape sequence ESC&l35P would be sent to the
printer.
Combining Escape Sequences
Parameterized escape sequences can be combined to save keystrokes. Combining sequences involves
adding the parameter value and terminator of one or more sequences to another escape sequence.
Parameterized sequences can be combined only if their prefixes are identical. When a
parameter/terminator of one sequence is added to another sequence, all of the terminators except the
last should be lower case. For example, to set the left and right margins using two separate escape
sequences, the following two sequences would be sent:
Set left margin at position 10 ESC&a10L
Set right margin at position 99 ESC&a99M
Using one combined escape sequence, the following would be sent to the printer:
ESC&a10l99M
The list below shows the escape sequences you can use with the printer. Note that the brackets [ ] used
in these escape sequences are for clarification purposes only (the brackets are not actually part of the
commands).
FUNCTION ASCII CODE PAGE
PCL LEVEL I
Display Functions Mode on ESCY 40
Display Functions Mode off ESCZ 40
Perforation Skip Mode on ESC&I1L 41
Perforation Skip Mode off ESC&I0L 41
Print Mode Selection (10 & 16.67 cpi) ESC&k[0,2]S 42
Programmable reset ESCE 43
Raster Graphics start ESC*rA 51
Raster Graphics data ESC*b[#]W[data] 51
Raster Graphics end ESC*rB 51
Self-test ESCz 52
Stroke Weight (Bold) ESC[(,)]s[#]B 52
Underline Mode on ESC&d[DEFGLMNOTUVW\}^] 53
Underline Mode off ESC&d[@CHIJKPQRSWXZ[] 53
22
FUNCTION ASCII CODE PAGE
PCL LEVEL II
Character Font Selection ESC[(,)]ID 37
Cursor Control (absolute row) ESC&a[#]R 38
Cursor Control (absolute column) ESC&a[#]C 38
Cursor Control (relative row) ESC&a[+#]R 38
Cursor Control (relative column) ESC&a[+/-#]C 38
Horizontal Margin Selection (Left) ESC&a[print position]L 40
Horizontal Margin Selection (Right) ESC&a[print position]M 40
Horizontal Margin Selection (Reset) ESC9 40
Line Spacing ESC&I[6,8]D 41
Logical Page Length Selection ESC&I[1-128]P 41
Print Pitch Selection ESC[(,)]s[Cpi]H 42
Text Length (Vertical Margin) Selection ESC&I[1-128]F 53
Transparent Print Data ESC&p[# of bytes]X 53
PCL LEVEL III
Character Density Selection ESC[(,)]s[0,1,-1]Q 34
Character Style Selection ESC[(,)]s[0,1]S 38
Cursor Positioning (horizontal) ESC&a[#]H 40
Cursor Positioning (vertical) ESC&a[#]V 40
Print Mode Selection (12 cpi) ESC&k4S 42
Raster Graphics start ESC*r[#]A 51
Additional Commands
Bar Code Data ESC*z[<bar code data>]Z 22
Bar Code Height ESC*z[#]H 23
Bar Code Header Control ESC*z[#]Q 23
Bar Code Label Placement ESC*z[#]C 23
Bar Code Selection ESC*z[#]V 23
Emulation Switching ESC%-[0000,0001,0002]X 18
Print Mode Selection (double size) ESC&k8S 42
PTX Linefeed ESC*t[0,1]L 43
Programmable VFC ESC&I[#bytes]W[data] 44
Raster Graphics: Move # raster lines ESC*b[#]Y 51
Raster Graphics: Resolution ESC*t[70,140]R 51
Raster Graphics: Horizontal Resolution ESC*r[60,70,120,140]L 51
Raster Graphics: Vertical Resolution ESC*r[72,144]L 51
Standard (Computed) VFC ESC&I[0-16]V 52
Bar Codes
To print bar codes, escape sequences are sent to the printer specifying the type of code, bar code height,
bar code header information, placement information, and bar code data. The following five escape
sequences are used for bar code printing:
23
ESC*z#V Bar Code Selection
This sequence selects the type of bar code to be used in subsequent printing of bar code data. If a
number other than those available is selected, the previously selected bar code type will be used. The
following table lists the bar code types available and their corresponding value field numbers.
Table 3 Bar Code Types
Bar Code Type Character Length Value Field No.
Code 3 of 9 (default) Variable 0
Industrial 2 of 5 Variable 1
Interleaved 2 of 5 Variable 4
UPC A Fixed 8
UPC E Fixed 9
EAN 8 Fixed 10
EAN 13 Fixed 11
UCC/EAN 128 Fixed 12
Postnet Fixed 13, 14
Royal Mail (including KIX format) Variable 15, 16
NOTE: The Postnet Barcodes type 13 & 14 print 24 bars per inch. See the section on 256x Postal
Barcodes for information on the 20 bars per inch and 22.5 bars per inch Postal Barcodes.
ESC*z#H Bar Code Height
This escape sequence defines the height of the bar code label in tenths of an inch as specified in the
value field (#). To specify a bar code height of .8 inches, the ESC*z8H escape sequence would be sent to
the printer. A zero in the value field specifies that bar code height is determined by the current line
spacing (1/6 or 1/8 inch for 6/8 LPI respectively, or 1/3 or 1/4 inch for double- high/double-wide). The
default bar code height is 0.6 inches.
ESC*z#C Bar Code Label Placement
This escape sequence specifies the horizontal starting location of a bar code by specifying the column
number based on the currently active print pitch. The value field (#) indicates the absolute column
position the bar code will begin printing. A plus or minus sign in the value field is ignored. A value field
whose position is less than the current active printing position is illegal and causes the cursor to move to
the next column position to the right of the current active printing position. When printing bar codes,
always allow at least 1/4 inch margin in all directions from each bar code. This will limit the interference
from other characters and help readability. If you need to print text and bar codes on the same line, see
the Printing Bar Codes with Text discussion later in this chapter.
ESC*z#Q Bar Code Header Control
This sequence specifies the placement of the bar code header. A number 1 in the value field specifies
that a header will be printed above the bar code label and a 2 specifies that it will be placed below the bar
code. A zero in the value field specifies that no header will be printed. The printer default places the
header above the bar code.
24
ESC*z<Bar Code Data>Z Bar Code Label Data
This sequence sends the bar code label data in the form of an alphanumeric string enclosed in angled
brackets. The header (if enabled) will print in the location specified by the bar code header control
sequence.
NOTE: Upon termination of the bar code label data escape sequence, the printer will print all buffered bar
code data and generate a carriage return.
The printer automatically formats the bar code, inserts start and stop bits, and calculates and inserts the
checksum (if applicable-not for Code 3 of 9, Industrial 2 of 5, or Interleaved 2 of 5 ).
For UPC E bar codes, a zero (0) must be in the first position of the bar code data.
Printing Bar Codes
Generally, sending bar code information to the printer is performed in two steps:
Step 1: Selecting the bar code printing specifications; bar code type, height, and header control
information.
Step 2: Moving the cursor to the desired label location and sending the bar code data.
Step 1
Before positioning and printing the bar code data, the type of code, height of the label, and header
placement may be specified. Once this is done, the succeeding labels will be printed using these
specifications until a new type, height, or header control is specified. In other words, the bar code print
specifications can be sent once and need not be sent again unless the printer is reset or new print
specifications are desired. The following example specifies the print specifications for bar codes that are
0.5 inches in height, have a header above the label, and are printed in the UPC A code.
ESC*z8v5h1Q
ESC*z8v Select UPC A code
5h Label is to be .5 inches high
1Q Places header above bar code
Notice that the last letter in the escape sequence (Q) is upper-case while the other letters in the sequence
(v and h) are lower-case. (See Escape Sequences on page 20 for more information concerning
combining two or more sequences.)
Step 2
To print a bar code label, the cursor must be placed in the desired position and the bar code data must be
sent. The following escape sequence moves the cursor to column 25, sends the data “1234567” to the
printer, and initiates printing.
ESC*z25c<1234567>Z
ESC*z25c Places start of label at column 25
< Indicates start of bar code data
1234567 Bar code data
> Signals end of bar code data
Z Upper case Z initiates printing *
*Note that an upper-case “Z” terminator results in the bar code being printed and an automatic carriage
return (CR) being executed.
Printing Multiple Labels on the Same Line
Printing more than one label on the same line involves no more than positioning the cursor and sending
the data for each label to be printed. Since the termination of the bar code data sequence (signalled by an
upper-case Z) causes the bar code to be printed and a carriage return to be executed, all of the label
25
information must be sent in the same escape sequence. The following example shows an escape
sequence used to print three labels on a single line:
ESC*z5c<label1>z20c<label2>z35c<label3>Z
ESC*z5c Moves cursor to column 5
<label1> Bar code data
z20c Moves cursor to column 20
<label2> Bar code data
z35c Moves cursor to column 35
<label3> Bar code data
Z Initiates printing
Printing Bar Codes with Text
When printing bar codes with text, since the printer automatically generates a carriage return and line
feed at the end of the terminating character (upper case Z), potential problems exist. As a general rule,
for each line of bar code mixed with text, send the text information first, followed by a carriage return
without a line feed (ASCII 13), and then overlay the bar code. (The carriage return is required so that the
bar code cursor position will be correct.) The following example illustrates how to print text and bar codes
on the same line.
This example involves a three-line bar code (and three escape sequences) as shown below:
ESC*z0v25c1q<12345>Z
ESC*z0v Selects Code 3 of 9
25c Moves cursor to column 25
1q Specifies header placement above label
<12345> Bar code data
Z Enables printing this portion of the bar code
ESC*z75CThis is textCRESC*z0q25c<12345>Z
ESC*z75C Moves cursor to column 75
This is text Text for right of bar code
CR Carriage return without a line feed
ESC*z0q Disables header for this portion
25c Moves cursor to column 25
<12345> Bar code data
Z Initiates printing this portion
ESC*z25c0q<12345>Z
ESC*z25c Moves cursor to column 25
0q Disables header for lower portion
<12345> Bar code data
Z Initiates printing for lower portion of label
NOTE: When a header is enabled, sending one line of information causes the printer to print two lines;
one line containing the header along with any text you may have sent in that line, and one line
containing the bar code label. When a header is enabled, no information can be printed on the
same line as the bar code label. However, if the header is disabled, text can be placed next to the
bar code label. For example, if you want a label and also wish to enclose the bar code with a box,
you may not use automatic headers. Instead, you may set the height of the bar code to the text
height and manually print the header.
26
Bar Code Width Information
The following paragraphs contain information concerning the size of the printed bar codes. If you are
designing a form that contains bar codes, this information may prove useful in judging how much space
the bar code will occupy.
The following table lists the number of characters sent by the user for each type of bar code:
Table 4 Bar Code Character
Bar Code Number of Characters Sent
Code 3 of 9 Variable
Industrial 2 of 5 Variable
Interleaved 2 of 5 Variable
UPC A 11
UPC E 11
EAN 8 7
EAN 13 12
UCC/EAN 128 19
Postnet 5 (6), 9(10), or 11(12)
Royal Mail (incl. KIX) Variable
NOTE: For Postnet Barcodes printed using the P8000 style, if 5, 9, or 11 digits are sent, your printer will
automatically calculate and print the check digit. If 6, 10, or 12 digits are sent, the printer will
verify the check digit. Should the check digit be inaccurate, or an invalid bar code length is sent,
your P8000 printer will not attempt to print the invalid data.
CODE 3 of 9
A variable-length data string of up to 32 ASCII characters may be printed using the Code 3 of 9 bar code.
The string may be an odd or even length and may use any of the standard characters (specified in MIL-
STD-1189). If a non-valid character is used in the string, a blank non-readable bar code will be printed;
non-valid characters are not substituted or deleted. Optional checksums are not inserted in the bar code.
The width of the printed bar code can be approximated by the following equation:
Width in inches = (number of characters)/3.14 + 0.50
INDUSTRIAL 2 of 5
A variable-length data string of up to 32 ASCII characters may be printed using the Industrial 2 of 5 bar
code. The string may be an odd or even length and may use any character from 0 through 9. If a non-
valid character is used in the string, a blank non-readable bar code will be printed; non-valid characters
are not substituted or deleted. Optional checksums are not inserted in the bar code. The width of the
printed bar code can be approximated by the following equation:
Width in inches = (number of characters)/3.7 + 0.38
INTERLEAVED 2 of 5
A variable-length data string of up to 32 ASCII characters may be printed using the Interleaved 2 of 5 bar
code. The string may be an odd or even length. However, if the string is an odd length, a leading zero will
27
be inserted to make a string of an even length. Valid data characters are 0 through 9. If a non-valid
character is used in the string, a blank non-readable bar code will be printed; non-valid characters are not
substituted or deleted. Optional checksums are not inserted in the bar code. The width of the printed bar
code can be approximated by the following equations:
Width in inches = (even number of characters)/6.25 + 0.15
UPC A
A fixed-length data string of 11 ASCII characters may be printed using the UPC A bar code. The string
must have a length of 11 and may use any of the standard characters 0 through 9. If a non-valid
character or string length is used, a blank non-readable bar code will be printed; non-valid characters are
not substituted or deleted. The width of the printed bar code does not vary and is 1.56 inches.
UPC E
A fixed-length data string of 11 ASCII characters may be printed using the UPC E bar code. The string
length must be 11 and may use any of the standard characters 0 through 9 (however, the data pattern
must meet the format of UPC E bar codes; UPC E is a shortened version of very specific patterns
printable with UPC A). If a non-valid character or string length is used, a blank non-readable bar code will
be printed; non-valid characters are not substituted or deleted. For UPC E, a zero (0) is required in the
first position of the bar code data (the number system character). The width of the printed bar code is not
variable and is 0.81 inches.
EAN 8
A fixed-length data string of 7 ASCII characters may be printed using the EAN 8 bar code. The string
length must be 7 and may use any of the standard characters 0 through 9. If a non-valid character or
string length is used, a blank non-readable bar code will be printed; non-valid characters are not
substituted or deleted. The width of the printed bar code is not variable and is 1.25 inches.
EAN 13
A fixed-length data string of 12 ASCII characters may be printed using the EAN 13 bar code. The string
length must be 12 and may use any of the standard characters 0 through 9. If a non-valid character or
string length is used, a blank non-readable bar code will be printed; non-valid characters are not
substituted or deleted. The width of the printed bar code is not variable and is 1.56 inches.
Royal Mail
A variable length data string may be printed using the “Royal Mail 4 State Customer Code”. The string
may use any character from 0 through 9 and alpha characters A through Z. A complete bar code consists
of a set of distinct bars and spaces for each character followed by a checksum character and enclosed by
a unique start bar, stop bar and quiet zone. A second version of the Royal Mail barcode prints with no
stop bar, start bar or checksum character.
The KIX format for Royal Mail does not include the start/stop code or the check digit, but will allow
lowercase alpha characters a through z.
UCC/EAN 128
The UCC/EAN 128 bar code contains special characters which use unique codes to identify the leading
and trailing end of the bar code. EAN/UCC 128 supports a full ASCII character set and provides standard
alphanumeric keyboard characters and control and special characters.
The EAN/UCC 128 data structure requires an Application Identifier (AI) at the beginning of barcode data.
Each AI determines the format and length of the data which follows. Refer to Table 5 for more detail.
28
Table 5 UCC/EAN 128 Application Identifiers
Application
Identifier (AI) Content Format
00 Serial Shipping Container Code n2+n18
02 Item Num. of Goods Within Another Unit n2+n14
10 Batch or Lot Number n2+an..20
11 (*) Production Date (YYMMDD) n2+n6
13 (*) Packaging Date (YYMMDD) n2+n6
15 (*) Sell By Date (Quality) (YYMMDD) n2+n6
17 (*) Expiration Date (Safety) (YYMMDD) n2+n6
20 Product Variant n2+n2
21 Serial Number n2+an..20
22 HIBCC = Quantity, Date, Batch and Link n2+an..29
23 (**) Lot Number (Transitional Use) n3+n..19
240 Additional Product ID Assigned By Manufacturer n3+an..30
250 Secondary Serial Number n3+an..30
30 Quantity n2+n..8
310 (***) Net Weight, Kilograms n4+n6
311 (***) Length or 1st Dimension, Meters n4+n6
312 (***) Width, Diameter or 2nd Dimension, Meters n4+n6
313 (***) Depth, Thickness, Height or 3rd Dimension, Meters n4+n6
314 (***) Area, Square Meters n4+n6
315 (***) Volume, Liters n4+n6
316 (***) Volume, Cubic Meters n4+n6
320 (***) Net Weight, Pounds n4+n6
321 (***) Length or 1st Dimension, Inches n4+n6
322 (***) Length or 1st Dimension, Feet n4+n6
323 (***) Length or 1st Dimension, Yards n4+n6
324 (***) Width, Diameter, or 2nd Dimension, Inches n4+n6
325 (***) Width, Diameter, or 2nd Dimension, Feet n4+n6
326 (***) Width, Diameter, or 2nd Dimension, Yards n4+n6
327 (***) Depth, Thickness, Height, or 3rd Dimension, Inches n4+n6
328 (***) Depth, Thickness, Height, or 3rd Dimension, Feet n4+n6
329 (***) Depth, Thickness, Height, or 3rd Dimension, Yards n4+n6
330 (***) Gross Weight-Kilograms n4+n6
331 (***) Length or 1st Dimension, Logistics n4+n6
332(***) Width, Diameter, or 2nd Dimension, Meters, Logistics n4+6
333 (***) Depth, Thickness, Height or 3rd Dimension, Meters, Logistics n4+n6
334 (***) Area, Square Meters, Logistics n4+n6
335 (***) Gross Volume, Liters n4+n6
29
Table 5 UCC/EAN 128 Application Identifiers
Application
Identifier (AI) Content Format
336 (***) Gross Volume, Cubic Meters n4+n6
337 (***) Kilograms Per Square Meter n4+n6
340 (***) Gross Weight, Pounds n4+n6
341 (***) Length or 1st Dimension, Inches, Logistics n4+n6
342 (***) Length or 1st Dimension, Feet, Logistics n4+n6
343 (***) Length or 1st Dimension, Yards, Logistics n4+n6
344 (***) Width, Diameter, or 2nd Dimension, Inches, Logistics n4+n6
345 (***) Width, Diameter, or 2nd Dimension, Feet, Logistics n4+n6
346 (***) Width, Diameter, or 2nd Dimension, Yards, Logistics n4+n6
347 (***) Depth, Thickness, Height or 3rd Dimension, Inches, Logistics n4+n6
348 (***) Depth, Thickness, Height or 3rd Dimension, Feet, Logistics n4+n6
349 (***) Depth, Thickness, Height or 3rd Dimension, Yards, Logistics n4+n6
350 (***) Area, Square Inches n4+n6
351 (***) Area, Square Feet n4+n6
352 (***) Area, Square Yards n4+n6
353 (***) Area, Square Inches, Logistics n4+n6
354 (***) Area, Square Feet, Logistics n4+n6
355 (***) Area, Square Yards, Logistics n4+n6
356 (***) Net Weight, Troy Ounce n4+n6
357 (***) Net Volume, Ounces n4+n6
360 (***) Volume, Quarts n4+n6
361 (***) Volume, Gallons n4+n6
362 (***) Gross Volume, Quarts n4+n6
363 (***) Gross Volume, Gallons n4+n6
364 (***) Volume, Cubic Inches n4+n6
365 (***) Volume, Cubic Feet n4+n6
366 (***) Volume, Cubic Yards n4+n6
367 (***) Gross Volume, Cubic Inches n4+n6
368 (***) Gross Volume, Cubic Inches n4+n6
369 (***) Gross Volume, Cubic Inches n4+n6
37 Quantity of Units Contained (For Use With AI 02 Only) n2+n..8
400 Customer's Purchase Order Number n3+an..30
401 Consignment Number n3+an..30
410 Ship To (Deliver To) Location Code Using EAN 13 n3+n13
411 Bill To (Invoice To) Location Code Using EAN 13 n3+n13
412 Purchase From (Location Code of Party From Whom Goods
Are Purchased) n3+n13
30
Table 5 UCC/EAN 128 Application Identifiers
Application
Identifier (AI) Content Format
413 Ship For UCC/EAN Location Code n3+n13
414 EAN Location Code For Physical Identification n3+n13
420 Ship To (Deliver To) Postal Code Within a Single Postal Authority n3+an..20
421 Ship To (Deliver To) Postal Code With 3-Digit ISO Country Code Prefix n3+n3+an..9
8001 Roll Products-Width, Length, Core Diameter, Direction and Splices n4+n14
8003 UPC/EAN Number and Serial Number or Returnable Asset n4+n14+an..16
8004 UCC/EAN Serial Identification n4+an..30
8005 Identifies the Price Per Unit of Measure n4+n6
8006 Component of an Article n4+n14+n2+n2
8018 Service Relation Number n4+n18
8100 Coupon Extended Code-Number System Character and Offer n4+n1+n5
8101 Coupon Extended Code-Number System Character, Offer and End of Offer n4+n1+n5+n4
8102 Coupon Extended Code-Number System Character Preceded by Zero n4+n1+n1
90 Mutually Agreed, Between Trading Partners n2+an..30
91 Intra-Company (Internal) n2+an..30
92 Intra-Company (Internal) n2+an..30
93 Intra-Company (Internal) n2+an..30
94 Intra-Company (Internal) n2+an..30
95 Internal-Carriers n2+an..30
96 Internal-Carriers n2+an..30
97 Intra-Company (Internal) n2+an..30
98 Intra-Company (Internal) n2+an..30
99 Internal n2+an..30
(*)To indicate only year and month, DD must be filled with “00”
(**) Plus one digit for length indication
(***) Plus one digit for decimal point indication
Data Value Representation:
a - alphabetic characters n - numeric characters
an - alpha-numeric characters n3 - 3 numeric characters, fixed length
an..3 - up to 3 alpha-numeric characters n..3 - up to 3 numeric characters
US Postnet Barcodes
The P8000 printer can print barcodes in three different formats. The default, 24 bars per inch, uses the
same syntax as the other barcodes. It is suggested to use the ESC*Z0Q command to disable placement
of a header on postal barcodes. The P8000 printer will also print barcodes using the 256X format for 20
and 22.5 bars per inch postal barcodes. See the section on 256X - US Barcodes for more details. P8000
style Postnet barcodes will automatically generate the check digit if it is not present. The 256X-
compatibility barcodes require the host to generate the check digit. If a non-valid character or string length
is used, a blank non-readable bar code will be printed; non-valid characters are not substituted or deleted.
31
The width of the printed bar code is not variable and is 1.33 (5 digit), 2.17 (9 digit), or 2.59 (11 digit)
inches.
256X US POSTNET BAR CODE
The US POSTNET Bar Code is an HP character set which meets the US Postal Office specifications for
Postnet bar coding, including the latest Delivery Point Bar Code, or DPBC.
US POSTNET Bar Codes print at 4.0 cpi (20 bars per inch) and 11.3 cpi (22.5 bars per inch). Both bar
codes are printed by replacing normal printable characters with vertical bars. Both options use different
characters to represent the desired bar codes, as a result the methods by which they are produced are
incompatible.
11.3 CPI (22.5 bars per inch) US POSTNET BAR CODE
Font Selection
You may select either of the US POSTNET character sets from either the front panel or through escape
sequences. (Refer to the Administrator’s Manual for details on front panel menus.)
The following escape sequence will configure the 11.3 cpi POSTNET BAR CODE as a secondary font:
ESC)1KESC)s11.3H
The sequence above sets the secondary font symbol set to 11.3 cpi POSTNET BAR CODE, and sets the
pitch to 11.3 cpi. Once the Secondary character set is configured for 11.3 cpi Postnet Bar Codes, the
Shift Out command can be used to activate the bar codes:
Shift Out: hex 0E
After the bar code is printed, the normal print mode is activated by using the Shift In command:
Shift In: hex 0F
NOTE: It is recommended setting the US POSTNET Bar Code character set as the secondary set, with
the normal operation mode as the primary font.
Printing 11.3 CPI US POSTNET Bar Code Information
The US POSTNET BAR CODES represent digits 0 - 9 with five vertical bars. Each digit consists of two
long bars (1's) and three short bars (0's). The Delivery Point Bar Code font is designed to be printed
only at 11.3 cpi or 22.5 bars per inch. A Delivery Point Bar Code is an eleven digit postal code. (For five
or nine postal bar codes, use the 4.0 cpi US POSTNET Bar Code.) The eleven numeric characters are:
ZIP + 4 + 2
Frame
Bar
Correction
Digit
Frame
Bar
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1
1 11000 00011 00101 00110
01001 01010 01100 10001 10010
10100 00011 00101 1
00 = ~
01 = }
10 = { 11 = ‘
= \ (5C/h)
= ~ (7E/h) = } (7D
/h)
= { (7B/h)
= ‘ (60
/h)
= ^ (5E
/h)
32
NOTE: Each digit is five bars, with each printable character being two bars. Thus, 2 1/2 characters are
needed to print one digit.
To make the bar code scannable, you must add frame bars and a check digit. The check digit is
calculated by adding all of the digits and subtracting the sum from the next highest multiple of ten.
Consequently, the sum of the eleven digits, and the check digit, will be an even multiple of ten.
The printer does not calculate the check digit or automatically generate frame bars. They must be
generated by the computer resident software and sent to the printer. To do this, it is necessary to design
a program that will convert a pair of digits into ten vertical bars.
Follow the example below to convert a ZIP Code into a bar code:
1.
Calculate the check digit for the ZIP Code 45834-8844-70:
a.
Add the digits of the ZIP code:
4+5+8+3+4+8+8+4+4+7+0 = 51
b.
Subtract from the next highest multiple of ten:
60-51 = 9
The check digit is 9, so the number for conversion is 45834-8844-709.
2.
Separate the ZIP Code + digit into digit pairs:
45834-8844-709 = 45 83 48 84 47 09
3.
Convert the digit pairs into binary code:
Example:
45 = 01001 01010
4.
Convert the binary code into pairs:
01001 01010 = 01 00 10 10 10
5.
Convert each pair into its text equivalent:
01 00 10 10 10 = }~{{{
6.
Add the frame bars. This can be done in one of two ways: Method 1 (Table 6) uses the frame bars as
separate characters, and Method 2 (Table 7) “links” the frame bars to the first and last characters:
33
Table 6 Method 1
ZIP Code + digit Frame Bar
+
Digit Pairs
Binary Code
Conversion Text
Equivalent Converted ZIP Code (Text To
Printer)
45 83 48 84 47 09
Frame Bar 1 \
45 01 00 10 10 10 }~{{{
83 10 01 00 01 10 {}~}{
48 01 00 11 00 10 }~`~{ SO\}~{{{{}~}{}~`~{{}~{}}~}~}`~}}~^SI
84 10 01 00 10 01 {}~{}
47 01 00 11 00 01 }~}~}
09 11 00 01 01 00 `~}}~
Frame Bar 1 ^
Note: SO = Shift Out (hex 0E), and SI = Shift In (hex 0F)
Table 7 Method 2
ZIP Code + digit Frame Bar
+
Digit Pairs
Binary Code
Conversion Symbol
Equivalent Converted ZIP Code (Text To
Printer)
45 83 48 84 47 09
Frame Bar + 4 10 10 01 {{}
58 01 01 01 00 10 }}}~{
34 00 11 00 10 01 ~`~{}
88 10 01 01 00 10 {}}~{ SO{{}}}}~{~`~{}{}}~{}~{{}{~`{~{{}SI
44 01 00 10 10 01 }~{{}
79 10 00 11 10 00 {~`{~
9 + Frame Bar 10 10 01 {{}
Note: SO = Shift Out (hex 0E), and SI = Shift In (hex 0F)
4.0 CPI (20 bars per inch) US POSTNET Bar Code
Font Selection
You may select either of the US POSTNET character sets from the front panel, or through escape
sequences. (Refer to your Administrator’s Manual for details on front panel menus.)
The following escape sequence will configure the 4.0 cpi POSTNET BAR CODE as a secondary font:
ESC)0K (Compatible with 256XC series printers.)
ESC)0KESC)s4.0H (Compatible with C235XA series printers.)
34
The sequence above sets the secondary font symbol set to 4.0 cpi POSTNET BAR CODE, and sets the
pitch to 4.0 cpi. Once the Secondary character set is configured for 4.0 CPI Postnet Bar Codes, the Shift
Out command can be used to activate the bar codes:
Shift Out: hex 0E
After the bar code is printed, the normal print mode is activated by using the Shift In command:
Shift In: hex 0F
NOTE: It is recommended setting the US POSTNET Bar Code character set as the secondary set, with
the normal operation mode as the primary font.
Perform the following steps to determine the check digit for 45834-8844-70:
1.
Calculate the check digit:
Add the digits of the postal code: 4+5+8+3+4+8+8+4+4+7+0 = 51
2.
Subtract from the next highest multiple of ten: 60 - 51 = 9
The check digit is 9.
3.
Text sent to Printer: SONUL458348844709.SI
SO = Shift Out (hex 0E) NUL = Nul (hex 00)
SI = Shift In (hex 0F)
Character Density Selection
(PCL Level III)
Standard-density print, high-density print, and high-speed draft printing can be specified using the
following escape sequences:
Primary Selection
ESC(s0Q Select Standard-Density (12 x 9 dot matrix, 120 x 72 dpi) for the primary font
ESC(s1Q Select High-Density (18 x 12 dot matrix, 180 x 96 dpi) for the primary font
ESC(s-1Q Select High-speed Draft Printing (12 x 6 dot matrix, 120 x 48 dpi) for the primary font
Secondary Selection
ESC)s0Q Select Standard-Density (12 x 9 dot matrix, 120 x 72 dpi) for the secondary font
ESC)s1Q Select High-Density (18 x 12 dot matrix, 180 x 96 dpi) for the secondary font
ESC)s-1Q Select High-speed Draft Printing (12 x 6 dot matrix, 120 x 48 dpi) for the secondary font
The default density is that of the default font specified from the control panel. If the symbol set selected is
not available in the requested density, the printer will print blank space. However, OCR-A, OCR-B, and
Postal Barcodes force density changes to ensure scanability.
When draft printing is selected, the printer prints less dots vertically (5 dots). This reduction in dots results
in an increase in print speed of up to 30%.
ESC(0UESC(s10h0s-1Q
To cue high-speed draft with Roman Extension:
ESC(0EESC(s10h0s-1Q
The following table lists all the Symbol Sets available to the PCL II Emulation. Each Symbol Set is
followed by its selection Code, and the Characters Per Inch (CPI) available in it. With the exception of
OCR-A and OCR-B, selecting a symbol set in a CPI combination not listed in the chart below will result in
spaces being printed in place of the desired character.
35
Table 8 Available Symbol Sets
Name Code CPI in High Speed (HS), Data
Processing (DP) and Near Letter
Quality (NLQ)
Roman-8 8U 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Turkish-8 8T 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Arab-8 8V 5 - 20 cpi1 in DP and NLQ; 10 cpi in HS only
Cyrillic 8R 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
PC858 MtLi 13U 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
MC Text 12J 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Roman-9 4U 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Latin-9 9N 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Win 3.0Lat-1 9U 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Japan Postnet 15Y 4 cpi in NLQ only
Katakana Post n/a2 11.25 cpi in NLQ only
ASCII 0U 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Math Sym 0A/0M 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
LineDraw 0B/0L 5 - 20 cpi1 in DP only
ISO Den/Nor 0D 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Roman Ext. 0E 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
ISO UK 1E 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
ISO France 0F 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
ISO German 0G 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Hebrew 0H 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Japan ASCII 0K 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Katakana 1K 10 cpi in DP and NLQ only
Block Char 1L 5 - 20 cpi1 in DP only
OCR-A 0O 10 cpi in OCR typeface only
OCR-B 1O 10 cpi in OCR typeface only
ISO Swe/Fin 0S 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
ISO Spain 1S 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
ISO Italian 0I 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
ISO Portugu 4S 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
36
Table 8 Available Symbol Sets
Name Code CPI in High Speed (HS), Data
Processing (DP) and Near Letter
Quality (NLQ)
Latin-1 0N 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Latin-2 2N 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Latin-5 5N 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Latin-6 6N 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Baltic 19L 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
PC8 DanNor 11U 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
PC8 Cd437 10U 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
PC850 MtLi 12U 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
PC851 LtGk 12G 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
PC852 Lat2 17U 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
PC Turkish 9T 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
PC Hebrew 15H 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
PC Lat/Ara 10V 5 - 20 cpi1 in DP and NLQ; 10 cpi in HS only
PC Cyrillic 3R 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Win3.1Lat1 19U 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Win3.1Lat-2 9E 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Win3.1Lat-5 5T 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Math-8 8M 5 - 20 cpi1 in DP and NLQ only
PS Math 5M 5 - 20 cpi1 in DP and NLQ only
Greek 7 12N 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Postnet4 15Y 4 cpi in NLQ only
Postnet11.25 1K 11.25 cpi in NLQ only
Greek-8 8G 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Hebrew-8 8H 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Katakana-8 8K 10 cpi in DP and NLQ only
DEC 256 Greek n/a2 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
ELOT 928 Greek n/a2 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Greek 3 n/a2 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
37
Table 8 Available Symbol Sets
Name Code CPI in High Speed (HS), Data
Processing (DP) and Near Letter
Quality (NLQ)
ABY Greek n/a2 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
ABG Greek n/a2 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
ELOT 927 Greek n/a2 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Greek 437 n/a2 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
Greek 8859-7 n/a2 5 - 20 cpi1 in HS, DP and NLQ
NOTES
5 - 20 cpi1 = 5, 10, 12, 13.3, 15, 16.67, 20 cpi
n/a2 = not applicable. There is no designated code for this font; you can
select it only from the control panel.
Character Font Selection
The printer can print several different character sets (fonts). By performing a printer self-test, you can see
which fonts are installed in your printer. You may specify any of these fonts from an application. On the
self-test printout, each available character font is printed along with a parameter number to the left of the
printed font.
NOTE: Many earlier models of HP printers could not select certain combinations of character sets. Your
P8000 printer does not have this limitation. The P8000 printer produces different characters than
the previous models, and your application may be requesting the old character set. You will need
to modify your application's settings to prevent it from selecting the old character set.
There are two ways to select a font from those available:
• By entering the parameter number via the control panel (function 1 = primary character set; function
2 = secondary character set)
• By specifying the attributes of the desired fonts using escape sequences.
The list below contains the font attributes, listed in order of descending priority:
• Symbol Set (ASCII, Roman-8, Line Draw, etc.)
• Pitch (10,12,13.3,15,16.67, 20)
• Style (Upright/Italic)
• Density (High-Speed, Near Letter Quality)
The attributes are specified for both primary and secondary fonts so that you may switch between the
primary and secondary fonts using the Shift Out (SO) and Shift In (SI) control codes. Notice that the only
difference between the primary and secondary font escape sequences is the direction of the parentheses.
The left parenthesis “(“ is used for primary fonts and the right parenthesis “)” for secondary. Upon
receiving these font attribute commands, the printer selects the best fitting font from those available.
It is not necessary to specify all four font attributes when selecting a font. If any of the attributes are not
specified, the printer defaults to those attributes last specified (or, if none have been specified, from the
38
control panel default font). For example, if you wish to select a font without selecting a print pitch, the print
pitch last specified will be in effect. If you had not previously specified a print pitch, the printer will use the
print pitch of the default font that was last specified from the control panel (provided that the particular
symbol set selected is available in the current pitch).
The escape sequences used for specifying the character font attributes are explained in the following
paragraphs.
Symbol Set Selection
The printer allows you to select a symbol set. A symbol set is a set of characters that are mapped to
certain locations in the printer's memory. Symbol sets differ from one another in the characters contained
in the set and in their locations within memory. The default symbol set is that of the default font specified
from the control panel.
The following escape sequences are used to specify the primary and secondary symbol sets:
ESC(ID Select symbol set for primary character font
ESC)ID Select symbol set for secondary character font
Table 8 lists the codes needed to select each symbol set. For example, to select the Roman-8 symbol set
for the primary font, you would send the ESC(8U escape sequence. To select OCR-B for the secondary
font, you would send ESC)1O to the printer.
An ASCII symbol set table is provided in Appendix A.
NOTE: Any number of fonts may be printed on each line, but to do this, each font must be the same pitch
and typeface. That is, only one print pitch, or typeface is allowed per line.
Character Overstrike
To create special symbols and underline selected portions of your output, one character (maximum) may
be printed over another on a character-by- character or line-by-line basis.
A character overstrike is accomplished using either the backspace control code or a carriage return with
no line feed. The overstrike print line will be held in the print buffer and will be merged with the next line to
form a single printed line with superimposed characters.
Attempting to print more than two characters in any one print location will result in a loss of data integrity.
(Only the last two characters received will be retained.)
When the automatic underlining enhancement is used (ESC&dD), the underlined character is not
considered an overstrike character. Therefore, if the underlining enhancement was used to underline a
character, another character could still be printed over it without risking data loss.
Character Style Selection
The printer has two types of character styles: upright and italic. The following escape sequences select
either the upright or the italic print style for the primary and secondary character fonts:
ESC(s0S Selects the upright style for the primary font
ESC(s1S Selects the italic style for the primary font
ESC)s0S Selects the upright style for the secondary font
ESC)s1S Selects the italic style for the secondary font
Italics cannot be selected or saved from the control panel. The printer will default to the upright style when
the printer is first powered on. Changing emulations, loading a configuration, or sending the ESCE
command to the printer will cancel the italic style for the primary and secondary fonts.
Cursor Control
Absolute and relative cursor control are provided for the printer. Cursor moves are made in the current
active pitch and current active vertical spacing. The following escape sequences perform these functions:
39
Absolute Vertical Cursor Position in Rows
ESC&a#R
Move cursor to absolute vertical cursor position in rows (where # is an unsigned integer)
Relative Vertical Cursor Position in Rows
ESC&a[+#]R
Move cursor vertically in rows relative to the current position (where # is a signed [+ only] integer)
Absolute Vertical Cursor Position in Decipoints
ESC&a#V
Move cursor to absolute vertical cursor position in decipoints (where # = x/720 inch increments).
Fractional decipoint values are not allowed.
Relative Vertical Cursor Position in Decipoints
ESC&a[+/-#]V
Move cursor vertically in decipoints relative to the current position (where # is a signed [+/-] integer at
x/720 inch increments). Fractional decipoint values are not allowed.
Absolute Horizontal Cursor Position in Columns
ESC&a#C
Move cursor to absolute horizontal cursor position in columns (where # is an unsigned integer)
Relative Horizontal Cursor Position in Columns
ESC&a[+/-#]C
Move cursor horizontally in columns relative to the current position (where # is a signed [+/-] integer)
Absolute Horizontal Cursor Position in Decipoints
ESC&a#H
Move cursor to absolute horizontal cursor position in decipoints (where # = x/720 inch increments).
Fractional decipoint values are not allowed.
Relative Horizontal Cursor Position in Decipoints
ESC&a[+/-#]H
Move cursor horizontally in decipoints relative to the current position (where # is a signed [+/-] integer at
x/720 inch increments). Fractional decipoint values are not allowed.
NOTE: A plus (+) or minus (-) sign in front of the value indicates that the new position is relative to the
current active position. A (+) sign means the new position is to the right (horizontal) or that paper
motion is forward (vertical). A (-) sign means that the new cursor position is to the left (horizontal)
or backwards (vertical). The paper cannot be moved backwards past the top- of-form.
The vertical cursor positioning commands move the current active position to the same column on a new
line; the vertical movement is based on the active vertical line spacing or x/720 inch line spacing.
The horizontal cursor positioning commands move the current active position to a new column on the
same line; the horizontal movement is based on the active horizontal print pitch or x/720 inch horizontal
spacing.
The first column/row within a line/page is column/row zero. Therefore, the upper left-most position is
position (0,0). This escape sequence ignores margins and can therefore be used to set the current active
position to any location within the printer's physical limits. If a request is made for a location outside the
printer's physical limits, the current active position is moved to the appropriate limit.
40
Cursor Positioning
The Cursor Positioning commands are used to move the cursor horizontally or vertically in 1/720 inch
increments. Absolute and relative positions are supported, but not fractional decimals. Do not use Cursor
Positioning commands to go beyond page boundaries.
Horizontal ESC&a[#]H
Vertical ESC&a[#]V
Reverse paper motion may occur if vertical positioning is set to a value higher than the current position.
NOTE: After a Cursor Positioning command, the backspace commands do not function.
Display Functions Mode
(PCL Level I)
The display functions mode can be entered using the ESCY sequence. In the display functions mode, the
printer prints representative character symbols for the control code characters instead of actually
executing the control characters. In this mode, the carriage return (CR) control character will cause a CR
symbol to be printed and an actual carriage return and line feed to be performed. The display functions
mode can be exited by sending an ESCZ sequence. The ESCZ will be printed before the mode is
terminated. Display Functions Mode “off” is the printer default state.
NOTE: The system driver may only allow the printer to print one line in the display functions mode.
When the printer is printing in high-speed draft mode, display function characters will not be printed.
Horizontal Margin Selection
Absolute left and right margin selection is accomplished using the following escape sequences:
ESC&a[print position]L Set left margin
ESC&a[print position]M Set right margin
The print position specified indicates a decimal number in the range 0 through 131 @ 10cpi (0 - 65 for
Double-size, 5 cpi, 0-219 for compressed, 16.67 cpi). The print position represents the column using the
print pitch active when the margin is set. For example, if the character pitch is 10 characters/inch and the
left margin is set to column 20, the left margin will be two inches from the left physical limit of the printer. If
the pitch is then changed to 5 characters/inch, the left margin would still be in the same logical position,
but column 20 would be four inches from the left physical limit of the printer instead of 2 inches.
Margins can be set at any column, regardless of the present printing position. If the new margin selected
is to the right of the current print position, then the new setting takes effect immediately. If the new margin
setting is to the left of the current print position, then the new setting does not take effect until the cursor
is reset to zero.
The first column within a line is designated column 0. If a print position greater (or less) than the printer's
physical limit is specified, the right (or left) margin will be set to the limits of the printer. Power-on and set
the margins to the maximum limits.
Commands are ignored if the result would place the left margin to the right of the right margin. The only
way to move the current active position outside the margins is by using the escape sequences for
horizontal cursor control.
To release the right margin use one of the following escape sequences:
ESC&a132M for 10 cpi
ESC&a158M for 12 cpi
ESC&a175M for 13.3 cpi
ESC&a198M for 15 cpi
41
ESC&a220M for 16.7 cpi
The ESC9 command resets the left and right margins. The left margin is set to the left edge of the logical
page (column 0) and the right margin is set to the right edge of the logical page.
Line Spacing
Vertical line spacing of 6 or 8 LPI (lines per inch) can be selected either from the control panel or remotely
using the ESC&l[6 or 8]D sequence. When the printer is reset, the vertical line spacing is as set from the
control panel. If a parameter other than 6 or 8 is entered, the command is ignored and no line spacing
change is made.
NOTE: Changing the line spacing causes the standard VFC table to be recalculated.
Logical Page Length Selection
(PCL Level II)
Two page length definitions exist for the printer; physical page length and logical page length. The
physical page length is the length of the paper in inches. The printer also allows you to set page length in
lines per page.
The logical page length is that which is received via an escape sequence and is calculated in lines per
page. Therefore, one physical page can contain more than one logical page.
The default logical page length is the physical page length. In most cases, formatting problems can be
solved by changing the physical page length and using the default logical page length.
NOTE: When loading a different size of form in the printer, it is usually best to have the operator set the
physical page (from the control panel) to the actual size of the paper rather than programmatically
setting the logical page to match the length of the new form (and leaving the physical page length
at its previous value). This practice avoids problems if a paper-out occurs.
The logical page length is set using the ESC&l[1-128]P sequence, where the value field (1-128) is the
desired number of lines per page. This command also defaults the text length to be one inch less than the
logical page length, unless the logical page length is one inch or less, in which case the text length is set
equal to the page length. Requests for a page length of zero cause the logical page length to equal the
physical page length. Requests for a page length greater than 128 are ignored.
Although the logical page is specified in number of lines, this number represents the space occupied by
that many lines (using the line spacing that was effective at the time the logical page length was
specified). Therefore, if a logical page length of 66 lines is specified and the line spacing is currently at 6
LPI, the logical page length is 11 inches. If the line spacing is changed (to 8 LPI) in the middle of the
page, the actual length of the page would still be 11 inches but the number of print lines would be 88 (8
LPI x 11 inches).
Before changing the page length, it is recommended that a VFC select of channel 0 be performed. This
will bring the printer to the top of the next physical page (unless the printer is already at the top of the
physical page).
Changing the logical page length changes the standard VFC table.
Perforation Skip Mode
(PCL Level I)
When perforation skip is enabled, the printer skips to the next Top of Form if the bottom margin is entered
following a line feed. The following escape sequences enable and disable the perforation skip mode:
ESC&l1L Enable perforation skip mode
ESC&l0L Disable perforation skip mode
42
If a programmable VFC is enabled, the end of text is determined by the first occurrence of channel 2. If
channel 2 is completely clear, the end of text is the end of the page (that is, there is no perforation
region). The text length defaults to one inch less than the logical page length unless the text length has
been specified with the ESC&l[1-128]F sequence.
Perforation skip mode defaults as configured from the control panel.
When the perforation skip mode is disabled, the printer will print in the margin space below the desired
bottom of text. This can be avoided if a VFC select to the next Top of Form is performed immediately
following the last desired line of text on the page.
NOTE: Many systems perform an automatic page eject which overrides the printer's perforation skip
mode. If the user desires to print in the perforation skip region, the system's automatic page eject
must be disabled.
Print Mode Selection
The standard, compressed, and double-high/double-wide print modes are selected using the
ESC&k[0,2,4,8]S sequence as shown in Table 9. This escape sequence affects both the primary and
secondary character fonts. The default print mode is that of the default font specified from the control
panel. Only one print mode is allowed per line.
Table 9 Print Mode Selection
Mode Horizontal Pitch (in
characters/inch) Vertical Pitch (in
lines/inch)*
0 10.0 6 or 8
2 16.67 6 or 8
4 12.0 6 or 8
8** 5.0 3 or 4
* Dependent on current line spacing.
** Double high/double wide character set selection.
Print Pitch Selection
Print pitch is specified using the following escape sequences:
ESC(s[5,10,12,13.3,15,16.7,20.0]H Select print pitch for primary character font
ESC)s[5,10,12,13.3,15,16.7,20.0]H Select print pitch for secondary character font
When specifying a pitch, if no font with the exact size specified is available, the next larger pitch will be
designated. If a larger pitch does not exist, the pitch will be set to 16.67. Only one pitch per line may be
selected. The default print pitch is that of the primary font specified from the control panel.
NOTE: Refer to the Administrator’s Manual to see which pitches are available for different symbol set
and typeface combinations.
Printing in the Hex 80 through Hex FF Region
The P8000 printer exhibits different behaviors as it processes characters in the hex 80 through FF range.
Behavior is based upon the symbol set of the active font. If the symbol set of the active font is 7-bit,
characters in the hex 80 through FF range will be ignored. If the symbol set is 8-bit, the printer will attempt
to process the characters.
43
There are two different types of 8-bit sets. Some have characters that are printable in the hex 80 through
9F region, while others do not. If the active symbol set does not have printables in the hex 80 through 9F
range, the characters are ignored.
To determine symbol set properties, perform a symbol set print from the PCL menu. 7-bit sets print only
one line of characters, while 8-bit sets print two. 8- bit sets, with printables in the hex 80 through 9F
range, print characters in the space below the control code on the first line. Those without printables in
that range leave the area under the control codes blank.
PTX Linefeed
Determines the vertical text alignment when a Linefeed command is sent.
ESC*t1L Enabled
ESC*t0L Disabled
When PTX Linefeed is enabled, the Linefeed moves to the next line as calculated from the Top of Form
position, thereby retaining vertical text alignment. When printing graphics or bar codes, you may want to
set the PTX Linefeed parameter to Enable to maintain text alignment.
When PTX Linefeed is disabled, the Linefeed is to be performed as calculated from the bottom of the
graphics or barcode, thereby disrupting the vertical text alignment.
See Figure 1 for an example of this parameter enabled and disabled.
Figure 1 PTX Linefeed
Programmable Reset
The programmable reset escape sequence (ESCE*) causes the printer to eject paper to the top-of-form
(position 0,0) if not already at top-of-form. This command resets all current printer configuration values to
the following states. The printer remains on-line after a programmable reset. When the printer is reset, it
is set to a known state as follows:
• Primary and secondary character sets (fonts) as configured from the control panel.
• Vertical line spacing (6/8 LPI) as configured from the control panel.
• Paper moves to the next Top of Form position (if not currently at Top of Form).
• Data buffer is printed and then the buffer is cleared.
• Standard VFC channel assignments selected as defined by physical page length.
• Margins set at maximum limits and/or Left margin set at first column (0).
• Physical page length remains as configured from the control panel.
• Logical page length = physical page length
• Text length = logical page length minus one inch
LINE 1
LINE
2
LINE
3
Linefeed
PTX Linefeed Enabled
LINE 1
LINE
2
LINE
3
Linefeed
PTX Linefeed
Disabled
44
• All character font attributes (symbol set, pitch, style, and density) default to the character font
configured from the control panel.
• Display functions off and Underline enhance disabled.
• Perforation skip mode as configured from the control panel.
• Enable/Disable Label Card as configured from control panel.
• Printronix linefeed emulation as configured from control panel.
• Raster graphics horizontal resolution as configured from the control panel. Vertical resolution set to
72 dots per inch.
*The Reset Command can also be set to Disable, Current Config, or Factory Config. See the
Administrator’s Manual for more information.
Programmable VFC
Programmable VFC allows the user to specify paper movement information other than the standard VFC
definitions shown in Table 12. VFC information is stored in the memory (RAM) table just as the standard
VFC is, only the bytes of information are loaded into RAM using the following escape sequence:
ESC&l[byte count]W[VFC data]
The byte count parameter specifies the number (in decimal 0 - 255) of VFC data bytes to expect
immediately following the termination of the escape sequence.
NOTE: An even byte count must be indicated. If an odd byte count is indicated, the VFC table in RAM will
not be overwritten and the data bytes following the ESC sequence are read and discarded.
VFC data is the binary data which is loaded into the VFC table in RAM. These 8-bit bytes are sent in the
following order following the ESC sequence terminator: the most significant byte of the first word followed
by the least significant byte of the first word, followed by the most significant byte of the second word, etc.
The most significant bit of each word is channel 16 and the least significant bit of each word is channel 1.
VFC Data = (MS byte) (LS byte) (MS byte) (LS byte) . . . (word 1 = line 1) (word 2 = line 2) . . .
Once the VFC has been loaded into the RAM table, the VFC channels are selected using the ESC&l[0
through 16]V sequence in the same manner as the standard VFC. The standard and programmable VFC
both use the same table in RAM. Resetting the printer causes the standard VFC to be recalculated using
the current page and text (form) length and a new table to be overwritten in RAM. The VFC table is also
recalculated when the line spacing, text length, or page length changes.
NOTE: If the I/O is configured for 7 bit data, channels 8 and 16 cannot be downloaded with confidence
since the eighth bit is used for the communication protocol. Selecting channels 8 or 16 for 7 bit
data is not recommended.
Special VFC Considerations
Before loading a VFC table, it is recommended that a VFC select of channel 0 be performed. This will
bring the printer to the top of the physical page.
When a programmed VFC is loaded into RAM, the logical page length is automatically calculated using
the following formula:
Logical Page Length (in number of lines) = byte count /2
The example on page 49 shows a VFC table which uses “standard” VFC definitions and also illustrates a
programmable VFC.
Example: Defining a 3.5 inch form at six lines per inch.
1 inch = 6 lines x 3.5 inches = 21 lines
45
Programmable VFC Using PCL
Programmable VFC's using PCL seem to cause a lot of problems and misunderstandings. Most of the
misunderstanding concerns the use of the escape sequence used to set the VFC file. This escape
sequence is used to override the default VFC of the printer. This escape sequence can be hard- coded
into a program or ASCII file.
VFC's are best understood by reviewing an actual example of how to implement them. For this
discussion, the example consists of a 3.5 inch form at six lines per inch with several different channels
defined for use on the form to be printed.
1 inch = 6 lines per inch x 3.5 inches = 21 lines; therefore this would be a 21 line form.
NOTE: The TEXT LENGTH command could be used in conjunction with the standard VFC and
accomplish the above requirements. The assumption is there are reasons to use a customized
VFC; this example has been simplified for clarification purposes.
First, establish the VFC length: with a 3.5” form and 6 LPI print, we have 21 potential lines of print
(3.5 x 6 = 21). Refer to the following figure for an example of the desired finished output.
There are many methods to accomplish this task. The simplest way is to provide a “1” in CH3 (Channel 3)
for all possible print lines and simply call CH3 for each line (including blank lines). This is called “line
counting” and leaves the burden of positioning with the programmer (adding or deleting a line causes an
adjustment elsewhere to be made).
EXAMPLE FORM
Line 1
Company name
Line 2
Street address
Line 3
Line 4
Line 5
Line 6
Line 7
Opening line
Line 8
Line 9
Line 10
Body
Line 11
Body
Line 12
Body
Line 13
Line 14
Line 15
Line 16
Line 17
Closing line
Line 18
Line 19
Line 20
P.S. line
Line 21
A second method involves only providing a “1” in CH3 where print will occur. The programmer then simply
calls CH3 and the blank lines are skipped. There still is no flexibility for adding or deleting lines without
VFC modification, but line counting is minimized.
46
A third method involves assigning VFC channels to each section of the letter and performing a call to CH3
within each section. To do this, the manufacturer highly recommends following these guidelines:
• CH1 should always define TOF and must be present for a valid load.
• CH2 should always define BOF allowing for vertical margin (if any) and must be present for valid
paper out conditions.
• CH3 should be present for any potential print line except in the vertical margin area (if any).
For this example, CH1 will occur at line 1 and is aligned with the Company Name. We will arbitrarily
assign CH4 to occur at line 7 (Opening Line), CH5 to occur at line 10 (Body), CH6 to occur on line 17
(Closing Line) and CH7 to occur on line 20 (P.S. Line).
With the above channel assignments in mind, the programmer would call CH1 to begin the letter. After
printing the name and address (using calls to CH3 to “move” to each line) the programmer would call CH4
to skip to line 7 and print the opening line. Next, a call is made to CH5 to skip to line 10 and print the
body, CH6 to print the closing and CH7 to print the P.S. line. This gives each section flexibility by allowing
variable sizes, limited by the physical room available before interfering with the next section and avoiding
the drudgery of line count.
The above VFC would look like:
Channel
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Line 1
1
1
Line 2
1
Line 3
1
Line 4
1
Line 5
1
Line 6
1
Line 7
1
1
Line 8
1
Line 9
1
Line 10
1
1
Line 11
1
Line 12
1
Line 13
1
Line 14
1
Line 15
1
Line 16
1
Line 17
1
1
Line 18
1
Line 19
1
Line 20
1
1
Line 21
1
1
NOTE: A “1” corresponds to a hole punched in a physical paper tape.
Notice that for each line channel 3 is selected, this would select a single space advance. A 1 could be
placed in any or all other channels and the VFC would still be valid since the printer will only look at the
channel selected and advance to the next line that contained a 1 in that channel. For example, if the
47
printer was on line 2 and channel 7 was selected, the printer would advance or slew down to line 20
which is the first line where there is a “1” in channel 7.
The next step would be to convert the above VFC definition into the escape sequence format. The VFC
data portion of the escape sequence reverses the order of the channels. Once reversed, the 16 bits are
then divided into two, 8- bit bytes, with channel 16 being the Most Significant Bit (MSB) of the word and
channel 1 the Least Significant Bit (LSB) of the word. Refer to Table 10.
Since the escape sequence requires the VFC data to be in ASCII format this binary data must be
converted to ASCII. As in our example, many characters may convert to “unprintable” ASCII characters
(below ASCII OCTAL 037). Refer to the ASCII Symbol Set chart in Appendix A. Entering unprintable data
can be done in several ways:
The easiest and preferred method involves using “dummy” VFC channels to cause the converted
character to become a printable one. For example, always have bit 7 and bit 15 a “1”, thus adding %100
to the unprintable character, and eliminating the confusion of entering unprintable data. Do not “call” the
corresponding channel bit 7 or 15 or else improper spacing will occur.
If the VFC channels that bits 7 and 15 represent must be used, these unprintable characters must be
manipulated for data entry. In most cases, this can be dealt with by using the DISPLAY FUNCTIONS
mode of your terminal. Type in the “ESC&l[byte count]W” followed by the ASCII characters using the
CONTROL key with the corresponding letter. (Since the CONTROL key subtracts %100 (100 OCTAL)
simply add %100 to the “unprintable” character. For example, 00000101 converts to %5, adding %100
gives you a %105 which is an E, therefore, pressing a CONTROL E gives the desired result.)
If your terminal doesn't have a DISPLAY FUNCTIONS mode, some EDITOR programs allow entering the
OCTAL equivalents. Some editors do not allow the user to directly enter OCTAL numbers. In this case, a
“dummy” character would be entered as the VFC data. Next, the EDITOR “CHANGE” command would be
used to change the dummy character to the desired ASCII character. For example, place an “x” as a
dummy character in the VFC data and use the CHANGE command to replace the “x” with an ASCII 01
(SOH character) by typing “CHANGEQ “x” to ‘01”. This would replace the “x” with the unprintable ASCII
01; your escape sequence would appear one character shorter without DISPLAY FUNCTIONS mode
turned on.
This could also be accomplished by changing the specific column to the ASCII character required. It is
important to specify the starting and stopping column or the CHANGE command will act as a column
INSERT. For example, if column 10 on line 2 is to be changed to an ASCII 04 you would type
“CHANGEQ 10/10 TO '04 IN 2”.
NOTE: The “ ' ” is the single quote and not the prime character.
The HP e3000 Workstation Configurator allows entering the VFC data in an initialization string. This is
only applicable when using a printer with a serial interface and has some limitations. The most significant
limitation is that the initialization string can contain only 120 formatted (compiled) characters. This limits
use to VFCs of 57 lines or less (6 escape sequence characters + 114 VFC data characters = 120). Any
other commands in the initialization string reduces this further. Space available in the initialization string
data entry field (three lines) is NOT an accurate indicator of the number of formatted characters; careful
counting is necessary. Using VFC channels 8 and 16 is also not allowed due to a limitation of entering
data with an octal value above 177.
There are several methods to enter data in the Workstation Configurator:
• Entering data as a decimal number, i.e. 13 for a carriage return.
• As an OCTAL number (one byte at a time) by preceding the number with the % sign.
• As a two or three character mnemonic such as BS or DC1 (see Appendix B of the Workstation
Configuration manual).
• By entering the control characters with the up-arrow or circumflex character preceding the character,
i.e. a backspace would be an ^H.
• By entering the actual ASCII character within single quotes, i.e. 'A' would equate to an OCTAL %101.
48
Each character entered, with the exception of multiple ASCII characters within the single quote, MUST
BE separated by commas. An example would be “ESC, '&16W', %101, 'ABC', BS, 13”.
NOTE: Only one byte may be specified at a time in OCTAL, thus allowing a maximum of OCTAL 377
which would place a 1 in columns 1-8.
Table 10 Converting VFC Format to VFC Data
Most Significant Byte
Least Significant Byte
16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Octal ASCII CTL
MSB/LSB MSB/LSB MSB/LSB
Line 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 %000%005 NulEnq @E
Line 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 %000%004 NulEot @D
Line 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 %000%004 NulEot @D
Line 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 %000%004 NulEot @D
Line 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 %000%004 NulEot @D
Line 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 %000%004 NulEot @D
Line 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 %000%014 NulFF @L
Line 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 %000%004 NulEot @D
Line 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 %000%004 NulEot @D
Line 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 %000%024 NulDc4 @T
Line 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 %000%004 NulEot @D
Line 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 %000%004 NulEot @D
Line 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 %000%004 NulEot @D
Line 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 %000%004 NulEot @D
Line 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 %000%004 NulEot @D
Line 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 %000%004 NulEot @D
Line 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 %000%044 Nul$ @$*
Line 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 %000%004 NulEot @D
Line 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 %000%004 NulEot @D
Line 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 %000%104 NulD @D*
Line 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 %000%006 NulAck @F
* DO NOT depress the Control Key on these BOLDFACE characters since they are printable characters.
This VFC data can now be entered into the escape sequence in an ASCII file or programmatically and be
either embedded into the application or merged with the spool file.
49
Example VFC Data Entry Methods
The example escape sequence may be created while the DISPLAY FUNCTIONS key has been enabled
as shown below.*
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Single Spacing
Double Spacing**
Triple Spacing**
Half Form
Quarter Form
Tenth Line
Bottom of Form
Bottom of Form - 1
Top of Form - 1
Top of Form
Seventh Line
Sixth Line
Fifth Line
Fourth Line
Channel
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Line 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Line 2
1
Line 3
1
1
Line 4
1
1
Line 5
1
1
1
1
Line 6
1
1
Line 7
1
1
1
1
Line 8
1
1
Line 9
1
1
1
1
1
Line 10
1
1
Line 11
1
1
1
1
Line 12
1
Line 13
1
1
1
1
1
1
Line 14
1
1
Line 15
1
1
1
1
1
Line 16
Line 17
Line 18
Line 19
Line 20
Line 21
1
*This sample shows a 21-line VFC table at 6 LPI. The text ends at line 14, leaving 6 blank lines (one inch)
at the bottom of the page.
**These channels cause a move to the next double/triple space line.
50
Press the CONTROL key before each letter of the VFC data except for the two BOLDFACE characters.
ESC&142W@E@D@D@D@D@D@L@D@D@T@D@D@D@D@D@$@D@D@D@F
VFC data
This would display the corresponding ASCII character, i.e., the Nul for CTL@.
Another method using a text editor would be to do a CHANGE command replacement to convert the
characters to ASCII characters. This is shown as:
\ADD 1
1 ESC&142WabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJ
2 //
\CHANGEQ 7/7 TO '00
\CHANGEQ 8/8 TO '05
\CHANGEQ 9/9 TO '00
.
.
.
\CHANGEQ 48/48 TO '06
This could also be input by not entering the letters, but simply changing the specific column to the desired
ASCII character. In the above example the “abc... HIJ” would not be entered and the CHANGE command
would be used as follows:
\CHANGEQ 7 TO '00 \CHANGEQ 8 TO '05
.
.
.
An example for the Workstation Configurator might be input in several formats. An example showing the
various formats is shown below:
ESC, '&142W' ,NUL,ENQ, '@, 'D, 00, 04, %0, %4, ....%0, %6
As you can see, the escape sequence for the Programmable VFC can be quite complicated. This should
only be used after attempting to satisfy VFC requirements using the standard (computed) VFC and the
TEXT and PAGE LENGTH escape sequences.
The most common errors in successfully implementing the Programmable VFC escape sequence usually
involve improper VFC byte counting or attempting to manipulate “unprintable” characters and getting
confused. Converting these “unprintable” characters to printable ones is the easiest way to avoid data
entry confusion.
Summary of Recommended Steps to Implement Programmable VFC
1.
Layout the required VFC in a standard channel 1-16 format.
2.
Reverse the resulting bit image so that channel 1 is now where channel 16 was and channel
16 is now where channel 1 was.
3.
Divide this 16 bit image into two 8-bit bytes.
4.
Decode these 8-bit bytes into ASCII characters using the chart in Appendix A. If the
corresponding decoded character is not a printable character (below %37), it is highly
suggested to convert to one by using a “dummy” channel (7 and/or 15).
5.
Enter these characters into the Programmable VFC escape sequence as the VFC data. This
data MUST be an even byte count and is CASE SENSITIVE (upper/lower). As in all escape
sequences, do not include the brackets ([ ]); they are for clarification only.
6.
This escape sequence must be sent to the printer before the data by embedding in the
application or as part of an initialization string. A programmable or hardware RESET will clear the
51
VFC RAM causing the printer to return to the default VFC.
NOTE: If either the RS-232E or the RS-422B interface is installed in the printer, the interface can be
configured to have such things as STRIP NULLS AND DELETES. The Null and/or Delete
character could be used as valid characters, so the user must either combine other channels on
the same line to generate another character, or not configure the printer to strip these characters.
Another factor may be the use of 8-bit data. If the user desires to use channels 8 and 16, then 8-
bit data must be configured. For more detail please refer to the Administrator’s Manual.
Raster Graphics
Graphics are sent to the printer using the following escape sequences:
ESC*t[70, 140]R Raster graphics resolution
ESC*r#L Horizontal raster graphics resolution
ESC*r#V Vertical raster graphics resolution
The ESC*r#L and ESC*r#V escape sequences allow you to set the horizontal and vertical raster graphics
resolutions independently. Valid raster graphics resolutions are 70 DPI by 72 DPI, 140 DPI by 72 DPI, 70
DPI by 144 DPI, and 140 DPI by 144 DPI. The following table lists the graphics resolution and the
corresponding escape sequence used to select that graphics resolution. There are many different valid
ways to select a given graphics resolution. The following table lists only one of the many valid ways.
The ESC*t#R escape sequence allows you to select a graphics resolution of either 70 x 72 dots per inch
(default) or 140 x 144 dots per inch (high resolution). For example, to specify high-resolution, you would
send the ESC*t140R escape sequence to the printer. Using the standard resolution, the maximum
amount of graphics data that can be printed is 115.5 bytes versus 231 bytes for high-resolution.
Table 11 Graphics Resolution
Horizontal DPI Vertical DPI Escape Sequence
70
72
ESC*r70l72V
140 72 ESC*r140l72V
70 144 ESC*r70l144V
140 144 ESC*r140l144V
ESC*rA or ESC*r#A Prepare for raster graphics (PCL Level III)
ESC*b[# of bytes] W[binary data] Raster data transfer (PCL Level I)
ESC*b[# of raster lines]Y Move paper # number of raster lines
ESC*rB Raster graphics complete (PCL Level I)
The ESC*rA or ESC*r#A sequence informs the printer that a raster graphics dump is to follow the
sequence. If value of # is 0 and the printer has received a partial line of ASCII data before this sequence
is received, then the ASCII data prints with a carriage return and line feed following. If the value of # is 1,
then the graphics will start at the current horizontal position. If no value is entered for #, then 0 is
assumed.
The ESC*b#W[binary data] sequence actually sends the raster data to the printer. This escape sequence
must be sent for each raster line to be printed. The # of bytes parameter is the decimal number of bytes
of binary graphics data to be sent to the printer. The binary data consists of a 1 for every dot to be printed
and a 0 for every blank space.
The ESC*b#Y escape sequence allows you to skip multiple adjacent blank lines. The # of raster lines
parameter is the decimal number of blank raster lines to skip. The size of the blank raster line to be
52
skipped is equivalent to the currently set vertical raster graphics resolution. The advantage of using this
escape sequence over sending multiple raster data transfer escape sequences containing blank raster
lines is the escape sequence is processed faster and the paper is moved faster.
The ESC*rB sequence informs the printer that all the raster data has been transferred.
The following example illustrates how to send three lines of raster graphics to the printer.
ESC*rAESC*b2WDc
ESC*rA Prepares printer for raster graphics
ESC*b2W Indicates two bytes of data to follow
D First byte of graphics data
c Second byte of graphics data
ESC*b2WL@
ESC*b2W Indicates two bytes of data to follow
L First byte of graphics data
@ Second byte of graphics data
ESC*b2W$+ESC*rB
ESC*b2W Indicates two bytes of data to follow
$ First byte of graphics data
+ Second byte of graphics data
ESC*rB Raster graphics complete
Many systems perform an automatic line feed after each line of data. The system's automatic line feed
must be suppressed or else the raster lines will not be adjacent to each other. A file equation which
specifies the line length (for example, RESC=-219) may be used to suppress the automatic line feed
along with carriage control directives, such as “+”.
Graphics files must be raster graphics files in the format described here in order to print on the printer. To
print vector graphics files, such as graphics files created for plotters, a vector-to-raster conversion must
be performed on the data. (Vector-to-raster conversion is NOT a standard feature of the printer.) Text and
graphics cannot mix on the same line due to grid conflicts. Raster graphics use 8-bit data.
Self-test
(PCL Level I)
ESCz prints the PCL-II configuration report, which shows available character sets, symbol sets, bar
codes, etc.
Standard (Computed) VFC
The printer VFC uses the logical page and form length (text length) to calculate the distance to be
skipped for each VFC channel. This information is then loaded into the printer's VFC “table.” The “table” is
16 channels wide and n lines long, where n is the logical page length in number of lines. A VFC channel
contains a 1 in this table on every line it can access. If the VFC channel cannot access the line, a 0 is
placed on that line for that channel. For example, to specify a skip to the next half form, a program would
specify VFC channel 6. Notice in the sample on page 49 that 1's are placed in the table at the half form
position (lines 1 and 9). Then, for example, if the printer has finished printing line 2 and channel 6 is
selected, the paper will be advanced to line 9.
To use the standard VFC, perform the ESC&l[0-16]V sequence using the appropriate parameter number
listed in Table 12.
Stroke Weight (Bold)
The Stroke Weight command designates the thickness of the strokes that compose the characters of a
font.
53
ESC(s#B Primary stroke weight
ESC)s#B Secondary stroke weight
The value field (#) must be 0 for standard stroke weight, or 3 for bold stroke weight.
Switching Character Fonts
Character fonts can be accessed using the Shift In/Shift Out (SI/SO) control codes.
The SO (CTRL N) control code is sent to the printer to access the secondary font; the SI (CTRL O)
control code is sent to select the primary font.
Text Length (Vertical Margin) Selection
(PCL Level II)
The length of a form within a logical page is set using the ESC&l[1-128]F sequence, where the number of
lines desired (1-128) is specified. The first line of text is printed at the Top of Form position. The physical
page length minus the text length defines the total vertical margin (top plus bottom margin) for the page.
If a text length of zero is received, the text length defaults to one inch less than the logical page length.
The default text length, which is invoked any time the logical page length is changed, is one inch less
than the logical page length. If the logical page length is one inch or less, the text length is set equal to
the logical page length.
Transparent Print Data
This feature allows the printing of binary data which is required in certain applications. The escape
sequence ESC&p[# of bytes]X enables the printer to print data as in the display functions mode, except
that no control codes or escape sequences (including CR and ESCZ) are executed. The number
specified in the value field is the exact number of bytes that will be interpreted as binary.
Underline Mode
The ESC&dD sequence enables the automatic underlining mode. In this mode, each printed character
and space is underlined until the printer receives an ESC&d@ sequence. The underline enhancement is
disabled in the default state. Underlining only affects forward horizontal movement such as SP (space),
DATA, or forward horizontal cursor moves; reverse movements such as BS (backspace), CR (carriage
return) and negative horizontal cursor moves are not affected.
Vertical Forms Control (VFC)
Vertical forms control (VFC) is a feature which allows increased throughput by enabling the printer to skip
to predetermined print locations. Key page locations, such as top of form, half form, double space, and
triple space, are referred to as channels (0 through 16) and are stored in a VFC “table.”
The printer has both a standard (computed) VFC and a programmable VFC.
NOTE: In most situations, the printer's standard (computed) VFC page length setting, as determined
from the front panel, meets the application requirements. Refer to the Administrator’s Manual for
information on setting the page length from the front panel.
54
Table 12 VFC Default Channel Definitions
Prefix Parameter Terminator Explanation
ESC&l 0 v/V *Conditional Top of Physical Page
1
Top of Form (first line of text)
2
Bottom of Form (last line of text)
3
Single spacing
4
**Double spacing
5
**Triple spacing
6
Half form
7
Quarter form
8
Tenth line
9
Bottom of Form
10
Bottom of Form - 1
11
Top of Form - 1
12
Top of Form
13
Seventh line
14
Sixth line
15
Fifth line
16
Fourth line
*All escape sequences except ESC&l0V refer to the logical page rather than the physical page. This
escape sequence causes a skip to the top of the next physical page (unless already at top of page).
**These channels cause a move to the next double/triple space line, and therefore may not actually
perform a double/triple space.
HP e3000 Information
This section contains information which is specific to HP e3000 users. It explains the use of the feature
access and transparent modes, environment files, downloading VFC files, carriage control, perforation
skip mode, and discusses recoverability.
Feature Access and Transparent Modes
During system device configuration, the P8000 printer is configured to default to either the transparent or
feature access mode. In the transparent mode, the printer prints (but does not execute) all data including
control codes and escape sequences. In the feature access mode, the supported control codes and
escape sequences are executed. The user can access the non-default mode using either the
FDEVICECONTROL intrinsic (for programs) or an environment file.
VFC Download with a Serial Interface
Typically, VFC download was only possible for 256X and HP 2300 Series printers with an HPIB
interface using the CIPER driver. MPE V/E T-MIT and above support a software product called
Workstation Configurator that allows serial printers to “download” VFC by placing the VFC escape
55
sequence in an initialization string instead of embedding them within the application.
The process of downloading VFC using Workstation Configurator is different than when using an HPIB
printer. Workstation Configurator has a utility that allows modification to two different files that allow for,
among other things, setting initialization strings, flow control, and VFC. Workstation Configurator has a
terminal type file that is used for certain functions and a VFC file that is used for setting the initialization
strings and the VFC. These files are not in the same format as the HPIB VFC file and must be created
using Workstation Configurator.
When using the VFC file created using Workstation Configurator, the user must specify the terminal type
file in the HP e3000 I/O Configuration, or by referencing it with the ENV parameter of the FILE statement.
The DOWNLOAD command will NOT operate in this configuration.
If the ENV parameter of the FILE statement is used, the associated terminal type file that has been
configured with the printer will still be sent to the printer first and the terminal type file that has been
specified with the ENV parameter will be sent NEXT. This does not create any problems, it just should be
noted when using a datascope or analyzing a spool file.
Carriage-Control Directives
The HP e3000 software drivers allow users to embed the following carriage- control directives in files:
ASCII SYMBOL CARRIAGE ACTION
“ ” Single space (with or without automatic page eject).
“+” No space, return (next printing at column 1).
“-” Triple space (without automatic page eject).
“0” Double space (without automatic page eject).
“1” Page eject (form feed). Selects VFC channel 1.
“C” Sets single-space option, without automatic page eject (66 lines-per-page).
The carriage-control directive is placed in column 1 of the file and is executed (but not printed) when the
file is printed. When using this feature, all other characters placed in column 1 will be ignored (not
printed).
When using the carriage-control directives, the application must use carriage control and [;CCTL] must be
included in the file equation as shown in the following example:
:file [filename];dev=[device number];cctl
Graphics
When using graphics, the line feed generated by the driver must be suppressed or there will be 1/6” or
1/8” spacing between raster lines. One way to do this is to add a “+” to the front of the file as carriage
control (the file equation must have “;CCTL.”)
Printing in the Perforation Skip Region
When using the HP e3000, an automatic page eject occurs when the perforation skip region is entered.
There are three ways to avoid a page eject and allow printing in the perforation skip region:
• Set the text length = logical page length = physical page length on the front panel.
• Use carriage control with a “C” in column 1 (the application must use carriage control).
• Set the carriage control to null (no CR-LF at end of line) and programmatically add a CR-LF to the
end of each record.
56
HP 1000 Information
The P8000 printer may be commanded in either transparent or feature access mode. In the transparent
mode, the printer prints (but does not execute) all data including control codes and escape sequences. In
the feature access mode, the control codes and escape sequences are executed.
All configuration information is located in the DVC12 Graphics Printer Driver Reference Manual (P/N
92068-90022). For HP 1000 A-Series information, refer to the Driver Reference Manual (P/N 92077-
90011) and the RTE-A System Design Manual (P/N 92077-90013). To set transparent mode with the
DVC12 driver, the following command can be used where LU is the logical unit address of the printer:
--CN,LU,30B,20B
Downloading VFC
All information concerning downloading VFC files is contained in the DVC12 Graphics Printer Driver
Reference Manual (P/N 92068-90022).
B-4
Carriage-Control Directives
The HP 1000 software drivers allow users to embed the following carriage- control directives in files:
ASCII SYMBOL CARRIAGE ACTION
“ ” Single space (with or without automatic page eject).
“+” or “*” No space, return (next printing at column 1).
“-” Triple space (without automatic page eject).
“0” Double space (without automatic page eject).
“1” Page eject (form feed). Selects VFC channel 1.
The carriage-control directive is placed in column 1 of the file and is executed (but not printed) when the
file is printed. When using this feature, all other characters placed in column 1 are ignored (not printed).
Perforation Skip Mode
To override the HP 1000 driver's automatic page eject, see the Control Requests section of the DVC12
Graphics Printer Driver Reference Manual (P/N 92068-90022).
57
P-Series Printer Emulation
Overview
This chapter describes the P-Series emulation host control codes. “Emulation” refers to the ability of a
printer to execute the commands of a particular printer control language. A printer control language is the
coding system used to convey, manipulate, and print data. It contains character codes and command
sequences that configure the emulation. In this manual, the terms emulation, printer protocol, and printer
control language are synonymous.
In the P-Series emulation mode, your printer can print files coded for the P- Series printer control
language. To select the P-Series emulation mode as the active printer emulation, select LinePrinter+ from
the EMULATION menu and P-Series from the Printer Protocol menu, as described in the Administrator’s
Manual.
The P-Series emulation provides many configurable parameters. The default parameter values for this
emulation are shown in Table 13. You can modify the emulation parameter values in two ways:
• The P-Series host control codes. An extensive set of P-Series control code commands can be sent
to the printer from an attached host computer via the host data stream. Most of this chapter is
devoted to describing the P-Series control code commands.
• The printer configuration menus. You can modify a subset of the P- Series emulation parameters
using the printer configuration menus, control panel keys and LCD, as described in the
Administrator’s Manual.
A parameter value set by a host control code generally overrides a value set from the printer's control
panel.
NOTE: Configuration values selected from the menus or via host control codes can be saved to the
printer's NVRAM memory so that they will not be lost when you power off the printer or reset it to
the factory defaults. The menu selection for saving a configuration to memory is described in the
Administrator’s Manual.
58
P-Series Default Values and States
The factory settings for the P-Series emulation menu options are shown in Table 13. Table 14 lists
additional factory settings for parameters provided by the LinePrinter+ formatting menus. (The
EMULATION menu options are described in the Administrator’s Manual). Host control codes can override
many of the settings for these menu options.
Table 13 P-Series Default Settings
Characteristic Default Setting
Control Code 06 8.0 LPI
Control Code 08 Elongated
Define CR Code CR = CR
Auto LF Disable
Overstrike Enable
Define LF Code LF = CR + LF
Select SFCC 1
EVFU Selected Enable
Alternate Set 80-9F Control Code
Character Set IBM PC
Primary Subset ASCII (USA)
Extended Subset Code Page 437
SFCC d Command Even Dot Plot
59
Table 14 LinePrinter+ Menu Option Factory Settings
Characteristic Default Setting
CPI 10.0
LPI 6.0
Typeface Data Processing
Proportional Spacing Disable
Bold Print Disable
Italic Print Disable
Slashed Zero Disable
Left Margin 0 columns
Right Margin 0 columns
Bottom Margin 0 lines
Perforation Skip Disable
Form Length 11.0 inches
279.4 millimeters
66 lines
Form Width 13.6 inches
345.4 millimeters
136 characters
Reset Cmd CFG Ld Disable
Configuring the P-Series Emulation with Control Codes
The remainder of this chapter describes the P-Series printer control language codes that may be sent
from a host computer attached to the printer, in order to invoke and configure numerous P-Series
emulation functions.
Format for Control Code Descriptions
The following information is listed for each code function (where applicable):
Name The title or function of the command.
ASCII Code The ASCII mnemonic for the command is shown. Command sequences are in 7-bit
(ASCII) form.
Hex Code The code or command sequence in hexadecimal numbers.
Dec Code The code or command sequence in decimal numbers.
Purpose The function(s) of the control code.
Discussion A discussion of the uses of the code or command sequence, including exceptions or
limitations to its use.
Example A sample is provided for some control codes when it is possible to illustrate the
60
effect of a control code, or if a specific syntax is required to complete the program
statement (i.e. Horizontal Tab set, Vertical Tab set/clear).
NOTE: If you specify any parameters for a control code other than the ones that are defined in the control
code description, unpredictable results may occur.
Switching Between the Emulations
The printer supports several different emulations. PCL-II is the default. P- Series, Proprinter III XL, and
Epson FX-1050 are all a part of the LinePrinter Plus emulation.
The following command switches from PCL-II to P-Series:
ESC%-00000X
To switch from P-Series to PCL-II, send the following command to the printer:
ESC|};KD
Special Function Control Code (SFCC) Header
A Special Function Control Code (SFCC) is used to extend the control code protocol. The SFCC is the
control code introducer (or header); it is the first input in the sequence of parameters. The general control
code sequence is:
(SFCC)(parameter 1)(parameter 2)...(parameter n)
P-Series codes can be configured to use any value from 1 through 127 (hex 01 through hex 7F) as
control code introducers. For example, bold print could be configured to be enabled in the P-Series
protocol using any of the control code introducers listed in Table 15.
Table 15 SFCC Example (Bold Print)
ASCII Hex Decimal
SOH G
ETX G
ESC G
^ G
~ G
01 47
03 47
1B 47
5E 47
7E 47
01 71
03 71
27 71
94 71
126 71
SFCC Command Line
Print format, print mode, or international language selection can be controlled by a longer sequence
known as a command line. Command lines are string type commands placed between complete lines of
text and affect the text which follows. The protocol has six command lines: PMODE, OSET, PSET, LPI,
LINES, and INCHES. Each of these command lines is discussed in this chapter under the appropriate
Control Code function.
For example, the forms length (in inches) can be set using the following command line:
SFCC INCHES; n.f
where: n is the whole number of inches, and f is the fractional increment in 0.5 inch
increments.
When using the SFCC in a command line, the SFCC must be the first non- blank symbol in the line
(space, hex 20, is a blank symbol). In addition, characters following spaces (other than a valid line
terminator) in a command line are ignored so that user comments can be included on the command line.
61
The valid line terminators are Form Feed (FF), Line Feed (LF), and Carriage Return (CR); however, when
used in the command line, these line terminators do not cause any paper motion. If a command line
contains an error, the command will not be executed.
Attribute Set and Reset Codes
Certain print attributes are set and reset (turned on or off) by using the appropriate SFCC code sequence
and the numbers 1 or 0. These may be either the hexadecimal code 01 and 00, or the ASCII code for the
printable symbols of decimal 1 and 0 (hexadecimal code 31 and 30, respectively). Expanded Print,
Super/Subscript Print, and Underline are attributes that are set/reset this way.
NUL Code
NUL (hex 00) is ignored by the printer and can be used as a fill character; however, it can not be used to
add blank spaces since it is not a space character.
NOTE: Hex 80 in the 0437 PC Character Set and hex 7F in the 0850 PC Character Set are treated as a
NUL; however, these two controls can not be used as parameter terminators.
Print Modes Supported for Character Sets
All print modes are supported for all character sets; however, for the character sets listed in Table 16,
only the print modes listed are supported.
Table 16 Print Modes Supported
Character Set Mode Pitch
Barcode 10 cpi DP 10
Multinational DP 10 cpi DP 10
Multinational DP 12 cpi DP 12
Multinational NLQ 10 cpi NLQ 10
Greek DP 10 cpi DP 10
Greek DP 12 cpi DP 12
Greek NLQ 10 cpi NLQ 10
Graphic DP 10 cpi DP 10
Graphic NLQ 10 cpi NLQ 10
Scientific DP 10 cpi DP 10
Scientific DP 12 cpi DP 12
Scientific NLQ 10 cpi NLQ 10
OCR-A OCR-A 10
OCR-B OCR-B 10
62
The Control Codes
This index lists each printer command by function, ASCII mnemonic, and the page where the command is
explained in detail. “N/A” means not applicable. The rest of this chapter defines the control code functions
for P-Series Emulation mode. The commands are listed in alphabetical order.
NOTE: Some control code functions can be accomplished using another control code sequence or via
control panel selection.
FUNCTION ASCII CODE PAGE
Paper Motion
Form Feed FF 74
Line Feed LF 75
Reverse SFCC } ; n 83
Vertical Tab VT 84
Page Format
Backspace BS 64
Carriage Return CR 65
Forms Length Set (Inches) SFCC INCHES; n.f 74
Forms Length Set (Lines) SFCC LINES; n 75
Line Spacing 1/6 Inch (6 lpi)
SFCC 2
SFCC LPI
76
Line Spacing 1/8 Inch (8 lpi)
SFCC 0
SFCC LPI
76
Line Spacing 8 or 10.3 lpi (1 line only)
ACK
SFCC f
76
Line Spacing 7/72 Inch SFCC 1 77
Line Spacing n/72 Inch SFCC A 77
Line Spacing n/216 Inch SFCC 3 78
VFU Commands N/A 84
Print Attributes
Bold Print SFCC G 64
Bold Print (1 line only) SFCC j 80
Bold Print Reset SFCC H 65
Elongated (Double High) Print,
One Line Only
SFCC h
70
Elongated (Double High) Print, Set/Reset SFCC w n 71
Emphasized Print SFCC E 71
Emphasized Print Reset SFCC F 72
Expanded Print (Double Wide)
One Line Only
SFCC k 72
Expanded Print (Double Wide) SFCC W n 73
Overscoring SFCC _ n 78
63
FUNCTION ASCII CODE PAGE
Print Mode/Pitch Selection
SFCC X m n
SFCC PMODE; n
SFCC [ n q
80
Superscript/Subscript Printing SFCC S n 83
Superscript/Subscript Printing Reset SFCC T 84
Underline SFCC - n 84
Graphics
Plot, Even Dot (High Density)
EOT
SFCC d
79
Plot, Odd Dot (Normal Density)
ENQ
SFCC e
79
Other Functions
Bell BEL 64
Character Set Select SFCC l xyz 66
Character Set Select:
ECMA Latin 1 Extended
SFCC OSET; n 68
Character Set Select:
International Languages SFCC R n
SFCC PSET; n 69
Characters 80-9F (Control Codes) SFCC 7 70
Characters 80-9F (Printable Symbols) SFCC 6 70
Emulation Reset SFCC @ 72
Extended Character Set
SO
SFCC SO
SFCC n
SFCC 4
73
Extended Character Set Cancel SI 74
(Primary Set Select)
SFCC SI
SFCC o
SFCC 5
64
Backspace
ASCII Code BS
Hex Code 08
Dec Code 08
Purpose Moves the logical print head to the left one character space toward the first
character column.
Discussion When configured from the control panel for backspace, BS moves the character
position indicator (the logical print head position) one character space to the left at the
current character pitch setting. The code is ignored if the logical print head is
positioned at the first character column.
Example If you were to print five “T” characters, then two BS commands, then two “=”
characters, the output would look like the sample below:
Bell
ASCII Code BEL
Hex Code 07
Dec Code 07
Purpose Sounds the printer's buzzer/beeper.
Discussion The BEL function will sound the buzzer/beeper for 0.2 seconds upon receipt of this
command.
Bold Print
ASCII Code SFCC G SFCC j
Hex Code SFCC 47 SFCC 6A
Dec Code SFCC 71 SFCC 106
Purpose Selects bold character printing.
Discussion When the bold character printing control code is received, all characters are
printed in bold until reset by the bold print reset control code or printer reset. Bold
Print is the same as emphasized printing.
When SFCC j is used, bold printing is selected for one line only and reset by the
bold print reset control code, emulation reset, or a paper motion command.
Example The following sample illustrates bold character printing.
65
Bold Print Reset
ASCII Code SFCC H
Hex Code SFCC 48
Dec Code SFCC 72
Purpose Resets bold character printing.
Discussion This control code resets the bold print character attribute. Other print attributes
such as double wide printing are not affected.
Example Refer to the Bold Print control code for a sample of bold character print set
and reset.
Carriage Return
ASCII Code CR
Hex Code 0D
Dec Code 13
Purpose Returns the logical print head to the first character column (resets the pointer to
the first character position).
Discussion The CR code may or may not cause printing or paper motion, depending on the
Define CR Code value defined in the configuration menus. If the Define CR Code
submenu displays:
The characters following the CR are printed over the previous characters on the line. If
identical characters are placed in the same position on the line, those characters will be
printed in emphasized print when the Overstrike mode is enabled from the control panel.
The CR=CR configuration causes subsequent printable data to overprint previous data at
half speed if Overstrike is enabled from the control panel (and prints somewhat faster if
Overstrike is disabled), unless an intervening paper motion command is received.
If the Define CR Code submenu displays:
Control code CR is converted to perform a carriage return and line feed function.
Define CR Code
CR = CR*
Define CR Code
CR = CR+LF*
66
Character Set Select
ASCII Code SFCC l xyz (lowercase “L”)
Hex Code SFCC 6C xyz
Dec Code SFCC 108 xyz
Purpose Selects the character set, extended character set, and the international
language for a specific character set.
where x is the character set (Table 17);
y is the international language for the selected character set (Table 18);
z is the extended character set for the selected character set (Table 19);
Discussion An asterisk (*) (hex 2A) may be submitted for x, y, or z. If the asterisk (*) is the
value selected for x, the character set will not change. If * is the value selected for
y or z, the previously selected international language and/or extended character
set for the selected character set will be used.
The character set, international language and extended character set can also be
selected from the printer control panel, via the Character Set and Print Language
options; however, the control code setting will override the control panel selection.
Except for the asterisk value discussed above, values other than those shown in
the tables will result in the control sequence being terminated.
Table 16 on page 61 provides detailed notes on print mode support for each
character set.
Table 17 Character Set Select (x)
x Character Set
0 (hex 30) IBM PC
1 (hex 31) Multinational
2 (hex 32) ECMA Latin 1
3 (hex 33) DEC Multinational
67
Table 18 International Language Select (y)
y x = 0 (hex 30) x = 1 (hex 31) x = 2 (hex 32) x = 3 (hex 33)
IBM PC Multinational ECMA Latin 1 DEC Multinational
0 (hex 30) ASCII (USA) ASCII (USA) ASCII (USA) ASCII (USA)
1 (hex 31) French EBCDIC German French
2 (hex 32) German
Swedish German
3 (hex 33) English (UK)
Danish English (UK)
4 (hex 34) Danish
Norwegian Norwegian/Danish
5 (hex 35) Swedish
Finnish Swedish
6 (hex 36) Italian
English (UK) Italian
7 (hex 37) Spanish
Dutch Spanish
8 (hex 38) Japanese
French Japanese
9 (hex 39) French Canadian
Spanish French Canadian
10 (hex 3A) Latin American
Italian Dutch
11 (hex 3B) Norwegian
Turkish Finnish
12 (hex 3C) Danish-II
Japanese Swiss
13 (hex 3D) Spanish-II
14 (hex 3E) Latin American-II
Table 19 International Language Select (z)
z x = 0 (hex 30) x = 1 (hex 31) x = 2 (hex 32) x = 3 (hex 33)
IBM PC Multinational ECMA Latin 1 DEC
Multinational
0 (hex 30) IBM PC (0437) Mult. Extended Set Barcode 10 cpi DEC Mult. Ext. Set
1 (hex 31) IBM PC (0850)
Mult. DP 10 cpi
2 (hex 32)
Mult. DP 12 cpi
3 (hex 33)
Mult. NLQ 10 cpi
4 (hex 34)
Greek DP 10 cpi
5 (hex 35)
Greek DP 12 cpi
6 (hex 36)
Greek NLQ 10 cpi
7 (hex 37)
Graphics DP 10 cpi
8 (hex 38)
Graphics NLQ 10 cpi
9 (hex 39)
Scientific DP 10 cpi
10 (hex 3A)
Scientific DP 12 cpi
11 (hex 3B)
Scientific NLQ 10 cpi
12 (hex 3C)
Multinational (at Primary set mode and pitch)
68
Character Set Select: ECMA Latin 1 Extended
ASCII Code SFCC OSET; n
Purpose Selects the print mode and pitch at which the extended characters will
print.
OSET is valid only when the ECMA Latin 1 character set has been selected from
the control panel. OSET will be ignored if the IBM PC, Multinational, or DEC
Multinational Character Sets are active.
Discussion n ranges from 0 through 12 (hex 00 through 0B) to select the print mode/pitch
combinations available from Table 20. All other values will result in an error
message.
Extended characters will print at the print mode and pitch selected by the OSET
command, even if that mode and pitch differs from the currently selected print mode
and pitch. If the print mode differs between the extended and primary characters,
the first character in the data stream selects the print mode at which that line will
print. Different pitches can be printed on the same line.
Table 20 Print Modes/Pitches Available Using P-Series OSET (ECMA
Latin 1, Extended Character Set Only)
n Print Mode/Pitch Select
0 Barcode DP 10 cpi
1 Multinational DP 10 cpi
2 Multinational DP 12 cpi
3 Multinational NLQ 10 cpi
4 Greek DP 10 cpi
5 Greek DP 12 cpi
6 Greek NLQ 10 cpi
7 Graphics DP 10 cpi
8 Graphics NLQ 10 cpi
9 Scientific DP 10 cpi
10 Scientific DP 12 cpi
11 Scientific NLQ 10 cpi
12 Multinational at Primary Character Set Mode and Pitch
69
Character Set Select: International Languages
ASCII Code SFCC PSET;n SFCC R n
Hex Code SFCC 52 n
Dec Code SFCC 82 n
Purpose Specifies the international language set identified by n in the basic character set
selected from the control panel (ECMA Latin 1, IBM PC, Multinational, and DEC
Multinational).
where n specifies a language, as shown in Table 21.
Table 21 International Character Sets
n Character Set Selected
SFCC R
(hex)
PSET
ECMA Latin 1 IBM PC (0437 or
Multinational 0850) DEC
Multinational
0 (30) 0 ASCII (USA) ASCII (USA) ASCII (USA) ASCII (USA)
1 (31) 1 German French EBCDIC French
2 (32) 2 Swedish German German
3 (33) 3 Danish English (UK) English (UK)
4 (34) 4 Norwegian Danish Norw./Danish
5 (35) 5 Finnish Swedish Swedish
6 (36) 6 English (UK) Italian Italian
7 (37) 7 Dutch Spanish Spanish
8 (38) 8 French Japanese Japanese
9 (39) 9 Spanish French Canadian French Canadian
0A (3A) 10 Italian Latin American Dutch
0B (3B) 11 Turkish Danish-II Finnish
0C (3C) 12 Japanese Spanish-II Swiss
0D (3D) 13 Latin American-II
0E (3E) 14
(currently undefined)
0F (3F) 15
10 (40) 16
11 (41) 17
12 (42) 18
13 (43) 19
14 (44) 20
15 (45) 21
Discussion The international character set can also be selected from the control panel via the
Print Language option; however, the control code setting will override the control
panel character set selection. Values other than those selectable from Table 21 will
be ignored.
70
Example The following example illustrates international character selection using the
IBM PC character set.
Characters 80-9F (Control Codes)
ASCII Code SFCC 7
Hex Code SFCC 37
Dec Code SFCC 55
Purpose Selects hex codes 80 through 9F in the character sets as control codes. Cancels
the command SFCC 6.
Discussion This control code overrides the control panel setting.
Characters 80-9F (Printable Symbols)
ASCII Code SFCC 6
Hex Code SFCC 36
Dec Code SFCC 54
Purpose Selects hex codes 80 through 9F in the character sets as printable symbols.
Cancels the command SFCC 7.
Discussion This control code overrides the control panel setting.
Elongated (Double High) Print, One Line Only
ASCII Code SFCC h BS
Hex Code SFCC 68 08
Dec Code SFCC 104 08
Purpose Selects elongated (double high) character printing for one line only. Elongated
characters are approximately double height but standard width.
Discussion The elongated character control code is a line-by-line print attribute; when the control
code is received, one entire line of elongated characters is printed and then
automatically reset.
When configured for double high print, the P-Series control code BS (Hex 08) also
selects elongated character printing for a single line.
When using this feature with relative line slewing, the paper will be moved n + 1 lines
rather than n lines. Refer to Vertical Page Formatting on page 163 for more information
on relative line slewing. When using small line spacing and the lines overlap, an
unexpected print format may result.
71
Example The following sample illustrates elongated character printing.
Elongated (Double High) Print, Set/Reset
ASCII Code SFCC w n
Hex Code SFCC 77 n
Dec Code SFCC 119 n
Purpose Turns double-high character printing on and off. Double-high characters are standard
width but twice as high.
where n = 1 or 49 (hex 01 or hex 31) turns double high printing on
n = 0 or 48 (hex 00 or hex 30) turns double high printing off
Discussion The OCR A and OCR B fonts cannot be printed in double high.
NOTE: It is recommended to use double Line Feeds and Carriage Returns when double-high character
printing is on (after an SFCC w control code has been sent), or else the printer will overstrike text
that has already printed.
If Superscript/Subscript (SFCC S) is combined with Double High printing, only Double
High printing will occur.
Example The following illustrates double-high character printing.
Emphasized Print
ASCII Code SFCC E
Hex Code SFCC 45
Dec Code SFCC 69
Purpose Selects emphasized character print format.
Discussion When the emphasized print control code is received, all characters will be printed
in emphasized print until reset by the emphasized print reset control code or printer
reset. The emphasized print attribute is implemented by horizontal “shadow”
printing.
Emphasized print is ignored during superscript or subscript printing, and when
15-20 cpi characters have been selected.
72
Example The following sample illustrates emphasized character printing.
Emphasized Print Reset
ASCII Code SFCC F
Hex Code SFCC 46
Dec Code SFCC 70
Purpose Resets emphasized character printing.
Discussion The emphasized print reset control code only resets the emphasized print character
attribute.
Example See the Emphasized Print control code example for an example of Emphasized Print
Reset.
Emulation Reset
ASCII Code SFCC @
Hex Code SFCC 40
Dec Code SFCC 64
Purpose Initializes all print mode related parameters to their factory default or power-up
configuration values.
Discussion Print mode, line spacing, international language selection, margins, form length, skip-
over perforation, and character pitch are reset to their selected power-up configuration
values.
Character-by-character and line-by-line attributes are canceled. The vertical format unit
is cleared. The current line is set to the top-of-form position. Interface parameters and
printer protocol selection are not affected.
If the menu option “Reset Cmd CFG Ld” is disabled, the factory default configuration
is loaded. If it is enabled, the power-up configuration is used. The default is the factory
default.
Expanded Print (Double Wide), One Line Only
ASCII Code SFCC k
Hex Code SFCC 6B
Dec Code SFCC 107
Purpose Selects expanded (double wide) print for one line only.
Discussion This expanded print control code is a line-by-line print attribute; when the SFCC k
control code is received, the current line is printed double wide and then automatically
reset.
This control code can be reset by a paper motion control code (LF, VT, CR, etc.), SFCC
@ (printer reset), CAN or SFCC W (double wide print).
73
Example The following sample illustrates Expanded Print for one line only. Another
example of expanded printing is shown for Expanded (Double Wide) Print,
SFCC W on page 72.
Expanded Print (Double Wide), Set/Reset
ASCII Code SFCC W n
Hex Code SFCC 57 n
Dec Code SFCC 87 n
Purpose Selects or resets expanded (double wide) print.
where n = SOH (hex 01) or 1 (hex 31) selects expanded print.
n = NUL (hex 00) or 0 (hex 30) resets expanded print.
Discussion When expanded print using SFCC W is received, all characters will be printed
double wide until reset by the expanded print reset control code or a printer reset.
Example The following sample illustrates expanded character printing and expanded
character printing reset.
Extended Character Set
ASCII Code SO SFCC SO SFCC n SFCC
Hex Code 0E SFCC 0E SFCC 6E SFCC 34
Dec Code 14 SFCC 14 SFCC 110 SFCC 52
Purpose Accesses the extended character set in the range hex A0 through FF using codes
32 through 127 (hex 20 through 7F).
Discussion Used in 7-bit systems as if data bit 8 was set to 1. For example, sending code hex 20
accesses the symbol at code point hex A0. If a printable symbol is not available at the
code point, a space is printed.
SFCC 4 is not cancelled by the next paper motion command; SO, SFCC SO, and
SFCC n are cancelled by paper motion.
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Example The following sample illustrates the Extended Character Set and Extended Character
Set Cancel (see page 73) control codes.
Extended Character Set Cancel (Primary Set Select)
ASCII Code SI SFCC SI SFCC o SFCC 5
Hex Code 0F SFCC 0F SFCC 6F SFCC 35
Dec Code 15 SFCC 15 SFCC 111 SFCC 53
Purpose Cancels Extended Character Set as selected by SO, SFCC SO, SFCC n, and SFCC
4, and selects the Primary Character Set.
Discussion Used in 7-bit systems. If data bit 8 is disabled, this control code selects the range as if
data bit 8 is set to 0, and data is printed as characters from 32 through 127 (hex 20
through 7F).
Example Refer to the Extended Character Set example on page 73.
Form Feed
ASCII Code FF
Hex Code 0C
Dec Code 12
Purpose Prints the data in the buffer, advances the paper position to the next top-of-form
and moves the character position to the first character column.
Discussion The default forms length is determined by the printer configuration. Forms length is
set by using the control panel or forms length control codes. Code FF cancels all
single-line only print attributes.
The default form length is 11 inches. The Form Feed command will react
differently when the VFU is active. Refer to Chapter 7.
Forms Length Set (Inches)
ASCII Code SFCC INCHES; n.f
Purpose Sets the length of forms (paper) in inches.
where n = 1 through 24 (hex 01 through 18) specify the number of inches on a page.
f = fractional number in .5-inch increments (minimum forms length is .5 inches).
Discussion Upon receipt of this code, the current line becomes the first line of the form, and
the form length set becomes the current forms length. Vertical tab positions set
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below the bottom of the form are cleared.
Forms length is defined in inches; therefore, subsequent line spacing changes do not
affect the result of this command.
Increments of .5-inch can be specified; for example, sending the following command
will result in a form length setting of 7½ inches: SFCC INCHES; 7.5
The maximum forms length is 24 inches. All other values are ignored. In INCHES
mode, incorrect values will produce an error message.
Forms length can be set by the control panel. The control code forms length
setting from the host computer will override the control panel setting. If the VFU is
enabled and loaded, this command is ignored.
Forms Length Set (Lines)
ASCII Code SFCC LINES; n
Purpose Sets the length of a form (paper) in lines.
where n = 1 through 192 (hex 01 through C0) specify the number of lines per page at the
current line spacing.
Discussion The forms length is set to the number of lines defined by the quotient of n and the
current line spacing so that the units are in inches. In LINES mode, the maximum form
length is 24 inches, and n values in excess of 24 inches will cause an error message.
If the calculated forms length in lines is not an exact multiple of the target machine dot
size, the forms length value will be adjusted down to the next possible multiple.
If the VFU is enabled and loaded, this command is ignored.
Line Feed
ASCII Code LF
Hex Code 0A
Dec Code 10
Purpose Prints the data in the buffer (if any) and advances the vertical character position one
line at the current line space setting.
Discussion If configured for LF equals new line (LF=CR+LF), the logical print head is positioned
at character column 1 of the new line. Otherwise, the logical print head does not move
when configured for LF function only (LF=LF ONLY). The LF function cancels all
single line print attributes such as double high (elongated) and double wide
(expanded) characters.
This code is always configured for LF=CR+LF in the P-Series protocol.
In the P-Series Even Dot Plot mode (high density graphics), the LF code does not
cause paper position motion; the data in the buffer is plotted and the logical print head
is positioned at character column 1 in anticipation of the Odd Dot Plot control code to
complete high density graphic plotting.
In the P-Series Odd Dot Plot mode (normal density graphics), the LF code plots the
data in the buffer, advances the paper position a single dot row at the current vertical
dot density, and positions the logical print head at character column 1.
76
Line Spacing 1/6 Inch (6 lpi)
ASCII Code SFCC 2 SFCC LPI; n
Hex Code SFCC 32
Dec Code SFCC 50
Purpose Sets line spacing to 6 lpi or as set by SFCC A (page 77).
Discussion For SFCC LPI; n, the value of n can be 6 or 8 only. If n = 6, this command sets line
spacing to 1/6 inch. Values of n other than 6 or 8 will cause an error message.
SFCC 2 asserts n/72-inch line spacing as set by SFCC A (page 77). If no distance
has been set by SFCC A, the distance is 1/6”
The control code line spacing selection will override the control panel line spacing
setting.
Example The following example illustrates 1/6-inch line spacing and assumes that a
distance has not been set by ESC A.
Line Spacing 1/8 Inch (8 lpi)
ASCII Code SFCC 0 SFCC LPI; n
Hex Code SFCC 30
Dec Code SFCC 48
Purpose Specifies continuous line spacing at 1/8-inch increments (8 lpi).
Discussion When the 1/8-inch line spacing control code is received, all lines will be printed at 8
lpi until a new line spacing is selected or the printer is reset. The control code line
spacing selection will override the control panel line spacing setting.
For SFCC LPI; n, the value of n can be 6 or 8 only. If n = 8, this command sets line
spacing to 1/8 inch. Values of n other than 6 or 8 will cause an error message.
Example The following example illustrates 1/8-inch line spacing.
Line Spacing 8 or 10.3 lpi (1 Line Only)
ASCII Code ACK SFCC f
Hex Code 06 SFCC 66
Dec Code 06 SFCC 102
Purpose Selects line spacing of 8 or 10.3 lpi for the current line only.
Discussion The default line spacing is reselected automatically after one line. Line spacing may
77
be selected either through the control panel or by line spacing control codes. The
control code setting will override the control panel line spacing setting.
If the alternate line spacing selected from the control panel is 8 lpi, the ACK control
code will set the line spacing to 8 lpi. If 10.3 lpi was selected from the control panel, the
ACK control code will set the line spacing to 10.3 lpi (7/72”).
Example The following example illustrates printing a single line of text at 8 lpi.
Line Spacing 7/72 Inch
ASCII Code SFCC 1
Hex Code SFCC 31
Dec Code SFCC 49
Purpose Specifies the line spacing at 7/72-inch (10.3 lpi) increments.
Discussion When the 7/72-inch line spacing control code is received, all lines will be printed at the
7/72-inch line spacing until a new line spacing is selected or the printer is reset. The
control code line spacing selection will override the control panel line spacing setting,
and the message display will reflect the line spacing as 10.3 lines per inch.
Caution should be used when combining this control code with other print attributes
such as Elongated (Double High), Superscript, or Subscript; overlapping lines may
occur. Printing at different horizontal and vertical densities will not overlap.
Example The following example illustrates 7/72-inch line spacing.
Line Spacing n/72 Inch
ASCII Code SFCC A n
Hex Code SFCC 41 n
Dec Code SFCC 65 n
Purpose Stores a line spacing of n/72-inch increments.
where n = 1 through 85 (hex 01 through 55). All others are ignored.
Discussion When the SFCC A control sequence is received, all line feed commands following
an SFCC 2 sequence* will be at n/72-inch line spacing until a new line spacing is
selected or the printer is reset. The control code line spacing selection will override
the control panel line spacing setting.
*The SFCC 2 sequence (page 76) asserts the line spacing which was stored by the
preceding SFCC A sequence.
Small values of n may result in overlapping lines. Overlapping lines may also occur
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if print attributes such as Elongated (Double High), Superscript, or Subscript
characters are used on the same line. Printing at different horizontal and vertical
densities will not overlap.
Example The following example illustrates 20/72-inch line spacing.
Line Spacing n/216 Inch
ASCII Code SFCC 3 n
Hex Code SFCC 33 n
Dec Code SFCC 51 n
Purpose Specifies the line spacing at n/216-inch increments.
where n = 1 through 255 (hex 01 through FF).
Discussion When the n/216-inch line spacing control code is received, all line feeds following will
be at n/216-inch line spacing until a new line spacing is selected or the printer is reset.
The control code line spacing selection will override the control panel line spacing
setting.
The vertical character position moves only in multiples of the current dot row spacing.
If the distance to move is other than a multiple of the current dot row spacing, the
remainder is added to the next paper motion command.
Caution should be used when combining this control code with other print attributes
such as Elongated (Double High), Superscript, or Subscript; overlapping lines may
occur. Printing at different horizontal and vertical densities will not overlap.
Example The following example illustrates n/216-inch line spacing.
Overscoring
ASCII Code SFCC _ n
Hex Code SFCC 5F n
Dec Code SFCC 95 n
Purpose Enables or disables automatic overscoring of all characters.
where n = SOH (hex 01) or 1 (hex 31) selects overscore print.
n = NUL (hex 00) or 0 (hex 30) resets overscore print.
Discussion When automatic overscore is enabled, all characters, including spaces, will be
overscored until disabled.
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Example The following sample illustrates automatic overscoring and overscoring reset.
Plot, Even Dot (P-Series High Density Graphics)
ASCII Code EOT SFCC d
Hex Code 04 SFCC 64
Dec Code 04 SFCC 100
Purpose Prints dots at the even numbered dot columns.
Discussion The even dot plot code is used for programming high density graphics and must be
used in conjunction with the Odd Dot Plot code (hex 05). Refer to the Plot Mode
section in Chapter 6 for detailed plot mode information.
Example Print two high density plot boxes using odd and even dot plot for high density
graphics. Compare the example below to the normal density odd dot plot example.
Plot, Odd Dot (P-Series Normal Density Graphics)
ASCII Code ENQ SFCC e
Hex Code 05 SFCC 65
Dec Code 05 SFCC 101
Purpose Prints dots at the odd numbered dot columns.
Discussion This is the P-Series programming normal density graphics control code. The ENQ
code should occur before any printable data in the data stream. For high density
graphics, the Even Dot Plot code (04 hex) must be used in conjunction with (and
precede) the Odd Dot Plot code. Refer to the P-Series Compatible Plot mode
section in Chapter 6 for detailed plot mode information.
Example Print two normal density plot boxes using odd dot plot. Compare the odd dot plot
example below to the high density Even Dot Plot example.
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Print Mode/Pitch Selection
ASCII Code SFCC PMODE; n SFCC X mn SFCC [ n q
Hex Code SFCC 58 mn SFCC 5B n 71
Dec Code SFCC 88 mn SFCC 91 n 113
Purpose Selects the print mode and character pitch in characters per inch (cpi).
where In SFCC PMODE; n
n = 0 through 11 to select the print mode/pitch combinations available from Table 22.
All other values will result in an error message.
where In SFCC [ n q
n = Print Mode/Pitch code (values other than those shown in Table 23 are ignored.)
q = Command sequence terminator
where In SFCC X mn
m = Print Mode code
n = Pitch (cpi)
An asterisk (*) (hex 2A) may be substituted for m or n. Whenever the asterisk replaces
m or n, its current value will not change.
Values other than those shown in Table 24 and Table 25 are ignored.
NOTE: The print mode must be changed before the first printable symbol or space of a print line or the
command sequence is deferred until the next line.
Discussion P-Series PMODE switches to the Primary Character Set and selects print mode and
pitch.
Print mode and pitch can also be selected from the control panel. The print
mode/pitch select control code from the host computer will override the control panel
print mode setting and the print mode and pitch selection will be reflected on the
message display.
If PMODE 7 through 11 are selected to enable upside down characters, the printing is
still left to right. Even though characters are upside down, you must reverse the order
to read left to right.
A complete set of tables identifying print mode, pitch, and dot densities for all print
modes follows.
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Table 22 Print Mode and Pitch (SFCC PMODE;n)
n Print Mode and Pitch
0 DP 10 cpi
1 DP 12 cpi
2 DP 15 cpi
3 NLQ 10 cpi
4 HS 10 cpi
5 OCR-A 10 cpi
6 OCR-B 10 cpi
7 DP 10 cpi upside down
8 DP 12 cpi upside down
9 DP 13 cpi upside down
10 DP 15 cpi upside down
11 DP 17 cpi upside down
Table 23 Print Mode and Pitch (SFCC [nq)
n Print Mode and Pitch
1 (hex 31) NLQ 10 cpi
2 (hex 32) DP 10 cpi
3 (hex 33) HS 12 cpi
4 (hex 34) DP 12 cpi
5 (hex 35) DP 13 cpi
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Table 24 Horizontal and Vertical Dot Density (SFCC X)
m (Hex*) Horiz. Density
Resolution Vertical Density Print Mode
0 (30) 120 dpi 72 dpi DP
1 (31) 180 dpi 96 dpi NLQ
2 (32) 120 dpi 48 dpi HS
3 (33) 120 dpi 48 dpi HS
4 (34) 120 dpi 48 dpi HS
5 (35) 120 dpi 144 dpi OCR-A
6 (36) 120 dpi 144 dpi OCR-B
7 (37) 180 dpi 96 dpi NLQ2
8 (38) 180 dpi 96 dpi NLQ2
*The hex values shown (i.e., 0 and 30) are equal. Either value can be
used in your program expression.
Table 25 Print Mode and Character Pitches (SFCC X)
Characters Per Inch
value of n: value of m:
Print Mode* DP
0 (30) NLQ
1 (31) HS
2 (32) HS
3 (33) HS
4 (34) OCR-A
5 (35) OCR-B
6 (36) NLQ2
7 (37) NLQ2
8 (38)
0 (30) 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
1 (31) 12 12 12 12 12 – – 12 12
2 (32) 13 13 13 13 13 – – 13 13
3 (33) 15 15 15 15 15 – – 15 15
4 (34) 17 17 17 17 17 – – 17 17
5 (35) 20 17 20 20 20 – – 17 17
*The hex values shown (i.e., 0 and 30) are equal. Either value can be used in your
program expression. The value of m is represented by the font choice line.
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NOTE: The character set used when OCR-A or OCR-B is selected depends on the Standard character
set currently selected. The character set can be changed by using SFCC l or by using the front
panel.
Example Any of the BASIC expressions listed below will select the DP print mode at 17
cpi.
where m (print mode) = SOH (hex 00) or 0 (hex 30)
n (pitch) = EOT (hex 04) or 4 (hex 34)
CHR$(1);“X”;CHR$(0);CHR$(4);
CHR$(1);“X”;CHR$(30);CHR$(34);
CHR$(1);“X04”;
Reverse
ASCII Code SFCC } ; n
Hex Code SFCC 7D 3B n
Dec Code SFCC 125 59 n
Purpose Moves the logical print head up.
Discussion If n is “L,” the print head moves up one line. (Reverse line feed.) If n is “P,” the print
head moves up to the previous top of form. (Reverse form feed.)
Superscript/Subscript Printing
ASCII Code SFCC S n
Hex Code SFCC 53 n
Dec Code SFCC 83 n
Purpose Selects superscript or subscript printing.
Discussion An SFCC S code can be set for superscript or subscript printing, as follows:
where n = SOH (hex 01) or 1 (hex 31) enables subscript printing.
n = NUL (hex 00) or 0 (hex 30) enables superscript printing.
When this control code is received, all characters will be superscript or
subscript until reset by the super/subscript printing reset control code (SFCC
T) or printer reset. Use caution when combining this command with other print
attributes; arbitrary combinations might yield unexpected results.
NOTE: Superscript and subscript characters print at the same size as the current font. They are shifted
up or down one half of a line.
Example The following sample illustrates superscript/subscript printing.
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Superscript/Subscript Printing Reset
ASCII Code SFCC T
Hex Code SFCC 54
Dec Code SFCC 84
Purpose Resets superscript and subscript printing.
Example See the Superscript/Subscript Printing command example.
Underline
ASCII Code SFCC - n
Hex Code SFCC 2D n
Dec Code SFCC 45 n
Purpose Enables or disables automatic underlining of all characters.
where n = SOH (hex 01) or 1 (hex 31) enables automatic underlining.
n = NUL (hex 00) or 0 (hex 30) disables automatic underlining.
Discussion When automatic underline is enabled, all characters, including spaces, will be
underlined until disabled.
Example The following sample illustrates automatic underlining.
VFU Commands
ASCII Code Refer to the P-Series VFU section in Chapter 7.
Purpose Load and execute the VFU.
Discussion Refer to Chapter 7 for detailed information.
Vertical Tab
ASCII Code VT
Hex Code 0B
Dec Code 11
Purpose Prints the data in the buffer and advances the paper to the next vertical tab
position.
Discussion If a vertical tab format is defined in the EVFU (channel 12) and the VFU is enabled,
the paper is moved to the next vertical tab position.
If a vertical tab format is not defined, the paper is advanced to the next line at the
current line spacing. More information on Vertical Tabs is provided in the EVFU
section of Chapter 7.
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IBM Proprinter III XL
Emulation
Overview
This chapter describes the Proprinter III XL emulation host control codes. “Emulation” refers to the ability
of a printer to execute the commands of a particular printer control language. A printer control language is
the coding system used to convey, manipulate, and print data. It contains character codes and command
sequences that configure the emulation. In this manual, the terms “emulation”, “printer protocol”, and
“printer control language” are synonymous.
In the Proprinter III XL emulation mode, your printer can print files coded for the Proprinter III XL printer
control language. To select the Proprinter emulation as the active printer emulation, select LinePrinter+
from the EMULATION menu and Proprinter III XL from the Printer Protocol menu, as described in the
Administrator’s Manual.
The Proprinter III XL emulation provides many configurable parameters. The default parameter values for
this emulation are shown in Table 26. You can modify these parameter values in two ways:
• The Proprinter III XL host control codes. An extensive set of Proprinter III XL control code
commands can be sent to the printer from an attached host computer via the host data stream. Most
of this chapter is devoted to describing the Proprinter III XL control code commands.
• The printer configuration menus. You can modify a subset of the Proprinter III XL emulation
parameters using the printer configuration menus, control panel keys, and LCD, as described in the
Administrator’s Manual.
Control codes sent from a host system generally override previous settings that result from the
configuration menus.
NOTE: Configuration values selected from the menus or via host control codes can be saved to the
printer's NVRAM memory so that they will not be lost when you power off the printer or reset it to
the factory default configuration. The menu selection for saving a configuration to memory is
described in the Administrator’s Manual.
86
Proprinter III XL Emulation Default Settings
The factory settings for the Proprinter III XL emulation menu options are shown in Table 26. Table 27 lists
additional factory settings for parameters provided by the LinePrinter+ formatting menus. (The
EMULATION menu options are described in the Administrator’s Manual.) Host control codes can override
many of the settings for these menu options.
Table 26 Proprinter III XL Menu Option Factory Settings
Characteristic Default Setting
Define CR Code CR = CR
Auto LF Enable
Define LF Code LF = LF
FF Valid at TOF Enable
Character Set Code Page 437
Alt. Char Set Set 1
20 CPI Condensed Enable
Table 27 LinePrint+ Menu Option Factory Settings
Characteristic Default Setting
CPI 10.0
LPI 6.0
Typeface Data Processing
Proportional Spacing Disable
Bold Print Disable
Italic Print Disable
Slashed Zero Disable
Left Margin 0 columns
Right Margin 0 columns
Bottom Margin 0 lines
Perforation Skip Disable
Form Length 11.0 inches
279.4 millimeters
Form Width 13.6 inches
345.4 millimeters
Reset Cmd CFG Ld Disable
87
Configuring the Proprinter III XL Emulation with
Control Codes
The remainder of this chapter describes the Proprinter printer control language codes that may be sent
from a host computer attached to the printer, in order to configure numerous Proprinter emulation
parameters.
Format for Control Code Descriptions
In this chapter, the following information is listed for each control code (where applicable):
Name The title or function of the command.
ASCII Code The ASCII mnemonic for the command is shown. Command sequences are in 7-bit
(ASCII) form.
Hex Code The code or command sequence in hexadecimal numbers.
Dec Code The code or command sequence in decimal numbers.
Purpose The function(s) of the control code.
Discussion A discussion of the uses of the code or command sequence, including exceptions or
limitations to its use.
Example A sample is provided when it is possible to illustrate the effect of a control code or
if a specific syntax is required.
NOTE: If you specify any parameters for a control code other than the ones that are defined in the control
code description, unpredictable results may occur. The PI line is never recognized in Proprinter III
XL Emulation mode.
Escape Control Codes Overview
Printer capability is greatly increased by the use of escape control code sequences. Escape sequences
always begin with the ASCII escape sequence introducer, ESC (hex 1B). Many of the ASCII control
codes described in this chapter are escape sequences.
NOTE: An Escape code can occur anywhere in the datastream and is acted upon immediately if it
precedes a valid command.
An ESC sequence introducer in the data stream signals the printer to wait for special instructions, even if
it is ready and printing. The character codes following the ESC character tell the printer what to do.
NOTE: For readability, code sequences appear in this manual with spaces inserted between command
elements. Do not insert spaces between code characters when you are programming unless the
ASCII space character (SP) is part of a code sequence. For example, a code sequence printed in
this manual as ESC [ 1 is programmed as ESC[1.
An escape sequence uses two or more bytes to define a specific printer control function. The format for
an escape sequence is:
ASCII ESC X n
Hex 1B 00-7F 0-FF
Escape Sequence
Introducer Character(s) Numerical
parameter(s)
After the ESC character are one or more characters which indicate the action of the control code. One or
more numerical parameters may in turn follow these characters. For example, the sequence ESC S n tells
88
the printer to begin the superscript print attribute if n is an even number, or to begin the subscript attribute
if n is an odd number.
If the characters following the ESC code are not within the defined ranges, or if they are within the defined
ranges but not recognized as a function of this printer, the entire sequence is ignored.
Graphics Control Codes Overview
The individual control codes that set graphics print quality are described starting on page 92. Some
additional background information about graphics printing for the Proprinter III XL emulation is provided
here.
The Proprinter III XL emulation provides one data protocol for printing graphics information; the Bit Image
graphics protocol allows an image block to be printed. When using the Bit Image protocol, you can mix
text and graphics on the same line.
Setting Bit Image Modes via Control Codes
Control codes select bit image modes. The following bit image modes can be mixed on the same line as
text characters:
Table 28 Bit Image Modes
Control Code Bit Image Mode
ESC K n1 n2 data Normal Density
ESC L n1 n2 data Double Density
ESC Y n1 n2 data Double Density, Double Speed
ESC Z n1 n2 data Quadruple Density
Parameters n1 and n2 together represent a 16-bit (hexadecimal) unsigned number of the quantity (n1 +
256n2), which equals the number of bit image characters (i.e. data bytes) to follow. If n1 and n2 are
programmed so that data extends past the last character position, the data is truncated at the last
character position. If n1 and n2 are both zero, the ESC sequence is ignored.
See Chapter 6 for details on bit image graphics.
Dot Density Versus Printing Speed
When you select ESC K (normal density), the dot columns are printed at 60 dots per inch (dpi)
horizontally and 72 dpi vertically. This does not decrease printing speed.
If ESC L (double density) is selected, the dot columns are printed at 120 dpi horizontally and 72 dpi
vertically. Double density reduces printing speed by one half.
With ESC Y (double density, double speed), dot columns are printed at 120 dpi horizontally and 72 dpi
vertically, but adjacent dots are not printed. Double density, double speed does not decrease printing
speed.
When ESC Z (quadruple density) is selected, the dot columns are printed at 240 dpi horizontally and 72
dpi vertically. Quadruple density reduces printing speed by one half.
All line-by-line character print attributes are ignored in Bit Image graphics. The most significant bit for
each data character is the uppermost dot position in the vertical dot image pattern. A bit value of 1
indicates a dot; a value of 0 indicates a blank. In 7-bit RS-232E serial interface protocol, the most
significant bit (bit 8) is cleared to 0.
89
Code Page and Character Set Control Codes
A code page is a set of symbols consisting of letters, numbers, and graphic elements. For the Proprinter
III XL emulation, your printer supports characters from IBM's Code Page 0437 and Code Page 0850,
among an extensive array of different print quality and print language sets. The print language sets are
selected using the Print Language configuration menu option, which is described in detail in your
Administrator’s Manual.
Two columns of characters, hex 80 through 9F, may be configured as either control codes or printable
symbols. Control code ESC 7 selects Character Set 1 (hex 80-9F configured as control codes). Control
code ESC 6 selects Character Set 2 (hex 80-9F configured as printable symbols).
Ignored Codes
The control codes recognized by the Proprinter III XL emulation software are described in this chapter.
Control codes not described in this chapter are undefined and ignored. In addition, codes that represent
printable characters (hex 10, 11, 15, 21-7E, and 80-FF) are not available as Proprinter III XL control
codes.
NOTE: Entering control codes that are not defined in this chapter may produce unpredictable results.
The ASCII control code ETX (hex code 03 or 1B 03) is ignored as a Proprinter III XL control code, but is
valid for the Serial Interface Protocol.
Reserved Codes
The Download Characters control code (ASCII code ESC =, hex code 1B 3D) is a reserved code. It is not
implemented at this time. When implemented, this code is usually followed by large blocks of data. The
Proprinter III XL emulation will currently ignore this control code and any data applicable to it.
Switching Between the Emulations
The printer supports several different emulations. PCL-II is the default. P- Series, Proprinter III XL, and
Epson FX-1050 are all a part of the LinePrinter Plus emulation.
The following command switches from PCL-II to Proprinter:
ESC%-00001X
To switch from Proprinter to PCL-II, send the following command to the printer:
ESC|};KD
The Control Codes
This index lists each printer command by function, ASCII mnemonic, and the page where the command is
explained in detail. The rest of this chapter defines the control code functions for Proprinter III XL
emulation mode. The commands are listed in alphabetical order.
FUNCTION
ASCII CODE
PAGE
Paper Motion
Form Feed FF 99
Line Feed LF 102
Line Feed n/216 Inch (One Line Only) ESC J n 102
Tab, Vertical VT 111
Tab Set/Clear, Vertical ESC B n1 n2 ... nk NUL 112
Tabs, Clear All ESC R 112
90
FUNCTION
ASCII CODE
PAGE
Format
Backspace BS 91
Cancel CAN 94
Carriage Return CR 95
Carriage Return Set ESC 5 n 95
Forms Length Set in Inches ESC C NUL n 99
Forms Length Set in Lines ESC C n 100
Margin, Bottom ESC N n 105
Margin Cancel, Bottom ESC O 106
Margins, Horizontal ESC X n m 106
Set Top-of-Form ESC 4 109
Tab, Horizontal HT 110
Tab Set/Clear, Horizontal ESC D n1 n2...nk NUL 111
Tabs, Clear All ESC R 112
Line Spacing
Line Spacing 1/8” (8 lpi) ESC 0 103
Line Spacing 7/72” (10.3 lpi) ESC 1 103
Line Spacing n/72 Inch (Executes) ESC 2 104
Line Spacing n/72 Inch (Storage) ESC A n 104
Line Spacing n/216 Inch ESC 3 n 105
Selection of Alternate Character
Set 80-9F
Character Set Select: Set 1 (A) ESC 7 95
Character Set Select: Set 2 (B) ESC 6 96
Print Quality
Bold Printing ESC G 94
Bold Printing, Cancel ESC H 94
Character Pitch 12 cpi ESC : 95
Condensed Print SI 96
Condensed Print, Cancel DC2 96
Double Wide Print ESC W n 97
Double Wide Print (1 Line Only) SO 98
Double Wide Print (1 Line Only), Cancel DC4 98
Emphasized Print ESC E 98
Emphasized Print, Cancel ESC F 99
Overscoring ESC _ n 106
Print Mode ESC I n 107
Print Quality ESC x n 108
Proportional Spacing ESC P n 108
Select Attributes ESC [ @ n1 NUL NUL NUL n2 n3 108
Superscript/Subscript Printing ESC S n 110
Superscript/Subscript Printing, Cancel ESC T 110
Underline ESC - n 112
91
FUNCTION
ASCII CODE
PAGE
Bit Image
Bit Image Mode, Single Density (Normal Speed) ESC K n1 n2 92
Bit Image Mode, Double Density (Half Speed) ESC L n1 n2 92
Bit Image Mode, Double Density (Normal Speed)
ESC Y n1 n2 93
Bit Image Mode, Quadruple Density (Half Speed)
ESC Z n1 n2 93
Other Functions
Bell BEL 91
Deselect Printer ESC Q 22 97
Escape Sequence ESC 87
Initialize Parameters ESC [ K n1 NUL n2 n3 n4 n5 100
Print All Characters ESC \ n1 n2 107
Print Next Character ESC ^ n 107
Unidirectional Printing ESC U n 113
Backspace
ASCII Code BS
Hex Code 08
Dec Code 08
Purpose Moves the logical print head left one character space toward the first character
column.
Discussion BS moves the character position indicator one character space to the left at the
current character pitch setting. This code is ignored if the logical print head is
positioned at the first character column.
When the backspace code is received, printing speed will be reduced. If the printer
is in double width mode, the backspace code moves the print head left two normal
character spaces.
Example If you were to print five “T” characters, then two BS commands, then two “=”
characters, the output would look like the sample below:
Bell
ASCII Code BEL
Hex Code 07
Dec Code 07
Purpose Sounds a buzzer/beeper.
Discussion The BEL function will sound one beep upon receipt of this command.
92
Bit Image Mode, Single Density (Normal Speed)
ASCII Code ESC K n1 n2
Hex Code 1B 4B n1 n2
Dec Code 27 75 n1 n2
Purpose Selects single (normal) density bit image graphics.
where n1 + 256n2 defines the number of data bytes to follow.
DATA = ASCII characters for the dot pattern bytes.
n1 = (Number of DATA bytes) - 256(n2)
(remainder of division of number of DATA bytes by 256, sometimes referred to as
MOD 256)
n2 = (Number of DATA bytes) / 256 (quotient of division)
Discussion This code prints specified data as bit image graphics at normal density, 60 dots per
inch horizontally and 72 dots per inch vertically. For more information, see Bit Image
Graphics on page 151.
Example The following example produces a pattern of Single Density Bit Image graphics. The
9-byte bit pattern is repeated 27 times. Compare this example to the double density
and quadruple density examples.
Bit Image Mode,
Double Density (Half
Speed)
ASCII Code ESC L n1 n2
Hex Code 1B 4C n1 n2
Dec Code 27 76 n1 n2
Purpose Selects double density bit image graphics.
where n1 + 256n2 defines the number of data bytes to follow.
DATA = ASCII characters for the dot pattern bytes.
n1 = (Number of DATA bytes) - 256(n2)
(remainder of division of number of DATA bytes by 256, sometimes referred to as MOD
256)
n2 = (Number of DATA bytes) / 256 (quotient of division)
Discussion This code prints specified data as bit image graphics at double horizontal density,
120 dots per inch horizontally and 72 dots per inch vertically. This code causes print
speed to be reduced by half from normal density speed. For more information, see
Bit Image Graphics on page 151.
Example The following example produces Double Density Bit Image graphics of the pattern
used in the Single Density Bit Image Mode example. Note that the amount of data
must be doubled in order to produce this pattern for double density (the data is used
54 times rather than 27).
93
Bit Image Mode, Double Density (Normal Speed)
ASCII Code ESC Y n1 n2
Hex Code 1B 59 n1 n2
Dec Code 27 89 n1 n2
Purpose Selects double density bit image graphics at single density speed.
where n1 + 256n2 defines the number of data bytes to follow.
DATA = ASCII characters for the dot pattern bytes.
n1 = (Number of DATA bytes) - 256(n2)
(remainder of division of number of DATA bytes by 256, sometimes referred to as
MOD 256)
n2 = (Number of DATA bytes) / 256 (quotient of division)
Discussion This code prints specified data as bit image graphics at double horizontal density, 120
dots per inch horizontally and 72 dots per inch vertically. By ignoring adjacent dots, the
print speed is not reduced from the normal density speed. For more information, see
Bit Image Graphics on page 151.
Example The following example produces a Double Density Normal Speed Bit Image graphics
for the same pattern as in the Normal (Single) Density example. Note that the amount
of data must be doubled for double density (the data is used 54 times rather than 27).
Bit Image Mode,
Quadruple
Density (Half Speed)
ASCII Code ESC Z n1 n2
Hex Code 1B 5A n1 n2
Dec Code 27 90 n1 n2
Purpose Selects quadruple density bit image graphics.
where n1 + 256n2 defines the number of data bytes to follow.
DATA = ASCII characters for the dot pattern bytes.
n1 = (Number of DATA bytes) - 256(n2)
(remainder of division of number of DATA bytes by 256, sometimes referred to
as MOD 256)
n2 = (Number of DATA bytes) / 256 (quotient of
division)
Discussion This code prints specified data as bit image graphics at quadruple density, 240 dots
per inch horizontally and 72 dots per inch vertically. This code causes print speed to
be reduced by half. For more information, see Bit Image Graphics on page 151.
Example The following example produces quadruple density graphics of the pattern used in
the Single Density Bit Image Mode example. Note that the amount of data must be
quadrupled for quadruple density (the data is used 108 times rather than 27).
94
Bold Printing
ASCII Code ESC G
Hex Code 1B 47
Dec Code 27 71
Purpose Selects bold character printing.
Discussion When this command is received, all characters are printed in bold until reset by the
Bold Print Reset control code or printer reset. The bold print attribute is implemented
by increasing the dot density for the bold text (with a result similar to emphasized
printing). Bold printing reduces the current print speed by one half.
NOTE: The ESC E (page 98) and ESC G commands are equivalent; they produce the same print effect.
Example The following sample illustrates bold character printing.
Bold
Printing, Cancel
ASCII Code ESC H
Hex Code 1B 48
Dec Code 27 72
Purpose Cancels bold printing.
Discussion No other print attributes are changed.
Cancel
ASCII Code CAN
Hex Code 18
Dec Code 24
Purpose Clears the print buffer of all symbols since the last paper motion command was
received.
Discussion The CAN command cancels all characters sent to the printer after the last paper
motion command.
This command will cancel the double wide attribute if set by SO. No other print
attributes are affected.
95
Carriage Return
ASCII Code CR
Hex Code 0D
Dec Code 13
Purpose Returns the logical print head to the first character column (resets the pointer to the first
character position). May be configured to include a line feed.
Discussion The CR code is configured via the ESC 5 code or via the control panel menus (described
in the Administrator’s Manual). The CR = CR configuration causes the character position
indicator to be positioned at character column one; subsequent printable data preceding
a paper motion command overstrikes previously printed data. The CR = CR + LF
configuration causes the CR code to perform a carriage return plus a line feed.
The CR code also cancels expanded (double wide) print when set by code SO (single
line printing attribute).
Carriage Return Set
ASCII Code ESC 5 n
Hex Code 1B 35 n
Dec Code 27 53 n
Purpose Defines the result from the Carriage Return (CR) code.
where n may range from 0 through 255 (hex 00 through hex FF).
If n = 0, 2, 4 ... (any even value), then CR = CR (the default).
If n = 1, 3, 5 ... (any odd value), then CR = CR + LF.
Discussion This command overrides the configuration menu setting.
• CR = CR (default) configuration causes the character position indicator to be positioned at character
column one. Subsequent printable data preceding a paper motion command overstrikes previous
printable data.
• CR = CR + LF configuration causes the CR code to perform a carriage return plus a line feed.
Character Pitch 12 cpi
ASCII Code ESC :
Hex Code 1B 3A
Dec Code 27 58
Purpose Sets character pitch to 12 cpi.
Discussion An ESC : code overrides any control panel setting.
Character Set Select: Set 1 (A)
ASCII Code ESC 7
Hex Code 1B 37
Dec Code 27 55
Purpose Selects hex codes 80 through 9F in the character sets as control codes. Cancels the
command ESC 6.
Discussion This code overrides the control panel setting Alt. Char Set.
96
Character Set Select: Set 2 (B)
ASCII Code ESC 6
Hex Code 1B 36
Dec Code 27 54
Purpose Selects hex codes 80 through 9F in the character sets as printable symbols. Cancels the
command ESC 7.
Discussion This control code overrides the control panel setting Alt. Char Set. Appendix C shows
the printable symbols for hex codes 80 through 9F.
Condensed Print
ASCII Code SI ESC SI
Hex Code 0F 1B 0F
Dec Code 15 27 15
Purpose Sets condensed print.
Discussion If the emulation is set at 5 cpi, it is changed to 8.55 cpi.
If the emulation is set at 10 cpi, it is changed to 17.1 cpi.
If the emulation is set at 12 cpi, it is changed to 20 cpi.
If the emulation is set at NLQ 12 cpi, it is changed to 17.1 cpi.
You may enable/disable condensed print using the control panel; the default is
Enable. Once you enable condensed print using the control panel, this control
code sets condensed print to enabled until it is canceled by control code DC2, a
printer reset, or a new print mode (ESC I) control code.
Example The following sample shows condensed character printing and reset.
Condensed Print, Cancel
ASCII Code DC2 ESC DC2
Hex Code 12 1B 12
Dec Code 18 27 18
Purpose Cancels condensed character printing and sets pitch to 10 cpi.
Discussion The Condensed Print Cancel command sets the character pitch to 10 cpi, or 5 cpi
if printing is set for double wide.
Example See the SI control code above for an example of Condensed Print Cancel.
97
Deselect Printer
ASCII Code ESC Q 22
Hex Code 1B 51 16
Dec Code 27 81 22
Purpose Stops the printer from processing data received from the host computer.
Discussion This code is for diagnostic use; it instructs the printer to stop processing data received
from the host system. In order to resume processing data, the printer must be reset
from the host system.
Double Wide Print
ASCII Code ESC W n
Hex Code 1B 57 n
Dec Code 27 87 n
Purpose Selects or cancels double wide (expanded) print.
where n may range from 0 through 255 (hex 00 through hex FF).
If n = 1, 3, 5 ... (any odd value), double wide print is selected.
If n = 0, 2, 4 ... (any even value), double wide print is cancelled.
Discussion An ESC W code sets or cancels double wide print, as follows:
When expanded print using ESC W is received, all characters print double wide until
cancelled by an even parameter hex code.
Double wide print can also be set via the command SO and ESC SO, double wide print
for one line only. An ESC W code overrides these settings.
Example The following sample illustrates expanded character printing and expanded character
printing reset.
98
Double Wide Print (One Line Only)
ASCII Code SO ESC SO
Hex Code 0E 1B 0E
Dec Code 14 27 14
Purpose Selects double wide print for one line only.
Discussion This expanded print command is a line-by-line print attribute; when the SO or ESC SO
command is received, the current line will be printed double wide and automatically reset.
This command can be reset by a paper motion command (FF, LF, VT, CR), by the DC4
(double wide cancel) code, CAN or ESC W (double wide print).
Example The following sample illustrates Expanded Print for one line only.
Double
Wide
Print
(One
Line
Only) Cancel
ASCII Code DC4 ESC DC4
Hex Code 14 1B 14
Dec Code 20 27 20
Purpose Cancels double wide print, if it was set by command SO.
Discussion The DC4 code cancels Double Wide Print command SO. If Double Wide Print is not
enabled, the DC4 code is ignored. A DC4 code can occur at any place in the
datastream and is acted upon immediately.
Emphasized Print
ASCII Code ESC E
Hex Code 1B 45
Dec Code 27 69
Purpose Selects emphasized character print format.
Discussion When the emphasized print command is received, all characters will be printed in
emphasized (bold) print until reset by the Emphasized Print Reset command or printer
reset. Emphasized print reduces the current print speed.
NOTE: The ESC G (page 94) and ESC E commands are equivalent; they produce the same print effect.
Example The following sample illustrates emphasized character printing.
99
Emphasized Print, Cancel
ASCII Code ESC F
Hex Code 1B 46
Dec Code 27 70
Purpose Cancels emphasized character printing.
Discussion The emphasized print reset command only resets the emphasized print character
attribute. See Example for using ESC E combined with ESC F.
Form Feed
ASCII Code FF
Hex Code 0C
Dec Code 12
Purpose Prints the data in the buffer, advances the paper to the next top- of-form, and moves
the logical printhead to the first character column.
Discussion Forms length is set by using the control panel or forms length control codes. This
code cancels double wide (expanded) characters if set by the SO command. The
Form Feed command will react differently when the VFU is active. Refer to Chapter
7 in this manual for further information. The Form Feed command will react
differently when the control panel selection “FF Valid at TOF” is disabled. Refer to
the Administrator’s Manual for further information.
Forms Length Set in Inches
ASCII Code ESC C NUL n
Hex Code 1B 43 00 n
Dec Code 27 67 0 n
Purpose Sets the length of forms (paper) in inches.
where n = whole numbers from 1 through 21 (hex 01 through hex 15) to specify the
number of inches on a page. (All larger values are ignored.)
Discussion Upon receipt of this code, the current line becomes the first line of the form, and
the forms length set becomes the current forms length. Vertical tab positions set
below the bottom of the form are ignored; in addition, once a new forms length is
set the bottom margin is set to zero.
Line spacing changes do not affect the result of this command. If the forms length is
set smaller than the line spacing, a form feed advances the paper position to the next
top-of-form position.
Forms length in inches can also be set at the control panel via the LinePrinter+
Form Length menu option (refer to the Administrator’s Manual). However, this host
control code overrides the control panel setting.
100
Forms Length Set in Lines
ASCII Code ESC C n
Hex Code 1B 43 n
Dec Code 27 67 n
Purpose Sets the length of a form (paper) in lines.
where n = 1 through 168 (hex 01 through hex A8) to specify the number of lines per page at
the current line spacing.
Discussion The forms length is defined in inches as the quotient of n divided by the current lines
per inch (lpi) setting. Once the forms length has been set, subsequent line spacing
changes do not affect the result of this command.
If the forms length is set smaller than the line spacing, a form feed advances the
paper position to the next top-of-form position.
If the forms length derived from the quotient of n lines divided by lines per inch is not
an exact multiple of the printer dot resolution, the value is adjusted down until the
forms length and dot resolution distance match.
Forms length can also be set at the control panel via the LinePrinter+ Form Length
menu option (refer to the Administrator’s Manual). However, this host control code
overrides the control panel setting.
Initialize Parameters
ASCII Code ESC [ K n1 NUL n2 n3 n4 n5
Hex Code 1B 5B 4B n1 00 n2 n3 n4 n5
Dec Code 27 91 75 n1 0 n2 n3 n4 n5
Purpose Sets the printer's initial condition.
Discussion This command causes the printer to reset and defines the configuration that will be
loaded to the printer during the reset. Several variables must be specified to define
the load configuration, as described below.
NOTE: An ESC[K code can occur at any place in the datastream and is acted upon immediately. All
numerical parameters are in the hex 00 through FF range unless stated otherwise. Only specified
parameters are supported. Other values may be ignored or cause unpredictable results, and
should be avoided.
n1
The value of n1 defines which of the following n bytes will be included in the command line, as shown in
Table 29. Table 29 n1 Values
n1 Hex Value Function
1 One byte follows (n2)
3 Three bytes follow (n2, n3 and n4)
4 Four bytes follow (n2, n3, n4 and n5)
NOTE: Specifying any value for n1 other than 1, 3, or 4 may cause unpredictable results, and should be
avoided.
101
n2
The 2-digit hexadecimal value for n2 defines the load configuration for the printer. The Proprinter III XL
supports six values for this parameter: 00, 01, 04, 05, 254, and 255 (hex 00, 01, 04, 05, FE, and FF). Any
other value will be ignored.
If any of the six supported values is entered for the n2 parameter, then the printer will reset to the
factory default configuration. Configuration parameters defined by command bytes n4 and n5, if
present, will override conflicting factory default values.
n3
Parameter n3 is provided for compatibility with the Proprinter III XL printer control language standard. You
may define any value for this parameter. (For Proprinters, this bit must define the attached printer as
either Proprinter, value 03, or Proprinter III XL, value 22 [hex 16].)
n4 and n5
Parameter bytes n4 and n5 allow you to define several configuration parameters that will override
conflicting factory default and memory-based configuration values when the printer is reinitialized.
Possible values for n4 and n5 are listed in Table 30 and Table 31, respectively.
NOTE: In addition to the formatting from bytes n4 and n5, this command sets the current line as top-of-
form. It also clears vertical tabs and sets the horizontal tabs at every eight columns, starting at
column 9. Table 30 n4 Values
n4 Bit Function OFF (0) ON (1)
7 Process this byte Process Ignore
6 Reserved Reserved Reserved
5 n/a n/a n/a
4 Line Feed = LF LF + CR
(add CR with each LF)
3 Carriage Return = CR CR + LF
(add LF with each CR)
2 Set forms length 11 inches 12 inches
1 Slashed Zero Disable Enable
0 Character set 1 (A) 2 (B)
102
Table 31 n5 Values
n5 Bit Function OFF (0) ON (1)
7 Process this byte Process Ignore
6 Code page 437 850
5 Unidirectional
Printing Bidirectional Unidirectional
4 12 cpi compressed
to 20 20 12
3 n/a n/a n/a
2 Form feed at TOF Enable Ignore
1 Print Width 13.2 inches 8 inches
0 Sheet feeder n/a n/a
Line Feed
ASCII Code LF
Hex Code 0A
Dec Code 10
Purpose Prints the data in the buffer (if any) and advances the paper one line at the current
line space setting.
Discussion If configured for LF equals new line (LF = CR + LF), the logical print head is
positioned at character column 1 of the new line. Otherwise, the logical print head
does not move when configured for LF function only (LF = LF only). The LF
function cancels double wide (expanded) characters if set by the SO command.
Line feed can occur at any place in the datastream and is acted upon immediately.
Line Feed n/216 Inch (One Line Only)
ASCII Code ESC J n
Hex Code 1B 4A n
Dec Code 27 74 n
Purpose Advances the vertical character position n/216 inch for one line only.
where n = 1 through 255 (hex 01 through hex FF).
Discussion The n/216-inch line feed control code is effective for one line only. All single-line-only
print attributes are canceled.
If the emulation is configured for LF equals newline (LF=CR+LF), the paper advances
one line at the n line spacing setting and the logical print head is positioned at
character column 1.
The paper position moves only in multiples of the current dot row spacing. If the
distance to move is other than a multiple of the current dot row spacing, the remainder
is added to the next paper motion command.
Small values of n may result in overlapping lines. Overlapping lines may also occur if
103
print attributes such as Elongated (Double High), Superscript, or Subscript characters
are used on the same line. Printing at different horizontal and vertical densities will not
overlap.
Example The following example illustrates n/216-inch line spacing.
Line
Spacing 1/8
Inch (8 lpi)
ASCII Code ESC 0
Hex Code 1B 30
Dec Code 27 48
Purpose Specifies continuous line spacing at 1/8-inch increments (8 lpi).
Discussion When the 1/8-inch line spacing control code is received, all lines will be printed at 8
lpi until a new line spacing is selected or the printer is reset.
Example The following example illustrates 1/8-inch line spacing.
Line Spacing 7/72 Inch (10.3 lpi)
ASCII Code ESC 1
Hex Code 1B 31
Dec Code 27 49
Purpose Specifies the line spacing at 7/72-inch (10.3 lpi) increments.
Discussion When the 7/72-inch line spacing control code is received, all lines will be printed at
the 7/72-inch line spacing until a new line spacing is selected or the printer is reset.
The control code line spacing selection will override the control panel line spacing
setting, and the message display will reflect the line spacing as 10.3 lines per inch.
Caution should be used when combining this control code with other print
attributes such as Elongated (Double High), Superscript, or Subscript; overlapping
lines may occur.
Example The following example illustrates 7/72-inch line spacing.
104
Line Spacing n/72 Inch (Executes)
ASCII Code ESC 2
Hex Code 1B 32
Dec Code 27 50
Purpose ESC 2 sets line spacing to 6 lpi or as set by ESC A.
Discussion ESC 2 asserts n/72-inch line spacing as set by ESC A (page 104). If no distance has
been set by ESC A, the distance is 1/6 inch.
The control code line spacing selection will override the control panel line spacing setting.
Example The following example illustrates 1/6-inch line spacing and assumes that a distance has
not been set by ESC A.
Line Spacing
n/72 Inch
(Storage)
ASCII Code ESC A n
Hex Code 1B 41 n
Dec Code 27 65 n
Purpose Stores a line spacing of n/72-inch increments.
where n = 1 through 255 (hex 01 through hex FF).
All others values are ignored.
Discussion This control code stores a value for line spacing of n/72 inch. The ESC 2 control
code (described on page 104) executes the line spacing stored by the preceding
ESC A, until a new line spacing is selected or the printer is reset. A control code
line spacing overrides a control panel line spacing setting. (The control panel
display shows line spacing in lines per inch.)
Small values of n may result in overlapping lines. Overlapping lines may also occur
if print attributes such as Elongated (Double High), Superscript, or Subscript
characters are used on the same line. Common values of n are listed in Table 32.
Table 32 Line Spacing values
n Line Spacing
24 3 lpi
18 4 lpi
12 6 lpi
9 8 lpi
8 9 lpi
6 12 lpi
Example The following example illustrates 20/72-inch line spacing.
105
Line Spacing
n/216 Inch
ASCII Code ESC 3 n
Hex Code 1B 33 n
Dec Code 27 51 n
Purpose Specifies the line spacing at n/216-inch increments.
where n = 1 through 255 (hex 01 through hex FF).
Discussion When the n/216-inch line spacing control code is received, all line feeds following will
be at n/216-inch line spacing until a new line spacing is selected or the printer is reset.
The control code line spacing selection will override the control panel line spacing
setting.
The vertical character position moves only in multiples of the current dot row spacing.
If the distance to move is other than a multiple of the current dot row spacing, the
remainder is added to the next paper motion command.
Caution should be used when combining this control code with other print attributes
such as Elongated (Double High), Superscript, or Subscript; overlapping lines may
occur.
Example The following example illustrates n/216-inch line spacing.
Margin, Bottom
ASCII Code ESC N n
Hex Code 1B 4E n
Dec Code 27 78 n
Purpose Sets the bottom margin.
Discussion n defines the number of lines above the bottom of the form to set as the bottom
margin. n has a range from 1 through 255 (hex 01 through hex FF). The actual margin
in inches is the quotient of n divided by the current lines per inch (lpi).
If a line feed command causes the active position to advance below the bottom
margin, the paper advances to the top of the next form. If the bottom margin set is
equal to or greater than the form length, printing is only allowed on the top line of
each page. If the forms length is changed by the ESC C code (Forms Length
106
sequence), the bottom margin is set to zero.
The bottom margin setting can also be selected from the control panel; however,
the host control code will override the control panel setting. Any vertical tabs set
within the bottom margin zone will be ignored.
Margin Cancel, Bottom
ASCII Code ESC O
Hex Code 1B 4F
Dec Code 27 79
Purpose Resets the bottom margin to zero.
Margins, Horizontal
ASCII Code ESC X n m
Hex Code 1B 58 n m
Dec Code 27 88 n m
Purpose Sets left and right margins in character positions.
where n = left margin position
m = right margin position
Discussion The values of n and m must be in the range from 0 through 255 (hex 00 through hex FF).
The margins are measured in character positions at the current characters per inch (cpi).
n is the column number from the left edge of the paper. For example, n = 5 means that
the line starts at column number 5. Therefore it has a left margin of 4.
m is the column number from the right edge of the paper. For example, m = 56 means
that the line ends on column 80 if the form width is 136.
Overscoring
ASCII Code ESC _ n
Hex Code 1B 5F n
Dec Code 27 95 n
Purpose Enables or disables automatic overscoring of all characters.
where n may range from 0 through 255 (hex 00 through hex FF).
n = 0, 2, 4... disables automatic overscoring (any even value from hex 00 through hex
FE)
n = 1, 3, 5... enables automatic overscoring (any odd value from hex 01 through hex FF)
Discussion When automatic overscore is enabled, all characters, including spaces, are overscored.
Full-height graphics characters are not overscored.
Example The following sample illustrates automatic overscoring and overscoring reset.
107
Print All Characters
ASCII Code ESC \ n1 n2
Hex Code 1B 5C n1 n2
Dec Code 27 92 n1 n2
Purpose Prints the characters assigned to code points as characters, rather than interpreting the
code values as commands.
where n1 + 256n2 defines the number of data bytes to follow
n1 = (Number of DATA bytes) - 256(n2) (remainder of division of number of DATA bytes
by 256, sometimes referred to as MOD 256)
n2 = (Number of DATA bytes) / 256 (quotient of division)
Discussion The number of data bytes specified by n1 + 256n2 will print as text. Valid numerical
parameters are in the range 0 through 255 (hex 00 through hex FF). Data values that do
not correspond to standard ASCII codes will print as spaces.
Print Next Character
ASCII Code ESC ^ n
Hex Code 1B 5E n
Dec Code 27 94 n
Purpose Prints the graphic character assigned to n, rather than interpreting the code value as a
command.
Discussion This command may appear anywhere in the data stream, and will be acted upon
immediately. Valid numerical parameters are in the range 0 through 255 (hex 00 through
hex FF).
Print Mode
ASCII Code ESC I n (uppercase “i”)
Hex Code 1B 49 n
Dec Code 27 73 n
Purpose Selects a print mode.
Discussion This control code selects a print mode from among the choices listed in Table 33.
Table 33 Print Mode Values
n Hex Function
00 DP 10 cpi
01
HS 12 cpi
02
NLQ Sans Serif 10 cpi
03
NLQ 10 cpi
04
DP 10 cpi
05
HS 12 cpi
06
NLQ Sans Serif 10 cpi
07
NLQ 10 cpi
0B
NLQ Italic Proportional
0F
NLQ Italic 10 cpi
108
There are several duplicate function values that select the same print quality. These are provided for
compatibility with the Proprinter III XL standard.
NOTE: If you specify any value other than the ones shown in Table 33, unpredictable results may occur.
Print Quality
ASCII Code ESC x n
Hex Code 1B 78 n
Dec Code 27 120 n
Purpose This code selects a print quality.
where n = 0 or 48 (hex 00 or hex 30) selects DP print quality n = 1 or 49 (hex 01 or hex 31)
selects NLQ print quality n = 2 or 50 (hex 02 or hex 32) selects HS print quality
n = 3 or 51 (hex 03 or hex 33) selects OCR A print quality
n = 4 or 52 (hex 04 or hex 34) selects OCR B print quality
Comment When you select NLQ, the font is serif. Print qualities selected with this command override
control panel selections. Selecting an OCR print quality overrides any character attributes
already set, such as condensed, double-wide, etc. These attributes will not return when
another print quality is set. Character attributes set when OCR is selected will be ignored.
Proportional Spacing
ASCII Code ESC P n
Hex Code 1B 50 n
Dec Code 27 80 n
Purpose Enables/disables proportional spacing of characters.
where n may range from 0 through 255 (hex 00 through hex FF).
n = 1, 3, 5...(any odd value) enables proportional spacing
n = 0, 2, 4...(any even value) disables proportional spacing
Comment This command is ignored when a non-proportional font is used.
Select Attributes
ASCII Code ESC [ @ n1 NUL NUL NUL n2 n3
Hex Code 1B 5B 40 n1 00 00 00 n2 n3
Dec Code 27 91 64 n1 0 0 0 n2 n3
Purpose Selects double high and double wide attributes, and single or double high line
spacing.
Discussion Parameter n1 selects the attributes from n2 and n3, as follows:
Table 34 Select Attributes n1 Values
n1 (Hex) Function
03 Set character height and line feed settings according
to the value of n2. (If n1 = 03, there is no n3).
04 Set character height, line feed, and character
settings according to the values of n2 and n3.
109
Parameter n2 defines the height attributes, as follows:
Table 35 Select Attributes n2 Values
n2 (Hex) Function
00 No change
01 Set single height characters
02 Set double height characters
10 Set single line spacing
11 Set single height characters and single line spacing
12 Set double high characters and single line spacing
20 Set double line spacing
21 Set single height characters and double line spacing
22 Set double high characters and double line spacing
Parameter n3 defines the width attributes, as follows:
Table 36 Select Attributes n3 Values
n3 (Hex) Function
00 No change
01 Set single wide characters
02 Set double wide characters
An ESC [ @ code can occur at any place in the datastream and is acted upon immediately.
All numerical parameters are in the hex 00 through FF range unless stated otherwise.
Set Top-of-Form
ASCII Code ESC 4
Hex Code 1B 34
Dec Code 27 52
Purpose Sets the current paper position as the top-of-form.
110
Superscript/Subscript Printing
ASCII Code ESC S n
Hex Code 1B 53 n
Dec Code 27 83 n
Purpose Selects superscript or subscript printing.
where n may range from 0 through 255 (hex 00 through hex FF).
n = 1, 3, 5 (any odd value), selects subscript printing.
n = 0, 2, 4 (any even value), selects superscript printing.
Discussion When the super/subscript command is received, all characters will be superscript or
subscript until reset by the super/subscript reset command or printer reset.
Super/subscript print modes are not available for the double high attribute.
You can print both superscript and subscript characters in the same character column
by using the Backspace (BS) control code, but these characters will not print when
double high printing is in effect.
NOTE: Superscript and subscript characters print at the same size as the current font, shifted up or down
relative to the print line.
Example The following sample illustrates superscript/subscript printing.
Superscript/Subscript Printing, Cancel
ASCII Code ESC T
Hex Code 1B 54
Dec Code 27 84
Purpose Cancels superscript and subscript printing (as set by ESC S). This code can occur at any
place in the datastream and is acted upon immediately.
Tab, Horizontal
ASCII Code HT
Hex Code 09
Dec Code 09
Purpose Moves the logical printhead right to the next horizontal tab stop.
Discussion Power-on default horizontal tabs are set at every eighth character starting at position 9
(9, 17, 25). If there are no horizontal tabs set or the logical printhead is located at the last
character column, the code is ignored and no movement occurs.
If double-wide, double-high attributes are enabled, single-wide character spacing is used.
Horizontal tabs are stored as a relative position; therefore, character pitch changes will
111
change horizontal tab positions. Refer to the ESC D control code description (page 111)
to set new tab positions.
Tab Set/Clear, Horizontal
ASCII Code ESC D n1 n2...nk NUL
Hex Code 1B 44 n1 n2...nk 00
Dec Code 27 68 n1 n2...nk 0
Purpose Sets up to 28 horizontal tab positions.
Discussion n1, n2, up to nk denote character column positions for tab stops (at the current character
pitch), where n1 and n2 represent the first two tab stops and nk is the final tab stop. You
may specify from 1 up to 28 tab stops (all parameters after 28 are ignored). The leftmost
character column position is 1. The value for each tab stop can range from 1 through 255
(hex 01 through hex FF), inclusive, and all tabs must be specified in ascending order.
Any out-of-order symbols are ignored, though the remainder of the sequence is
processed.
If you are defining a sequence of tabs, terminate the string with a 00H (not an ESC D
00H). If you want every column to be set with a horizontal tab, use ESC D 00H. If only
one tab position is set and it is beyond the right margin, then every column is also set as
a horizontal tab. Any change in character pitch within a line changes the tab positions for
the entire line. All control codes that define horizontal distance expressed in units of
characters are stored internally in character columns.
Example The following example illustrates horizontal tab setting and accessing.
Tab, Vertical
ASCII Code VT
Hex Code 0B
Dec Code 11
Purpose Prints the data in the buffer and advances the paper to the next vertical tab position.
Discussion In the Proprinter III XL emulation, vertical tab positions are set by control code ESC B
and executed by control code VT. In this mode, if vertical tabs are loaded, the paper
position moves to the next vertical tab position.
If a vertical tab format is not defined, the paper position is advanced to the next line at
the current line spacing. If a vertical tab format is defined but no vertical tab positions
are set between the current print position and the end of the form, the paper position is
advanced to the top of the next form. The VT code resets all single line print attributes.
More information on vertical tabs is provided in the Chapter 7.
If configured for LF = CR + LF (LF equals new line), the character position indicator is
positioned at character column 1 of the new line. Otherwise, the character position
indicator does not move.
112
Tab Set/Clear, Vertical
ASCII Code ESC B n1 n2 ... nk NUL
Hex Code 1B 42 n1 n2 ... nk 00
Dec Code 27 66 n1 n2 ... nk 0
Purpose Sets or clears vertical tab positions.
Discussion The physical position on the paper is defined by n and the current line spacing.
where n = vertical tab setting (in lines), and
k = number of tabs possible.
The value of n can be defined in the range of 1 through 255 (hex 01 through hex FF),
inclusive, while k is defined in the range of 1 through 64 (hex 01 through 40). Any value
for k over 64 is ignored. Subsequent line spacing changes affect the tab position. If the
value of n exceeds the forms length, that tab position is ignored.
Vertical tab positions are set by the command ESC B and executed by the command VT.
The tab positions must be in ascending order, or the emulation ignores the out-of-order
symbols. If the ESC B command is followed immediately by hex 00, the vertical tab
positions are cleared.
Example The following sample illustrates Vertical Tab Setting. To run the sample, set your
printer at top-of-form.
Tabs, Clear All (Return to default)
ASCII Code ESC R
Hex Code 1B 52
Dec Code 27 82
Purpose Clears all horizontal and vertical tab stops.
Discussion When ESC R is invoked, horizontal tab stops reinitialize to every eight columns,
starting at column 9 (9, 17, 25). In addition, the vertical tabs are cleared.
Underline
ASCII Code ESC - n
Hex Code 1B 2D n
Dec Code 27 45 n
Purpose Enables or disables automatic underlining of all characters.
Discussion When automatic underline is enabled, all characters, including spaces, are underlined
until disabled.
113
where n may range from 0 through 255 (hex 01 through hex FF).
n = 1, 3, 5 (any odd value) selects underlining.
n = 0, 2, 4 (any even value) cancels underlining.
Example The following sample illustrates automatic underlining and underlining reset.
Unidirectional Printing
ASCII Code ESC U n
Hex Code 1B 55 n
Dec Code 27 85 n
Purpose Sets or cancels unidirectional printing. While this feature reduces print speed by 1/2,
the increased print quality will improve the readability of barcodes and graphics.
Discussion This code sets or cancels unidirectional printing, as follows:
where n may range from 0 through 255 (hex 00 through hex FF).
n = 1, 3, 5 (any odd value) selects unidirectional text printing.
n = 0, 2, 4 (any even value) cancels unidirectional text printing.
114
115
Epson FX-1050 Emulation
Overview
This chapter describes the Epson FX emulation host control codes. “Emulation” refers to the ability of a
printer to execute the commands of a particular printer control language. A printer control language is the
coding system used to convey, manipulate, and print data. It contains character codes and command
sequences that configure the emulation. In this manual, the terms emulation, printer protocol, and printer
control language are synonymous.
In Epson FX emulation mode, your printer can print files coded for the Epson FX printer control language.
To select the Epson FX emulation as the active printer emulation, select LinePrinter Plus from the
EMULATION menu and Epson FX from the Printer Protocol menu, as described in the Administrator’s
Manual.
The Epson FX emulation provides many configurable parameters. The default parameter values for this
emulation are shown in Table 37. You can modify these parameter values in two ways:
• The Epson FX host control codes. An extensive set of Epson FX control code commands can be
sent to the printer from an attached host computer via the host data stream. Most of this chapter is
devoted to describing the Epson FX control code commands.
• The printer configuration menus. You can modify a subset of the Epson FX emulation parameters
using the control panel switches and LCD display, as described in the Administrator’s Manual.
A parameter value set by a host control code generally overrides a value set from the printer's control
panel.
NOTE: Configuration values selected from the menus or via host control codes can be saved to the
printer's NVRAM memory so that they will not be lost when you power off the printer or reset it to
the factory defaults. The menu selection for saving a configuration to memory is described in the
Administrator’s Manual.
Epson FX-1050 Default Values and States
The factory settings for the Epson FX-1050 emulation menu options are shown in Table 37. Table 38 lists
additional factory settings for parameters provided by the LinePrinter+ formatting menus. (The
EMULATION menu options are described in the Administrator’s Manual). Host control codes can override
many of the settings for these menu options.
Table 37 Epson Emulation Menu Option Factory Settings
Characteristic Default Setting
Define CR Code CR = CR
116
Table 38 LinePrinter+ Menu Option Factory Settings
Characteristic Default Setting
CPI 10.0
LPI 6.0
Typeface Data Processing
Proportional Spacing Disable
Bold Print Disable
Italic Print Disable
Slashed Zero Disable
Left Margin 0 columns
Right Margin 0 columns
Bottom Margin 0 lines
Perforation Skip Disable
Form Length 11.0 inches
279.4 millimeters
66 lines
Form Width 13.6 inches
345.4 millimeters
136 characters
Reset Cmd CFG Ld Disable
Epson Emulation Exceptions and Differences
Because of mechanical differences between your line matrix printer and Epson printers (moving printhead
serial matrix printers), some Epson features are approximated or not supported.
• Epson codes that produce different behavior in your printer are indicated by a “dagger” (†) in the
Control Code Index.
• The Epson emulation supports the following fonts: DP, NLQ Serif and Sans Serif, Draft with 10 cpi, 12
cpi and 15 cpi in either condensed or normal widths, and OCR A and OCR B in 10 cpi. Condensed
printing at 10 cpi in DP quality maps to 17.1 cpi. Character pitches other than 10 DP cpi map to 20 cpi
in DP and 17.1 cpi in NLQ.
• Epson bit-image graphics are supported, including all plotter and CRT densities.
• Many character sets are available, including IBM-PC Graphics (IBM Code Page 0437) and Epson.
You can configure the zero character to contain a slash or no slash.
• The Double Wide print control codes (ESC W, SO) double character width, but not inter-character
spacing, unlike the Epson FX-1050. The formulas for total character spacing are as follows:
Epson FX-1050 2 (char + 1 dot + space)
Epson Emulation 2 (char + 1 dot) + space
117
• The Condensed Print (SI) control code condenses character width but not inter-character spacing,
unlike the Epson FX-1050 which condenses both character width and spacing.
• If one or more Backspace control codes follow directly after a Bit Image Graphics command (ESC K,
ESC L, ESC Y, or ESC Z), the printer will backspace into the graphic pattern, the number of dots
depending on the current cpi setting. For an Epson FX-1050 printer, one Backspace will send the
logical printhead directly to the beginning of the graphics pattern.
• When backspacing over proportionally spaced characters, Epson printers move back the width of
each proportional character; this emulation moves back based on the current cpi setting, as if
proportional spacing is disabled.
Epson Character Sets
Epson printers use five character sets. The IBM PC code page, OCR A, OCR B, and an extensive array
of print language sets may be selected from the configuration menus. In addition, there is a unique Epson
character set. The Epson character set (shown in Table 39) is the ASCII character set with the upper,
non-ASCII set defined as italics, and the usually unprintable codes designated as international
characters.
Table 39 Epson Character Set
Hex 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
0 à § SP 0 @ P ‘ p à § SP 0 @ P ‘ p
1 è ß ! 1 A Q a q è ß ! 1 A Q a q
2 ù DC2 " 2 B R b r ù Æ " 2 B R b r
3 ò DC3 # 3 C S c s ò æ # 3 C S c s
4 ì DC4 $ 4 D T d t ì ø $ 4 D T d t
5 ° ø % 5 E U e u ° ø % 5 E U e u
6 £ ¨ & 6 F V f v £ ¨ & 6 F V f v
7 BEL Ä ‘ 7 G W g w i Ä ’ 7 G W g w
8 BS CAN ( 8 H X h x ¿ Ö ( 8 H X h x
9 HT Ü ) 9 I Y i y Ñ Ü ) 9 I Y i y
A LF ä * : J Z j z ñ ä * : J Z j z
B VT ESC + ; K [ k { ¤ ö + ; K [ k {
C FF ü ’ < L \ l | Pt ü , < L \ l |
D CR É – = M ] m } Å É – = M ] m }
E SO é . > N ^ n ~ å é . > N ^ n ~
F SI ¥ / ? O _ o DEL Ç ¥ / ? O _ o ø
The international characters in hex 00-1F and hex 80-9F can be printed when you invoke control code
ESC I 1 (see page 128). You may use the Epson configuration menus described in the Administrator’s
Manual (or the ESC R control code) to select an international character set.
Normally, these characters are either blank or control codes. The implementation is that the control codes
hide the non-italic international characters, even in hex 00 through 1F, and DEL. DEL conceals the non-
italic slashed zero.
118
Configuring the Epson FX-1050 Emulation with Control
Codes
The remainder of this chapter describes the Epson printer control language codes that may be sent from
a host computer attached to the printer, in order to invoke and configure numerous Epson emulation
functions.
Format for Control Code Descriptions
The following information is listed for each control code (where applicable):
Name The title or function of the command.
ASCII Code The ASCII mnemonic for the command is shown. Command sequences are in 7-bit
(ASCII) form.
Hex Code The code or command sequence in hexadecimal numbers.
Dec Code The code or command sequence in decimal numbers.
Purpose The function(s) of the control code.
Discussion A discussion of the uses of the code or command sequence, including a description of
exceptions or limitations to normal use.
Example A sample is provided when it is possible to illustrate the effect of a control code or if a
specific syntax is required.
† (“dagger”) This symbol means the code produces non-Epson behavior in your printer.
NOTE: If you specify any parameters for a control code other than the ones that are defined in the control
code description, unpredictable results may occur.
Escape Sequences
An Epson control code consisting of more than one character is called an escape sequence because the
first character in the sequence is always the ASCII ESCape character. ESC alerts the printer that a
special function command (not printable characters) follows.
The format for an Epson escape sequence is:
(ESC)(parameter 1)(parameter 2)...(parameter n)
For example, to select emphasized (offset) print, send the ESC character immediately followed by the E
character (do not add a space character):
ASCII: ESC E Hex: 1B 45
Attribute Set and Reset Codes
Set and reset are another way of saying turn on and turn off, select and deselect, or enable and disable.
Some printer features are set and reset with an escape sequence and the numbers 1 or 0. In such cases
you can represent 1 and 0 as hexadecimal codes 01 and 00, or as the ASCII codes for the numerals 1
and 0 (hexadecimal 31 and 30).
NUL Code
NUL (Hex 00) is ignored by the printer and can be used as a fill character; however, it can not be used to
add blank spaces since it is not a space character. NUL can also be used as a parameter terminator for
the Set Horizontal Tabs (page 132) or Set Vertical Tabs multibyte control code (page 149).
NOTE: Hex 80 in the 0437 PC Character Set and hex 7F in the 0850 PC Character Set are treated as a
NUL; however, these two controls can not be used as parameter terminators.
119
Switching Between the Emulations
The printer supports several different emulations. PCL-II is the default. P- Series, Proprinter III XL, and
Epson FX-1050 are all a part of the LinePrinter Plus emulation.
The following command switches from PCL-II to Epson:
ESC%-00002X
To switch from Epson to PCL-II, send the following command to the printer:
ESC|};KD
The Control Codes
The following index lists the control codes by function, ASCII mnemonic, and page number. Some control
code functions can also be selected at the control panel.
† = Produces non-Epson behavior in your printer.
FUNCTION
ASCII CODE
PAGE
Vertical Motion and Print Execution
Carriage Return CR 122
Form Feed FF 130
Line Feed LF 134
Line Feed n/216 Inch ESC J n 134
Line Spacing 1/6 Inch (6 lpi) ESC 2 134
Line Spacing 1/8 Inch (8 lpi) ESC 0 135
Line Spacing 7/72 Inch ESC 1 135
Line Spacing n/216 Inch ESC 3 n 135
Line Spacing n/72 Inch ESC A n 136
†
Paper Out Detection, Enable ESC 9 139
†
Paper Out Detection, Disable ESC 8 139
Select Vertical Tab Channel ESC / c 143
Set Form Length in Inches ESC C NUL n 144
Set Form Length in Lines ESC C n 145
Set Vertical Tabs in Channels ESC b c n1 n2 n3…n16 NUL 146
Skip Over Perforation ESC N n 147
Skip Over Perforation, Cancel ESC O 147
Vertical Tab, Execute VT 149
Vertical Tab Set/Clear ESC B n1 n2 … nk NUL 149
120
FUNCTION
ASCII CODE
PAGE
Horizontal Motion
†
Backspace BS 121
Carriage Return CR 122
Character Pitch 10 cpi ESC P 122
Character Pitch 12 cpi ESC M 122
Horizontal Tab Execute HT 132
Horizontal Tab Set/Release ESC D n1 … nk NUL 132
Select/Deselect Proportional Spacing ESC p n 143
Set Absolute Horz Print Position in 1/60 Inch ESC $ n1 n2 144
Set Intercharacter Spacing in 1/120 Inch ESC SP n 145
Set Margin, Left ESC I n 145
Set Margin, Right ESC Q n 146
Set Relative Horz Print Position in 1/120 Inch ESC \ n1 n2 146
Emphasis
†
Condensed Print SI (or ESC SI) 124
Condensed Print Reset DC2 125
Double High Print, Set/Reset ESC w n 125
Double Strike ESC G 126
Double Strike, Cancel ESC H 126
†
Double Wide Print ESC W n 127
†
Double Wide Print (One Line) SO (or ESC SO) 127
Double Wide Print (One Line), Cancel DC4 127
Emphasized Print ESC E 128
Emphasized Print, Cancel ESC F 128
Italic Printing ESC 4 133
Italic Printing, Cancel ESC 5 133
†
Superscript and Subscript Printing ESC S n 147
Superscript and Subscript Printing, Cancel ESC T 148
Underline ESC - n 148
Print Quality Control
†
Character Pitch 15 cpi ESC g 123
†
Define a Download Character ESC & 125
†
Master Print Select ESC ! n 139
†
Remove Downloaded Characters ESC : NUL n NUL 141
†
Select Print Quality ESC x n 142
†
Select Serif or Sans Serif Font ESC k n 143
†
Select User-Defined Font ESC % n 143
Character Set Manipulation
Character Set Select: International Languages ESC R n 123
Enable Printing Hex Codes 00-1F and 80-9F ESC I n 128
Make Hex 80-9F Control Codes ESC 7 136
Make Hex 80-9F Printable ESC 6 136
Select Italic Character Set ESC t n 142
121
FUNCTION
ASCII CODE
PAGE
Data Manipulation
Cancel Line CAN 122
†
Clear Bit 7 of Incoming Data Bytes to 0 ESC = 124
Delete Character DEL 125
Pass Bit 7 from Host ESC # 140
Set Bit 7 of Incoming Data Bytes to 1 ESC > 144
Backspace
ASCII Code BS
Hex Code 08
Dec Code 08
Purpose Moves the logical print head to the left one character space toward the first character
column.
Discussion Assures that the previous printable characters will be printed, then moves the logical print
head one character space to the left at the current pitch setting (which includes double
wide and ESC SP). If the logical print head bumps into the left margin, it stops.
† When backspacing over proportionally spaced characters, Epson printers move back the
width of each proportional character; this emulation moves back based on the current cpi
setting, as if proportional spacing is disabled.
† If one or more Backspace control codes follow directly after a Bit Image Graphics
command (ESC K, ESC L, ESC Y, or ESC Z), your printer will backspace into the graphic
pattern, the number of dots depending on the current cpi setting. For an Epson FX- 1050
printer, one Backspace will send the logical printhead directly to the beginning of the
graphics pattern.
Example If you were to print five “T” characters, then two BS commands, then two “=” characters,
the output would look like the sample below:
Bell
ASCII Code BEL
Hex Code 07
Dec Code 07
Purpose Sounds the printer's buzzer/beeper.
Discussion The BEL function will sound the buzzer/beeper for 0.2 seconds upon receipt of this
command.
122
Cancel Line
ASCII Code CAN
Hex Code 18
Dec Code 24
Purpose Clears all unprinted data from a line, but does not affect control codes.
Discussion You can use this control code to delete a line, but do so with caution to avoid possible
misprinting. This control code cancels the double wide attribute set by SO. No other print
attributes are affected. The logical print head goes to the print position it had after the last
CR or paper motion command.
Carriage Return
ASCII Code CR
Hex Code 0D
Dec Code 13
Purpose Prints the data in the buffer, then returns the logical print head to the left margin.
Discussion Subsequent data are shifted 1/2 dot position to the right. A line feed will be appended if
the printer is configured from the control panel for CR = CR + LF. When CR = CR + LF,
this code cancels all one-line-only emphasis and font controls: double-wide from SO and
ESC SO, and unidirectional printing from ESC <.
Character Pitch 10 CPI
ASCII Code ESC P
Hex Code 1B 50
Dec Code 27 80
Purpose Sets character pitch to 10 characters per inch (cpi).
Discussion This command is normally used to cancel 12 cpi.
Character Pitch 12 CPI
ASCII Code ESC M
Hex Code 1B 4D
Dec Code 27 77
Purpose Sets character pitch to 12 characters per inch (cpi).
Discussion This command is available in all print modes except OCR A and OCR B.
123
Character Pitch 15 CPI
ASCII Code ESC g
Hex Code 1B 67
Dec Code 27 103
Purpose Sets character pitch to 15 characters per inch (cpi).
†Discussion This command is not defined in Epson FX printers. It is included in this emulation for
compatibility with the Okidata KX-P1180 printer. This command is available in all print
modes except OCR A and OCR B.
Character Set Select: International Languages
ASCII Code ESC R n
Hex Code 1B 52 n
Dec Code 27 82 n
Purpose Specifies a language overlay that prints the characters shown in Table 40 when the
specified code is invoked.
where n = 0 through 15 (hex 00 through 0E) to determine the language overlay shown in Table
40 below. Epson only defines character sets through hex 0C.
Table 40 Epson International Character Sets
(Hex)
If
n=
International
Character Set Is: Hex Codes
23 24 40 5B 5C 5D 5E 60 7B 7C 7D 7E
0 USA
1 French
2 German
3 English (UK)
4 Danish I
5 Swedish
6 Italian
7 Spanish I
8 Japanese
9 Norwegian
A Danish II
B Spanish II
C Latin American I
D French Canadian
E Latin American II
Discussion This control code setting overrides a character set selection made at the control panel.
124
Example The following example illustrates international character selection using the IBM PC
character set.
Clear Bit 7 of Incoming Data Bytes to 0
ASCII Code ESC =
Hex Code 1B 3D
Dec Code 27 61
Purpose Sets the most significant bit (MSB) of all incoming data to 0.
†Discussion The MSB is bit number 7. This command only affects text and control code data.
Graphics data passes through unchanged. Some applications always set the MSB of
print data to one (1), which results in italic or graphics printing in Epson printers. This
command overcomes the problem.
This command does not suppress hex FF from printing.
Condensed Print
ASCII Code SI ESC SI
Hex Code 0F 1B 0F
Dec Code 15 27 15
Purpose Condenses print pitch as close to 60% of the former character width as possible (up to 20
characters per inch).
Discussion The condensed print command affects all subsequent characters. After the printer
receives code SI, all characters are printed condensed (approximately 60 per cent of the
width of normal characters) until the printer is reset by ESC M, ESC P, DC2, a printer
reset, or a new print mode control code. SI code (hex 0F) is equivalent to the ESC SI
code. If condensed print is not allowed in the current font, this code is ignored.
Proportionally spaced text cannot be condensed. Proportional spacing overrides
condensed printing.
When condensed print is selected, the following character pitches go into effect:
• DP 10 cpi condenses to DP 17.1 cpi. NLQ 10, 12, and 15 cpi condense to NLQ 17.1 cpi. Draft 10 cpi
condenses to Draft 17.1 cpi.
• DP 12 and 15 cpi condense to DP 20. Draft 12 and 15 cpi condense to Draft 20.
† This control code condenses character width but not inter- character spacing. An actual
Epson FX-1050 printer condenses both character width and spacing. If Condensed Print
is combined with Double High (ESC w) printing, only Double High printing will occur.
Example This sample shows condensed character printing and reset.
125
Condensed
Print Reset
ASCII Code DC2
Hex Code 12
Dec Code 18
Purpose Cancels the condensed print mode set by SI, ESC SI, or the control panel.
Discussion This returns the printer to the font that was active before condensed print occurred. Other
print attributes are not affected.
Example See the Condensed Print control code (page 124) for an example of Condensed Print
Reset.
Cut-Sheet / Paper Feed Control
ASCII Code ESC EM n
Hex Code 1B 19 n
Dec Code 27 25 n
Purpose This code controls the paper feed mechanism on Epson printers.
†Discussion The printer ignores this command.
Define a Download Character
ASCII Code ESC &
Hex Code 1B 26
Dec Code 27 38
Purpose Defines a download character.
†Discussion The printer ignores this command and removes all downloaded font data from the data
stream.
Delete Character
ASCII Code DEL
Hex Code 7F
Dec Code 127
Purpose Deletes the previous character on a line.
Discussion This command is ignored if it occurs immediately after a CR or a paper motion command.
Characters truncated due to line length restrictions are not affected by this code.
Double High Print, Set/Reset
ASCII Code ESC w n
126
Hex Code 1B 77 n
Dec Code 27 119 n
Purpose Turns double-high character printing on and off. Double-high characters are standard
width but twice as high.
where n = 1 or 49 (hex 01 or hex 31) turns double high printing on
n = 0 or 48 (hex 00 or hex 30) turns double high printing off
Discussion The OCR A and OCR B fonts cannot be printed in double high.
NOTE: It is recommended to use double Line Feeds and Carriage Returns when double-high character
printing is on (after an ESC w control code has been sent), or else the printer will overstrike text
that has already printed.
If Superscript/Subscript (ESC S) or Condensed Print (SI) is combined with Double High printing, only
Double High printing will occur.
Example The following sample illustrates double-high character printing.
Double Strike
ASCII Code ESC G
Hex Code 1B 47
Dec Code 27 71
Purpose Makes text bolder by double printing each dot twice.
Discussion This command makes text bolder by printing each dot twice, the second dot offset to the
right of the first by a distance equal to 1/2 the width of a dot, the same as with ESC E.
Example The following sample illustrates double strike character printing.
Double Strike,
Cancel
ASCII Code ESC H
Hex Code 1B 48
Dec Code 27 72
Purpose Turns off the double strike printing set by ESC G or ESC !.
Discussion This control code resets only the double strike print attribute. Other print attributes, such
as double wide printing, are not affected.
127
Double Wide Print
ASCII Code ESC W n
Hex Code 1B 57 n
Dec Code 27 87 n
Purpose Turns double wide print on and off.
where n = 1 or 49 (hex 01 or hex 31) turns double wide print on
n = 0 or 48 (hex 00 or hex 30) turns double wide print off
Discussion When ESC W is received, all characters are printed twice as wide until reset. This
command overrides SO, ESC SO, and DC4. The OCR A and OCR B fonts cannot be
printed in double wide.
† This control code doubles character width, but does not double inter-character spacing,
unlike the Epson FX-1050. The formulas for total character spacing are as follows:
Epson FX-1050 2(char + 1 dot + space)
Epson Emulation 2(char + 1 dot) + space
Example The following sample illustrates double wide character printing.
Double
Wide
Print
(One Line)
ASCII Code SO ESC SO
Hex Code 0E 1B 0E
Dec Code 14 27 14
Purpose Selects double wide print for one line only.
Discussion This control code is a line-by-line print attribute; when SO or ESC SO is received, the
characters on the current line print twice as wide, then automatically reset.
This control code is cancelled by the DC4 code or by a CR code, as in the Epson FX-
1050. It is also cancelled by a paper motion control code (LF, VT, etc.), as in the IBM
Proprinter III XL.
† This control code doubles character width, but does not double inter-character spacing,
unlike the Epson FX-1050. The formulas for total character spacing are as follows:
Epson FX-1050 2(char + 1 dot + space) Epson Emulation 2(char + 1 dot) + space
Example The following sample illustrates double wide print for one line only.
Double Wide Print (One Line), Cancel
ASCII Code DC4
128
Hex Code 14
Dec Code 20
Purpose Cancels the double wide print for one line only selected by SO or ESC SO.
Discussion This command cancels the double wide print selected by SO or ESC SO, but does not
cancel double wide printing selected by ESC W or ESC !.
Emphasized Print
ASCII Code ESC E
Hex Code 1B 45
Dec Code 27 69
Purpose Selects emphasized character print format.
Discussion Emphasized print makes text bolder by printing each dot twice, the second dot offset to
the right of the first by a distance equal to 1/2 the width of a dot. This command is
available in both DP and NLQ modes.
Example The following sample illustrates emphasized character printing.
Emphasized Print, Cancel
ASCII Code ESC F
Hex Code 1B 46
Dec Code 27 70
Purpose Cancels emphasized character printing selected by ESC E or ESC !
Discussion This command is available in both DP and NLQ modes.
Enable Printing Hex Codes 00-1F and 80-9F
ASCII Code ESC I n (uppercase “i”)
Hex Code 1B 49 n
Dec Code 27 73 n
Purpose Permits you to print hex codes 00-1F and 80-9F.
where n = 1 allows hex codes 00-1F and 80-9F to be printable and to be used for user-defined
characters.
n = 0 returns hex 00-1F and 80-9F to control codes.
Discussion The printable characters that are included in hex codes 00 through 1F and 80 through 9F
are usually not printable in the default state on Epson printers. Sending ESC I 1 enables
you to print characters in this range. Sending ESC I 0 returns the codes to non-printable
status.
129
Figure 2 shows the types of characters and their addresses; it is not a sample of printer
output.
Figure 2 Epson Printable Codes (Hex 00-1F and 80-9F)
KEY
OCTAL
DECIMAL
HEX
CHARACTER
B8 B7 B6
BITS
0 0 0
0 0 0
COLUMN
0
1
B4 B3 B2 B1
ROW
0 0 0 0 0
à 0
0
0
§ 20
16
10
0 0 0 1 1
è 1
1
1
ß 21
17
11
0 0 1 0 2 ù 2
2
2
DC2
22
18
12
0 0 1 1 3
ò 3
3
3
DC3
23
19
13
0 1 0 0 4
ì 4
4
4
DC4
24
20
14
0 1 0 1 5
o
5
5
5
ø 25
21
15
0 1 1 0 6
£ 6
6
6
¨ 26
22
16
0 1 1 1 7 BEL
7
7
7
Ä 27
23
17
1 0 0 0 8
BS 10
8
8
CAN
30
24
18
1 0 0 1 9 HT 11
9
9
Ü 31
25
19
1 0 1 0 10 LF 12
10
0 A
ä 32
26
1A
1 0 1 1 11 VT 13
11
0 B
ESC
33
27
1B
1 1 0 0 12 FF 14
12
0 C
ü 34
28
1C
1 1 0 1 13 CR 15
13
0 D
É 35
29
1D
1 1 1 0 14 SO 16
14
0 E
é 36
30
1E
1 1 1 1 15 SI 17
15
0 F ¥ 37
31
1F
B8 B7 B6
BITS
1 0 0
1 0 0
COLUMN
8
9
B4 B3 B2 B1
ROW
0 0 0 0 0 à 200
128
80 § 220
144
90
0 0 0 1 1
è 201
129
81
ß 221
145
91
0 0 1 0 2 ù 202
130
82
Æ 222
146
92
0 0 1 1
3
ò 203
131
83
æ 223
147
93
0 1 0 0 4
ì 204
132
84
Ø 224
148
94
0 1 0 1
5
o 205
133
85
ø 225
149
95
0 1 1 0
6
£ 206
134
86
¨ 226
150
96
0 1 1 1 7 ¡ 207
135
87
Ä 227
151
97
1 0 0 0 8 ¿ 210
136
88
Ö 230
152
98
1 0 0 1 9
Ñ 211
137
89
Ü 231
153
99
1 0 1 0 10 ñ 212
138
8A
ä 232
154
9A
1 0 1 1 11
¤ 213
139
8B
ö 233
155
9B
1 1 0 0 12 Pt 214
140
8C
ü 234
156
9C
1 1 0 1 13 Å 215
141
8D
É 235
157
9D
1 1 1 0 14 å 216
142
8E
é 236
158
9E
1 1 1 1 15
ç 217
143
8F ¥ 237
159
9F
130
Form Feed
ASCII Code FF
Hex Code 0C
Dec Code 12
Purpose Prints the data in the buffer, if any, then moves the paper to the top of the next form.
Discussion The logical print head moves to the left margin. This code cancels all one-line-only
emphasis and font controls: double- wide from SO and ESC SO, and unidirectional
printing from ESC <.
Graphics, Standard Density
ASCII Code ESC K n1 n2
Hex Code 1B 4B n1 n2
Dec Code 27 75 n1 n2
Purpose Selects normal density bit image graphics of 60 dots per inch horizontally and 72 dots per
inch vertically.
where (n1 + 256n2) defines the number of data bytes to follow.
DATA = ASCII characters for the dot pattern bytes.
n1 = (Number of DATA bytes) - 256(n2)
(remainder of division of number of DATA bytes by 256, sometimes referred to as MOD
256)
n2 = (Number of DATA bytes) / 256 (quotient of division)
Discussion You can change graphics density with the ESC ? command.
Example The following example produces a pattern of standard density bit image graphics. The 9
data-bit pattern is repeated 27 times. Compare this example to the double density and
quadruple density examples.
Graphics, Double
Density
ASCII Code ESC L n1 n2
Hex Code 1B 4C n1 n2
Dec Code 27 76 n1 n2
Purpose Selects double density bit image graphics of 120 dots per inch horizontally and 72 dots
per inch vertically.
where (n1 + 256n2) defines the number of data bytes to follow.
DATA = ASCII characters for the dot pattern bytes.
n1 = (Number of DATA bytes) - 256(n2)
(remainder of division of number of DATA bytes by 256, sometimes referred to as MOD
256)
n2 = (Number of DATA bytes) / 256 (quotient of division)
131
Discussion Double density printing reduces print speed to half that of normal density printing. You
can change graphics density with the ESC ? command. This feature is widely used to
move the print head precisely, by printing blank dot columns.
Example The following example produces double density bit-image graphics of the pattern used in
the standard density bit-image mode example. The amount of data must be doubled for
double density (the data are used 54 times rather than 27).
Graphics, Double Density Double Speed
ASCII Code ESC Y n1 n2
Hex Code 1B 59 n1 n2
Dec Code 27 89 n1 n2
Purpose Selects double density, double speed bit-image graphics of 120 dpi horizontally and 72
dpi vertically.
where (n1 + 256n2) defines the number of data bytes to follow.
DATA = ASCII characters for the dot pattern bytes.
n1 = (Number of DATA bytes) - 256(n2)
(remainder of division of number of DATA bytes by 256, sometimes referred to as MOD
256)
n2 = (Number of DATA bytes) / 256 (quotient of division)
Discussion This mode prints double density with no adjacent dots. It is similar to ESC L, except that if
the graphics data contain horizontally adjacent dots, the data may print incorrectly. This
feature is widely used to move the print head precisely, by printing blank dot columns.
Example The following example produces a double density, double speed graphic image of the
pattern used in the standard density example. The amount of data must be doubled for
double density (the data are used 54 times rather than 27).
Graphics,
Quadruple Density
ASCII Code ESC Z n1 n2
Hex Code 1B 5A n1 n2
Dec Code 27 90 n1 n2
Purpose Selects Quadruple Density Bit Image graphics of 240 dpi horizontally and 72 dpi
vertically.
where (n1 + 256n2) defines the number of data bytes to follow.
DATA = ASCII characters for the dot pattern bytes.
n1 = (Number of DATA bytes) - 256(n2)
(remainder of division of number of DATA bytes by 256, sometimes referred to as MOD
256)
n2 = (Number of DATA bytes) / 256 (quotient of division)
Discussion This mode is similar to ESC L, except that four dot columns are printed in the space
normally taken by two columns. You can change graphics density with the ESC ?
command.
132
Example The following example produces quadruple density graphics of the pattern used in the
standard density example. The amount of data must be quadrupled for quadruple density
(the data are used 108 times rather than 27).
Half Speed Mode, On/Off
ASCII Code ESC s n
Hex Code 1B 73 n
Dec Code 27 115 n
Purpose Reduces printer speed 50%
where n = 1 or 49 (hex 00 or 30) turns half speed mode off
n = 0 or 48 (hex 01 or 31) turns half speed mode on
†Discussion This is simulated in your printer by unidirectional printing.
Horizontal Tab Execute
ASCII Code HT
Hex Code 09
Dec Code 09
Purpose Moves the logical print head to the next horizontal tab stop.
Discussion Power-on default horizontal tabs are set at every eighth character at the current character
spacing. Tab positions are not affected by a change of font or character width. Blank
spaces between HT stops are underlined in underline mode.
Horizontal Tab Set/Release
ASCII Code ESC D n1 ... nk NUL
Hex Code 1B 44 n1 ... nk 00
Dec Code 27 68 n1 ... nk 0
Purpose Sets up to 32 horizontal tab positions.
where n1 through n32 specify the character column of the tab positions.
NUL (hex 00) is the sequence terminator. ESC D 0 clears all tabs.
Discussion The values of n must be listed in ascending order or they are ignored. Tabs greater than
32 or those positioned beyond the right margin are ignored. The physical tab position is
the product of n and the current cell width (1/pitch), excluding double wide.
After the tabs are set, HT moves the logical print head to the next tab stop. Sending ESC
@ initializes the printer and resets the tabs to every eighth character column (which is the
default). In proportional mode, the size of 10 CPI characters determines tab positions.
Example The following example illustrates how to set horizontal tabs.
133
Initialize Printer
ASCII Code ESC @
Hex Code 1B 40
Dec Code 27 64
Purpose Resets all print-related parameters to the power-up configuration.
Discussion Restores the power-up values and clears the print buffer of printable data on the line
preceding the command. Current position is set as top-of-form.
Font, international language selection, forms length, skip-over perforation, and character
pitch are reset to their power-up values.
Character-by-character and line-by-line attributes are canceled. All channels of the
vertical format unit are cleared.
This command resets the horizontal tabs to every eighth character column. Interface
parameters and printer protocol selection are not affected.
Italic Printing
ASCII Code ESC 4
Hex Code 1B 34
Dec Code 27 52
Purpose Turns on italic character printing.
Discussion Character graphics (IBM graphic set hex B0 through DF and F0 through FE) cannot be
italicized. Italic printing will reduce throughput.
Italic Printing, Cancel
ASCII Code ESC 5
Hex Code 1B 35
Dec Code 27 53
Purpose Turns off italic character printing.
134
Line Feed
ASCII Code LF
Hex Code 0A
Dec Code 10
Purpose Prints the data in the buffer (if any) and advances the vertical character position a
distance of one line at the current line spacing.
Discussion The logical print head keeps the same distance from the margin. The current line is
printed and the logical printhead moves down a distance equal to the current line
spacing. If there are no dots, paper moves and no printing occurs. When possible,
successive line feeds are accumulated and moved at once.
This code cancels all one-line-only emphasis and font selections: double-wide from SO
and ESC SO, and unidirectional printing from ESC <.
Line Feed n/216 Inch
ASCII Code ESC J n
Hex Code 1B 4A n
Dec Code 27 74 n
Purpose Immediately advances the paper n/216 inch.
where n = 0 through 255 (hex 00 through hex FF).
Discussion n = 0 is ignored. Paper movement occurs in multiples of 3/216 inch. This command
produces an immediate line feed but does not affect line spacing or produce a carriage
return. Any one- line-only print attributes in effect are canceled.
Small values of n may result in overlapping lines. Overlapping lines may also occur if
print attributes such as double high, superscript, or subscript characters are used on the
same line.
Example The following example illustrates n/216-inch line spacing.
Line Spacing 1/6 Inch (6 lpi)
ASCII Code ESC 2
Hex Code 1B 32
Dec Code 27 50
Purpose Sets the line spacing to 1/6 inch (6 lpi) for subsequent line feeds.
Discussion The 2 is ASCII character 2, not hex 02. When ESC 2 is received, all lines are printed at 6
lpi until a new line spacing is selected or the printer is reset.
135
This control code overrides line spacing set at the control panel.
Example The following example illustrates 1/6-inch line spacing.
Line Spacing 1/8 Inch (8 lpi)
ASCII Code ESC 0
Hex Code 1B 30
Dec Code 27 48
Purpose Sets the line spacing to 1/8 inch (8 lpi) for subsequent line feeds.
Discussion The 0 is ASCII character 0 (zero), not hex 00. When ESC 0 is received, all lines are
printed at 8 lpi until a new line spacing is selected or the printer is reset. This control code
overrides line spacing set at the control panel.
Example The following example illustrates 1/8-inch line spacing.
Line Spacing
7/72 Inch
ASCII Code ESC 1
Hex Code 1B 31
Dec Code 27 49
Purpose Sets the line spacing to 7/72 inch (10.3 lpi) for subsequent line feeds.
Discussion All lines are printed at the 7/72-inch line spacing until a new line spacing is selected or
the printer is reset. This control code overrides line spacing set at the control panel.
Printing speed is reduced if printed lines overlap.
Example The following example illustrates 7/72-inch line spacing.
Line Spacing
n/216 Inch
ASCII Code ESC 3 n
Hex Code 1B 33 n
Dec Code 27 51 n
Purpose Specifies the line spacing at n/216-inch increments.
where n = 1 through 255 (hex 01 through hex FF).
Discussion All line feeds following receipt of this code are at n/216 inch line spacing until a new line
spacing is selected or the printer is reset. Line spacing set by this control code overrides
line spacing setting set at the control panel.
136
The vertical character position moves only in multiples of the current dot row spacing. If
the distance to move is other than a multiple of the current dot row spacing, the
remainder is added to the next paper motion command.
Paper movement occurs in multiples of 3/216 only.
Use caution when combining this control code with other print attributes such as
Elongated (Double High), Superscript, or Subscript; overlapping lines may occur. Print
speed is reduced if lines overlap.
Example The following example illustrates n/216-inch line spacing.
Line Spacing n/72
Inch
ASCII Code ESC A n
Hex Code 1B 41 n
Dec Code 27 65 n
Purpose Sets a line spacing of n/72 inch for subsequent line feeds. where n = 1 through 255 (hex
01 through hex FF).
Discussion When this control sequence is received, all subsequent line feeds are n/72-inch until a
new line spacing is selected or the printer is reset. This setting overrides line spacing set
at the control panel.
Small values of n may result in overlapping lines. Overlapping lines may also occur if
print attributes such as Elongated (Double High), Superscript, or Subscript characters are
used on the same line. If lines overlap, printing speed is reduced. Any values set by ESC
3 (line spacing n/216 inch) are replaced.
Example The following example illustrates 20/72-inch line spacing.
Make Hex 80-9F
Control Codes
ASCII Code ESC 7
Hex Code 1B 37
Dec Code 27 55
Purpose Selects codes hex 80-9F in the character sets as control codes.
Discussion This is the default when the Epson character set is selected as the default set at the
control panel.
Make Hex 80-9F Printable
ASCII Code ESC 6
Hex Code 1B 36
137
Dec Code 27 54
Purpose Selects codes hex 80-9F in the character sets as printable characters.
Discussion This is the default when the IBM PC character set (code page 0437) is selected as the
default set at the control panel.
Figure 3 shows the hex 80-9F printable characters for the Epson character set and for
the IBM PC graphic character set.
138
Epson USA Character Set IBM 437 Code Page
Figure 3 Epson Printable Codes (Hex 80-9F)
KEY
OCTAL
DECIMAL
HEX
CHARACTER
B8 B7 B6
BITS
1 0 0
1 0 0
COLUMN
8
9
B4 B3 B2
B1
ROW
0 0 0 0 0 à 200
128
80 § 220
144
90
0 0 0 1 1
è 201
129
81
ß 221
145
91
0 0 1 0 2 ù 202
130
82 Æ 222
146
92
0 0 1 1
3
ò 203
131
83
æ 223
147
93
0 1 0 0 4
ì 204
132
84
Ø 224
148
94
0 1 0 1
5
o
205
133
85
ø 225
149
95
0 1 1 0
6
£ 206
134
86
¨ 226
150
96
0 1 1 1 7 ¡ 207
135
87
Ä 227
151
97
1 0 0 0 8 ¿ 210
136
88
Ö 230
152
98
1 0 0 1 9
Ñ 211
137
89
Ü 231
153
99
1 0 1 0 10 ñ 212
138
8A
ä 232
154
9A
1 0 1 1 11
¤ 213
139
8B
ö 233
155
9B
1 1 0 0 12
214
140
8C
ü 234
156
9C
1 1 0 1 13
Å 215
141
8D
É 235
157
9D
1 1 1 0 14 å 216
142
8E
é 236
158
9E
1 1 1 1 15
ç 217
143
8F ¥ 237
159
9F
B8
1
1
B7
B6
0 0
0
0 0
1
BITS
COLUMN
8
9
B4 B3 B2
B1
ROW
0 0
0
0 0
200
220
128 144
80
90
0 0
0
1 1
201
221
129 145
81
91
0 0
1
0 2
202
222
130 146
82
92
0 0
1
1
3
203
223
131 147
83
93
0 1
0
0 4
204
132
224
148
84
94
0 1
0
1
5
205
133
225
149
85
95
0 1
1
0
6
206
226
134 150
86
96
0 1
1
1 7
207
227
135 151
87
97
1 0
0
0 8
210
136
230
152
88
98
1 0
0
1 9
211
137
231
153
89
99
1 0
1
0 10
212
138
232
154
8A
9A
1 0
1
1 11
213
139
233
155
8B
9B
1 1
0
0 12
214
140
234
156
8C
9C
1 1
0
1 13
215
141
235
157
8D
9D
1 1
1
0 14
216
142
236
158
8E
9E
1 1
1
1 15
217
143
237
159
8F
9F
139
Master Print Select
ASCII Code ESC ! n
Hex Code 1B 21 n
Dec Code 27 33 n
Purpose Selects or changes print attributes in a single command.
where n = an 8-bit number with the bits set to specify print attributes, as shown in Table 41.
Table 41 Master Print Select Bit Values
Bit No. Bit = 0 Bit = 1
0 10 cpi † 12 cpi
1 Monospaced † Proportional
2 Normal Condensed
3 Normal Emphasized
4 Normal † Double Strike
5 Normal Double Wide
6 Normal Italic
7 Normal Underlined
Discussion Emphasized is substituted for double strike. Graphics and grey scale characters are not
underlined. Proportional spacing overrides condensed or 12 cpi printing if both are
selected.
Paper Out Detection, Enable
ASCII Code ESC 9
Hex Code 1B 39
Dec Code 27 57
Purpose Asserts a paper out condition immediately when the end of the paper supply is sensed.
†Discussion The printer decodes and ignores this command.
Paper Out Detection, Disable
ASCII Code ESC 8
Hex Code 1B 38
Dec Code 27 56
Purpose Enable printing to the end of the paper supply when a paper out condition is sensed.
†Discussion The printer decodes and ignores this command.
140
Pass Bit 7 from Host
ASCII Code ESC #
Hex Code 1B 23
Dec Code 27 35
Purpose Passes bit 7 (the eighth and most significant bit) whether it is 1 or 0, thereby cancelling
ESC > and ESC =.
Discussion This command affects only text and control code data; bit 8 of graphics data is always
passed through.
Printer Select
ASCII Code DC1
Hex Code 11
Dec Code 17
Purpose Places printer in the selected state.
Discussion The configuration parameter Printer Select must be set to Enable. Refer to the
Administrator’s Manual for information about this menu option.
This control code allows the printer to receive and print data from the host if it was
deselected by DC3. If the printer was not deselected by DC3, this code is ignored.
Printer Deselect
ASCII Code DC3
Hex Code 13
Dec Code 19
Purpose Places printer in the deselected state.
Discussion The configuration parameter Printer Select must be set to Enable. Refer to the
Administrator’s Manual for information about this menu option.
When the printer receives this command it ignores data until a DC1 (Printer Select)
command is received.
Reassign Graphics Mode
ASCII Code ESC ? s m
Hex Code 1B 3F s m
Dec Code 27 63 s m
Purpose Changes one graphics mode to another.
Discussion s is character K, L, Y, or Z, which is changed to mode m (0-7) from Table 42 (page 141).
Thereafter, sending data to the bit image command makes the data print according to the
graphics mode you select with m.
141
Remove Downloaded Characters
ASCII Code ESC : NUL n NUL
Hex Code 1B 3A 00 n 00
Dec Code 27 58 0 n 0
Purpose Erases all downloaded characters.
†Discussion The printer ignores this command but removes all data sent.
Select Graphics Mode
ASCII Code ESC * m n1 n2
Hex Code 1B 2A m n1 n2
Dec Code 27 42 m n1 n2
Purpose Turns on 8-pin bit image graphics mode m. Table 42 charts the graphics modes
available.
Discussion The total number of columns = n1 + 256n2.
n1 = (Number of DATA bytes) - 256(n2)
(remainder of division of number of DATA bytes by 256, sometimes referred to as MOD
256)
n2 = (Number of DATA bytes) / 256 (quotient of division)
This command does not suppress hexadecimal FF from printing.
Table 42 Epson Graphics Modes
m Option Alternate
Code Density*
(dots per inch) Resolution**
(dots per inch)
0 Single density ESC K 60 120
1 Double density ESC L 120 1201
2 High-speed double density ESC Y 60 1202
3 Quadruple density ESC Z 120 2401,2,3
4 CRT I none 80 160
5 Plotter (1:1) none 72 144
6 CRT II none 90 180
7 Double density plotter none 144 1441
1
Prints at half speed.
2
Data can be sent incorrectly. In these modes, no dots can be closer horizontally than
the current font dot density. Sending incorrect data does not damage the printer.
3
240 dpi is simulated by combining the dots from two adjacent columns into one 120 dpi
dot column.
* Number of horizontal dots per inch the printer can make.
** Number of dot columns available.
142
Select Italic Character Set
ASCII Code ESC t n
Hex Code 1B 74 n
Dec Code 27 116 n
Purpose Selects the italics characters from hex 80 through hex FF, or selects the graphics
characters from hex 80 through hex FF.
where n = hex 01 selects the graphics character set
n = hex 00 selects the italics character set
Discussion The graphics character set is the IBM Graphics Code Page 437.
Select 9-Pin Graphics Mode
ASCII Code ESC ^ m n1 n2 d1 ... dk
Hex Code 1B 5E m n1 n2 d1 ... dk
Dec Code 27 94 m n1 n2 d1 ... dk
Purpose Turns on 9-pin bit image graphics mode.
Discussion m defines the plot density as shown in Table 42 on page 141.
n1 + 256n2 = The total number of columns.
n1 = (Number of DATA bytes) - 256(n2)
(remainder of division of number of DATA bytes by 256, sometimes referred to as MOD
256)
n2 = (Number of DATA bytes) / 256 (quotient of division)
This mode requires two bytes of graphic data for every column of print. Each column is
sent as a pair: d1, d3, ... d(k-1) set the top 8 bits of a normal dot column, just like ESC K;
d2, d4, ... dk set the ninth dot in the column (the most significant bit) just below the
bottom-most dot of columns d1, d3, ... d(k-1).
Select Print Quality
ASCII Code ESC x n
Hex Code 1B 78 n
Dec Code 27 120 n
Purpose Selects print quality.
where n may be in the range from 0 through 4. Values in the range 5-255 are invalid.
n = 0 or 48 (hex 00 or hex 30) selects DP print quality
n = 1 or 49 (hex 01 or hex 31) selects Near Letter Quality (NLQ)
n = 2 or 50 (hex 02 or hex 32) selects HS print quality
n = 3 or 51 (hex 03 or hex 33) selects OCR A print quality
n = 4 or 52 (hex 04 or hex 34) selects OCR B print quality
Discussion This command overrides control panel print quality selections.
NOTE: Some print attributes (such as condensed, double-wide, etc.) may not return to their previous
setting when changing from OCR-A or OCR-B back to another Print Quality. For guaranteed
results, all print attributes should be set after the Print Quality is selected.
143
Selecting an OCR print quality overrides any character attributes set, such as condensed,
double-wide, etc. Setting character attributes when OCR is set may cause unexpected
results.
† Draft, OCR A, and OCR B print qualities (n = 2, 3, or 4) are not defined in Epson-FX
printers.
Select/Deselect Proportional Spacing
ASCII Code ESC p n
Hex Code 1B 70 n
Dec Code 27 112 n
where n = 0 = Off
n = 1 = On
Purpose Turns proportional mode on and off.
Select Serif or Sans Serif Font
ASCII Code ESC k n
Hex Code 1B 6B n
Dec Code 27 107 n
†Purpose Selects an NLQ font.
where n may range from 0 through 255 (hex 00 through hex FF).
n = 0, 2, 4 .. (any even value), the font selected is a serif NLQ font (Courier, instead of
standard Epson Roman).
n = 1, 3, 5 .. (any odd value), the font selected is a sans serif NLQ font.
Select User-Defined Font
ASCII Code ESC % n
Hex Code 1B 25 n
Dec Code 27 37 n
Purpose Selects a user-defined font.
†Discussion The printer ignores this command and removes all font data sent from the data stream.
Select Vertical Tab Channel
ASCII Code ESC / c
Hex Code 1B 2F c
Dec Code 27 47 c
Purpose Selects a vertical tab channel set by ESC b.
where c = 0 through 7.
Discussion Subsequent VT (Hex 0B) commands use tab table specified by c. If no tab table is
selected, channel 0 is used.
144
Set Absolute Horizontal Print Position in 1/60 Inch
ASCII Code ESC $ n1 n2
Hex Code 1B 24 n1 n2
Dec Code 27 36 n1 n2
Purpose Moves the logical print head to an absolute horizontal print position, using 1/60 inch
increments.
where (n1 + [256n2]) / 60 = the unsigned distance in inches from the left margin.
n1 = (Number of DATA bytes) - 256(n2)
(remainder of division of number of DATA bytes by 256, sometimes referred to as MOD
256)
n2 = Number of DATA bytes) / 256 (quotient of division)
Discussion If the distance goes beyond right margin, the sequence is ignored.
Set Bit 7 of Incoming Data Bytes to 1
ASCII Code ESC >
Hex Code 1B 3E
Dec Code 27 62
Purpose Sets the most significant bit (MSB) of all incoming data to 1.
Discussion The MSB is bit number 7. This command only affects text and control code data.
Graphics data pass through unchanged.
Set Form Length in Inches
ASCII Code ESC C NUL n
Hex Code 1B 43 00 n
Dec Code 27 67 0 n
Purpose Sets form length to n inches.
where n = whole numbers from 1 through 24 to specify the number of inches on a form.
Discussion Upon receipt of this code, the current line becomes the first line of the form, and the form
length set becomes the current forms length. Vertical tab positions set below the bottom
of the form are ignored. Forms length is defined in inches; therefore, subsequent line
spacing changes do not affect the result of this command.
Values of n greater than 24 are ignored.
When forms length is set by an ESC C sequence, the skip-over perforation set by ESC N
is cancelled.
This control code overrides forms length set at the control panel.
145
Set Form Length in Lines
ASCII Code ESC C n
Hex Code 1B 43 n
Dec Code 27 67 n
Purpose Sets the form length by lines.
where n = 1 through 192 (hex 01 through C0) to specify the number of lines per form at the
current line spacing.
Discussion The forms length is set to the number of lines defined by the quotient of n divided by the
current lines per inch so that the units are in inches.
The current line becomes the first line of the form. The forms length is always defined in
inches; therefore, changing the lpi after this control code has been issued does not
change the forms length.
If the calculated forms length in lines is not an exact multiple of the target machine dot
size, the forms length value will be adjusted down to the next possible multiple.
When forms length is set by an ESC C sequence, the skip-over perforation set by ESC N
is cancelled.
Set Intercharacter Spacing in 1/120 Inch
ASCII Code ESC SP n
Hex Code 1B 20 n
Dec Code 27 32 n
Purpose Permits character spacing adjustments in 1/120 inch increments.
where n = 0 through 127 (hex 00 through 7F).
Set Margin, Left
ASCII Code ESC l n (lowercase “L”)
Hex Code 1B 6C n
Dec Code 27 108 n
where n = number of columns from the left edge of the physical page to the beginning of the
print line;
n = 1 through 232 (hex 00 through hex E8)
Purpose Sets the left margin to n columns in the current font.
Discussion Be sure to use the alphabetic lowercase “L” (as in left) rather than the numeral “1” (one)
for this command. The number of inches of margin does not vary if the font, character
width, or horizontal dot density changes. This command automatically clears and resets
horizontal tabs to every eight characters. The smallest possible space between the left
and right margins is the width of one double-wide, 10 cpi character. If a margin control
code violates this minimum distance, it is ignored. Settings in proportional mode are
treated as 10 CPI.
146
Set Margin, Right
ASCII Code ESC Q n
Hex Code 1B 51 n
Dec Code 27 81 n
where n = number of columns from the left edge of the physical page to the end of the print line;
n = 1 through 232 (hex 00 through hex E8)
Purpose Sets the right margin to n columns at the current character width.
Discussion The number of inches of margin does not vary if the font, character width, or horizontal
dot density changes. This command automatically clears and resets horizontal tabs to
every eight characters. The smallest possible space between the left and right margins is
the width of one-double wide, 10 cpi character. If a margin control code violates this
minimum distance, it is ignored. Settings in proportional mode are treated as 10 CPI.
Set Relative Horizontal Print Position in 1/120 Inch
ASCII Code ESC \ n1 n2
Hex Code 1B 5C n1 n2
Dec Code 27 92 n1 n2
Purpose Moves the logical print head to a relative horizontal print position, using 1/120 inch
increments.
Discussion Adds (n1 + 256n2) / 120 inches to the horizontal position of the logical print head. The
number sent is two's complement, with negative numbers moving to the left. The
command is ignored if it would move the logical print head beyond the page margins.
Set Vertical Tabs in Channels
ASCII Code ESC b c n1 n2 n3 ... n16 NUL
Hex Code 1B 62 c n1 n2 n3 ... n16 00
Dec Code 27 98 c n1 n2 n3 ... n16 0
Purpose Assigns vertical tabs to channels selected by ESC /.
where c = 0 through 7
n = 0 through 255 (hex 00 through FF).
n1 through nk specify the line number for the vertical tab(s), up to a maximum of 16 tab
positions. NUL must end the sequence.
Discussion Channels are selected by ESC /. The distance of each tab stop from TOF is the current
line spacing times the number of lines given in n.
If paper movement is commanded to a value of n greater than the page length, the paper
movement command is ignored. The values of n must be in ascending order. If they are
not, the sequence up to and including the out of sequence number is ignored. The rest of
the load is processed. Skip over perforation is ignored.
You can clear any channel by sending ESC b c NUL, where c is the channel number.
147
Skip Over Perforation
ASCII Code ESC N n
Hex Code 1B 4E n
Dec Code 27 78 n
Purpose Selects the number of lines (at the current line spacing) for the paper to skip at the
bottom of the page.
where n = 1 through 127 (hex 01 through 7F)
Discussion n is the number of lines skipped between the last line printed on one page and the first
line on the next page. The actual distance set is the product of n and the current line
spacing. If the value of n exceeds the current form length, the skip is set to one line
smaller than the form length or to 0, whichever is greater.
Skip over perforation set by this command overrides control panel settings. This feature
is canceled by ESC O, ESC C, ESC C 0.
Skip Over Perforation, Cancel
ASCII Code ESC O
Hex Code 1B 4F
Dec Code 27 79
Purpose Cancels the skip over perforation set by ESC N and resets the bottom margin to zero.
Discussion O is ASCII uppercase o, not zero (0).
Superscript and Subscript Printing
ASCII Code ESC S n
Hex Code 1B 53 n
Dec Code 27 83 n
Purpose Selects superscript or subscript printing.
where n = NUL (hex 00) or 0 (hex 30) to enable superscript printing
n = SOH (hex 01) or 1 (hex 31) to enable subscript printing
†Discussion Superscript prints full-sized characters with a baseline higher than the normal characters.
Subscript prints full-sized characters with a baseline lower than the normal characters.
When the control code is received, all characters are superscript or subscript until reset
by ESC T or printer reset. (This differs from the Epson standard, which utilizes half-size
characters for superscript and subscript printing.)
You can print both superscript and subscript characters in the same character column by
using the Backspace (BS) control code, but these characters will not print when double
high printing is in effect.
If Superscript/Subscript is combined with Double High (ESC w) printing, only Double High
printing will occur.
Example The following sample illustrates superscript and subscript printing.
148
Superscript and Subscript Printing, Cancel
ASCII Code ESC T
Hex Code 1B 54
Dec Code 27 84
Purpose Cancels superscript and/or subscript printing as set by ESC S n.
Underline
ASCII Code ESC - n
Hex Code 1B 2D n
Dec Code 27 45 n
Purpose Turns automatic underlining on and off.
where n = NUL (hex 00) or 0 (hex 30) to turn off underlining
n = SOH (hex 01) or 1 (hex 31) to turn on underlining
Discussion Spaces are underlined, but graphics and grey scale characters are not.
Example The following sample illustrates underlining.
Unidirectional Printing, 1
Line
ASCII Code ESC <
Hex Code 1B 3C
Dec Code 27 60
Purpose Causes printing to occur from left to right for one line only.
Discussion Printing normally occurs in both directions of shuttle movement. This command causes
the printer to print from left to right for one line. The command is cancelled by a CR.
Unidirectional Printing, Set/Reset
ASCII Code ESC U n
Hex Code 1B 55 n
Dec Code 27 85 n
Purpose Causes printing to occur in only one direction of shuttle movement (left to right).
where n = NUL (hex 00) or 0 (hex 30) to turn off unidirectional printing
n = SOH (hex 01) or 1 (hex 31) to turn on unidirectional printing
Discussion Printing normally occurs in both directions of shuttle movement. Unidirectional printing
slows the printer down approximately 50%, but is sometimes used when very accurate
dot placement is desired in graphics.
149
Vertical Tab, Execute
ASCII Code VT
Hex Code 0B
Dec Code 11
Purpose Advances the logical print head to the next vertical tab position selected by ESC /.
Discussion If no vertical channel was selected, channel 0 is used. If no vertical tabs were set, the
paper advances one line.
The logical print head moves to the left margin. If a tab position is on the current line, the
paper is moved to the next tab position. If there are no tab positions between the current
line and the end of the form, the paper is moved to the top of the next form.
This code cancels all one-line-only emphasis and font controls: double-wide from SO and
ESC SO, and unidirectional printing from ESC <.
Vertical Tab, Set/Clear
ASCII Code ESC B n1 n2 n3...nk NUL
Hex Code 1B 42 n1 n2 n3...nk 00
Dec Code 27 66 n1 n2 n3...nk 0
Purpose Sets up to 16 vertical tab positions.
where n = 1 through 255 (hex 01 through FF).
k = 1 through 16 (hex 01 through 10).
n1 through nk specify the line numbers for the vertical tab(s), up to a maximum of 16 tab
positions. NUL must end the sequence
To clear the tab settings, send ESC B NUL (1B 42 00).
Discussion The values of n range from 1 through 255 (hex 01 through FF) and must be in ascending
order. The distance of each tab stop from TOF is the current line spacing times the
number of lines given in n. If the value of n exceeds the form length, commands to move
to that tab position are ignored.
If values of n are not in ascending order, the sequence up to and including the out-of-
sequence number is ignored, and the rest of the load is processed. Skip over perforation
is ignored.
This command always sets channel 0. You can clear channel 0 by sending ESC B NUL.
(See also the channel selection command, ESC /, and the channel loading command,
ESC b.)
150
151
Graphics
Overview
This chapter explains how the printer produces graphic images.
The quickest way to produce graphic images is to use one of the many graphics software applications
available. Any graphics program that is compatible with the Epson FX, Proprinter XL, or P-Series
emulation should provide excellent results.
You can also use the Intelligent Graphics Processor (IGP) Printronix emulation or the Code V Printronix
emulation. Both allow you to create and store forms, generate logos, bar codes, expanded characters,
and other graphics.
Printing text and characters is the default mode of operation. However, your printer can print graphics.
• When the emulation is in the Proprinter XL or Epson FX protocol mode, Bit Image graphics is used for
graphics printing.
• When the emulation is in the P-Series protocol mode, Odd/Even dot plotting is used for graphics
printing.
Each line of graphics data must include a graphics control code to enable the emulation for the desired
graphics mode of operation.
Bit Image Graphics
When the printer uses the IBM Proprinter XL or Epson FX emulation, it creates graphics by accepting bit
image graphics data.
NOTE: Text and graphics can be mixed on the same line when the printer plots bit images in the Epson
or Proprinter XL emulation.
Bit image graphics are created by vertically printing the bit pattern of a series of data bytes. For example,
the bit pattern of the ASCII character A (hex 41, decimal 65) is shown in Figure 4. If we rotate this data
byte 90 degrees clockwise, we have a vertical data byte with the most significant bit (MSB) at the top. If
we then print each 1 (true) bit as a dot, the result is a “bit image” plot of the ASCII character A.
Figure 4 Vertical Data Byte Pattern
MSB
MSB
ASCII character A = Hex 41 = Binary 01000001
MSB : Most Significant Bit
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
152
The relationship between the ASCII character, its decimal value, and its bit image plot is shown in Figure
5. All 8 bits of the data byte are used in all fonts, but some fonts have taller and shorter characters. (You
may have to adjust the line spacing in order to print without horizontal gaps.) Data bytes are identified by
their binary, octal, hexadecimal, or decimal equivalents. These numeric equivalents are combined in data
streams to form graphic patterns such as the one illustrated in Figure 6.
ASCII
CHARACTER
DECIMAL
VALUE
BINARY
CODE
EQUIVALENT
TO VERTICALLY
ROTATED
DATA BYTE
PRINTED BIT
IMAGE
128
MSB
64
32
A = 65 =
16
=
8
4
2
1
Figure 5 Bit Image Pattern from an ASCII Character
Bit Image plotting is not limited to printable ASCII characters. You can print Bit Image patterns for any 8-
bit data byte with decimal values ranging from 0 through 255. (The ASCII character set is charted in
Appendix A.)
Designing a Bit Image Pattern
A Bit Image pattern is produced in four steps:
1. On a quadrille pad or graph paper, lay out the graphic pattern you want to print. (See Figure 6.)
2. Determine the decimal equivalent of each vertical data byte in your pattern. (The sum of the decimal
equivalent of each true bit in the vertical data byte is the decimal equivalent of the data byte.)
3. Write a program to generate the pattern.
4. Enter and run the program on the host computer.
153
Figure 6 Bit Image Pattern Plan
Bit Image Density
You can print bit image graphics in different dot densities. Select dot densities by sending a control code
in the data stream.
NOTE: Every line of graphics data must include the necessary plot mode command so the printer can
perform the chosen graphics functions.
Single Density Mode: ESC K
Single density bit image graphics in a Data Processing (DP) print quality are printed at 60 dots per inch
(dpi) horizontally and 72 dpi vertically. For NLQ print quality, the horizontal dot density is 90 dpi and
vertical dot density is 96 dpi. For High Speed (HS) draft print quality, horizontal dot density is 60 dpi and
vertical dot density is 48 dpi.
Double Density Mode: ESC L
Double density mode prints up to twice the number of dots per inch horizontally in the same space used
for single density. The vertical dot density remains the same as in single density mode. Double horizontal
density requires twice the number of input data bytes to print the same length line as single density.
Printing double density reduces the printing speed by half.
Double Speed - Double Density Mode: ESC Y
When the double density - double speed control code is received, data bytes print at double the current
horizontal dot density, but adjacent dots are not printed. Since double density graphics are printed at half
speed, double speed - double density graphics are printed at the same speed as single density graphics.
This mode is often used to position a simulated print head precisely by sending blank dot columns.
1st Bit Image Data Byte
7th Bit Image Data Byte
2nd Bit Image Data Byte
Decimal
Values
Decimal
Weight
128
64
32
16
8
4
2
1
73
36
36
73
146
255
146
154
Quadruple Density Mode: ESC Z
When printing quadruple density graphics, the printer combines adjacent quadruple density bit image
bytes. The compounded data are then printed in double density mode.
Bit Image Programming Format
The bit image command format is:
ESC CC n1 n2 DATA
where:
ESC the serial matrix SFCC
CC K, L, Y or Z to select dot density (K = single, L = double, Y = double density - double
speed, Z=quadruple density)
n1 (Number of DATA bytes) – 256(n2) (remainder of division of number of DATA bytes by
256, sometimes referred to as MOD 256)
n2 (Number of DATA bytes) / 256 (quotient of division)
DATA the dot pattern bytes
The syntax of the bit image expression must be correct.
The number of data bytes and the n1, n2 definition must be equal.
Any characters following n1 and n2 are interpreted and plotted as data until the n1, n2 definition is
satisfied.
If n1 = n2 = 0, then control codes K, L, Y, or Z are ignored.
The maximum number of data bytes that can be included in the DATA portion of the program statement
(when using 132 column paper) varies according to the dot density:
At 60 dpi, single density = 792 bytes
double density = 1584 bytes
quadruple density = 3168 bytes
Data that go past the right margin are discarded if automatic line feed is disabled. If automatic line feed is
enabled, data that go past the right margin trigger an automatic line feed (LF) and are printed on the next
line.
Bit Image Sample Program
The program below, written in BASIC, produces the single density bit image pattern shown in Figure 7.
The 7-byte pattern is repeated 40 times.
Depending on the host computer system, it may be necessary to add a width statement to the BASIC
program.
10 WIDTH “LPT1:”, 255
20 LPRINT “Single Density Bit Image Graphics”
30 LPRINT CHR$(27);“K”;CHR$(24);CHR$(1);
40 FOR N=1 TO 40
50 RESTORE
60 FOR I=1 TO 7
70 READ R
80 LPRINT CHR$(R);
90 NEXT I
155
100 NEXT N
110 DATA 73, 146, 36, 255, 36, 146, 73
120 LPRINT
Figure 7 Sample Single-Density Bit Image Graphics
Plot Mode
Plot mode is available for the P-Series protocol only.
This subsection describes the P-Series compatible odd/even dot Plot mode of operation. The P-Series
plot has a rigid format wherein each line of data contains a plot command code, the plot data, and an LF
code (hex 0A).
The P-Series codes (hex 04 and 05, respectively) can be placed anywhere on the command line.
When P-Series Plot mode is enabled by an EOT (hex 04) or ENQ (hex 05) code, all control codes except
LF, CR, and FF, are ignored. Any control sequence parameter prior to a plot code is acted upon
immediately.
If any combination of EOT (hex 04) or ENQ (hex 05) code is received in a single line, the priority of action
is:
• EOT (hex 04) takes priority over ENQ (hex 05)
• ENQ has the same priority level and is acted upon in the order received
A printable symbol is defined as any character or command that might cause the head of a serial printer
to move away from character column one.
Plot Density
Plot density refers to the number of dots per inch (dpi) printed in a single dot row. Two types of plot
density are available with P-Series Plot mode graphics: normal density and high density. The densities
can be mixed within the printed page on a dot row-by-row basis, but the two densities cannot be mixed on
the same dot row.
Normal density plotting is selected with the odd dot plot control code ENQ (hex 05). The odd numbered
dot columns are addressed to produce a vertical density that varies based on the font selected: 72 dpi
vertical for Letter Gothic (DP), and 144 dpi vertical for Courier (NLQ). Figure 8 illustrates normal density
dot plot.
Figure 8 Normal Density Plot
High density plotting is selected with the even dot plot control code EOT (hex 04) in conjunction with the
odd dot plot control code ENQ (hex 05). The odd and even numbered dot columns are addressed to
double the horizontal density. The vertical density remains the same in normal and high density plotting,
though vertical density is based on the current print mode. Figure 9 illustrates high density plotting.
156
Figure 9 High Density Plot
Plot Data Byte Format
In P-Series Plot Mode, the format is as follows:
1. Each data byte specifies six out of twelve plot dot columns.
2. Using odd dot plot mode, bits 1 to 6 of the data byte address the odd- numbered dot columns; using
even dot plot mode, bits 1 to 6 of the data byte address the even-numbered dot columns.
3. Bit 6 and/or bit 7 of the data byte must be a “1” (or true) bit in the Plot mode.
4. Bit 8 of the data byte is not used in the Plot mode and may be 1 or 0.
5. The binary equivalent of the plot data bytes must be known to accurately address specific dot
positions.
As shown in Figure 10, a dot is printed at the location addressed by each of bits 1 to 6 in the data byte
that is set (1 or true).
157
EVEN DOT PLOT DATA BYTE
LSB
BIT 1
BIT 2
BIT 3
BIT 4
BIT 5
BIT 6
BIT 7
MSB
BIT 8
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
NOT
USED
2
4
6
8
10
12
1
3
5
7
9
11
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
NOT
USED
BIT 1
LSB
BIT 2
BIT 3
BIT 4
BIT 5
BIT 6
BIT 7
BIT 8
MSB
ODD DOT PLOT DATA BYTE
Figure 10 P-Series Plot Data Byte Format
Plot Data Line Format
A plot data line may contain the following plot data bytes: When using 132 column paper, the maximum
bytes are 132 for a horizontal dot density of 60 dpi or 198 bytes for a horizontal dot density of 90 dpi. If
Auto Line Feed is disabled, any bytes over the maximum are lost. If the maximum is exceeded and Auto
Line Feed is enabled, a Line Feed (LF) is forced and the remaining plot data is printed as text on the next
line.
The plot mode control code may occur anywhere in the line prior to the line terminator, but plot speed
may decrease if it is not at the beginning of the line.
Normal Density Plot
For normal density plot, the plot line contains: Control Code hex 05, plot data bytes, and a Line
Terminator (hex 0A or hex 0C). The control sequence for sending the P-Series Normal Density Plot is as
follows:
1. Send the plot command code ENQ (hex 05).
NOTE: BIT 6 AND/OR
BIT 7 MUST BE “1”
FOR PLOT MODE
DOT COLUMN #12 OF
PREVIOUS CHARACTER
COLUMN
DOT COLUMN
#
1 OF NEXT
CHARACTER
COLUMN
NOTE: IN ACTUAL
PRINTING, THESE
TWO ROWS MERGE
TO PRINT ON THE
SAME ROW.
158
2. Send the plot data bytes (refer to page 161).
3. Send a line terminator, either a Line Feed (LF, hex 0A) or a Form Feed (FF, hex 0C). A Carriage
Return (CR) may also be used instead of the LF code, provided the Carriage Return has been
configured for Carriage Return = Carriage Return + Line Feed (CR = CR + LF).
a. A line feed (hex 0A) used as the line terminator plots the contents of the buffer and advances the
paper position a single dot row, based on the vertical density of the current mode.
b. A form feed (hex 0C) used as the line terminator plots the contents of the buffer and advances
the paper to the next TOF.
4. Regardless of which line terminator code is sent, the emulation will default to the previously selected
print mode unless further plot control codes are provided with the data.
Double Density Plot
For double density plot, the plot line contains: Control Code hex 04, plot data bytes, a Line Terminator
(hex 0A or hex 0C), Control Code hex 05, plot data bytes, and a Line Terminator. The control sequence
for sending P-Series Double Density Plot is as follows:
1. Send the even dot plot control code EOT (hex 04), followed by plot data bytes (refer to page 161).
2. Send a line terminator, which causes the emulation to plot the data bytes; the paper position is not
advanced in Double Density Plot; the emulation now waits for the second plot command and plot data
bytes.
3. Send the odd dot plot control code ENQ (hex 05) and a second line of data, followed by a line
terminator.
a. A line feed (hex 0A) used as the line terminator plots the contents of the buffer and advances the
paper position a single dot row, based on the vertical density of the current mode. A CR (if CR =
CR + LF is configured) may also be used with the same result.
b. A form feed (hex 0C) used as the line terminator plots the data bytes and advances the paper
position to the next TOF.
4. Regardless of which line terminator code is sent, the emulation will default to the previously selected
print mode unless further plot control codes are provided with the data.
Plotting the Data
P-Series Plot Mode plots the image from the horizontal bit pattern. Figure 11 duplicates the pattern shown
in Figure 6 but is modified for Odd Dot Plot. Eight dot rows are required, two characters per row, six
columns per character.
Figure 11 Odd Dot Plot Pattern Plan
1
3
5
7
9
11
1
3
5
7
9
11
1st CHARACTER
ODD COLUMNS
2nd CHARACTER
ODD COLUMNS
1st CHARACTER
ASCII DECIMAL
2nd CHARACTER
ASCII DECIMAL
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
DOT
ROW
64
64
64
64
64
65
65
65
@
A
42
92
42
42
92
73
73
73
*
\
*
*
\
|
|
@
@
@
@
A
A
|
159
The following program uses the Odd Dot Plot control code to produce the image. The image is printed 25
times as shown in Figure 12. An entire dot row is plotted in one printing pass. Consequently, the first row
of all 25 images is printed in one pass, followed by the second row, etc., until all rows have been printed.
10 LPRINT “Odd Dot Plot”
20 FOR I=1 TO 8
30 READ R1
40 READ R2
50 LPRINT CHR$(5);
60 FOR N=1 TO 25
70 LPRINT CHR$(R1);CHR$(R2);
80 NEXT N
90 LPRINT
100 NEXT I
110 DATA 42, 64, 73, 65, 92, 64, 42, 64, 73, 65, 92, 64, 42, 64, 73, 65
120 LPRINT
Figure 12 Sample Odd Dot Plot
Exiting from P-Series Plot Mode
When returning to the print mode from the P-Series Plot Mode, an extra line feed should be included in
the data stream to maintain proper print line registration relative to the last line of plot graphics. If the
extra line feed is not included, the first character line after the graphics data may be truncated, as shown
in Figure 13.
Figure 13 Truncated Character Line
NOTE: Adding the additional line terminator will cause the text lines for the remainder of the document to
be shifted down from the text lines above the plot dot rows plotted into the last character row.
@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQR
plot data
plot data
@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQR
160
Combining Graphics and Text
The LinePrinter Plus Emulation is capable of combining graphics and characters (text) on the same page
in two ways:
• Use Bit Image graphics or P-Series Plot mode to produce characters as well as graphics
• A combination of text (not plot) and graphics can be mixed on the same page within all protocols.
Text and graphics can be mixed on the same line, however, only by using the Bit Image graphics in the
Epson FX or Proprinter XL protocols.
Any character or symbol can be created in the Plot mode or with Bit Image graphics simply by addressing
and plotting the appropriate dot positions.
Either Bit Image or Plot mode graphics can be mixed with text within the page on a line by line basis.
Each line of graphics data must include a graphics control code or the emulation will automatically default
to the print mode. Using Bit Image graphics, it is possible to use the print mode to produce text on one
print pass followed by a print pass to produce graphics on the same line; however, text characters can be
affected by the Bit Image data when combined on the same line.
The plot data byte dot patterns shown on page 161 are referenced in the description of P-Series plot
mode on page 157.
161
Plot Data Byte Dot Patterns
Table 43 Plot Data Byte Dot Patterns
BINARY OCT DEC HEX ASCII
2 4 6 8 10 12
1 3 5 7 9 11 BINARY OCT DEC HEX ASCII
2 4 6 8 10 12
1 3 5 7 9 11
BINARY OCT DEC HEX ASCII
2 4 6 8 10 12
1 3 5 7 9 11
0100000 040 32 20 Space
1000000 100 64 40 @
1100000 140 96 60 `
0100001 041 33 21 ! 1000001 101 65 41 A
1100001 141 97 61 a
0100010 042 34 22 “ 1000010 102 66 42 B 1100010 142 98 62 b
0100011 043 35 23 # 1000011 103 67 43 C 1100011 143 99 63 c
0100100 044 36 24 $ 1000100 104 68 44 D 1100100 144 100 64 d
0100101 045 37 25 % 1000101 105 69 45 E 1100101 145 101 65 e
0100110 046 38 26 & 1000110 106 70 46 F 1100110 146 102 66 f
0100111 047 39 27 ‘ 1000111 107 71 47 G 1100111 147 103 67 g
0101000 050 40 28 ( 1001000 110 72 48 H 1101000 150 104 68 h
0101001 051 41 29 ) 1001001 111 73 49 I 1101001 151 105 69 i
0101010 052 42 2A * 1001010 112 74 4A J 1101010 152 106 6A j
0101011 053 43 2B + 1001011 113 75 4B K 1101011 153 107 6B k
0101100 054 44 2C , 1001100 114 76 4C L 1101100 154 108 6C l
0101101 055 45 2D - 100101 115 77 4D M 1101101 155 109 6D m
0101110 056 46 2E . 1001110 116 78 4E N 1101110 156 110 6E n
0101111 057 47 2F / 1001111 117 79 4F O 1101111 157 111 6F o
0110000 060 48 30 0 1010000 120 80 50 P 1110000 160 112 70 p
0110001 061 49 31 1 1010001 121 81 51 Q 1110001 161 113 71 q
0110010 062 50 32 2 1010010 122 82 52 R 1110010 162 114 72 r
0110011 063 51 33 3 1010011 123 83 53 S 1110011 163 115 73 s
0110100 064 52 34 4 1010100 124 84 54 T 1110100 164 116 74 t
0110101 065 53 35 5 1010101 125 85 55 U 1110101 165 117 75 u
0110110 066 54 36 6 1010110 126 86 56 V 1110110 166 118 76 v
0110111 067 55 37 7 1010111 127 87 57 W 1110111 167 119 77 w
0111000 070 56 38 8 1011000 130 88 58 X 1111000 170 120 78 x
0111001 071 57 39 9 1011001 131 89 59 Y 1111001 171 121 79 y
0111010 072 58 3A : 1011010 132 90 5A Z 1111010 172 122 7A z
0111011 073 59 3B ; 1011011 133 91 5B [ 1111011 173 123 7B {
0111100 074 60 3C < 1011100 134 92 5C \ 1111100 174 124 7C |
0111101 075 61 3D = 1011101 135 93 5D ] 1111101 175 125 7D }
0111110 076 62 3E > 1011110 136 94 5E ^ 1111110 176 126 7E ~
0111111 077 63 3F ? 1011111 137 95 5F
_
1111111 177 127 7F Delete
162
163
Vertical Page Formatting
Overview
Rapid vertical paper movement is called slewing. A vertical format unit (VFU) is a program you load into
the printer that enables it to slew paper to preset locations on a page.
On your printer, LF commands and other commands that produce blank lines are accumulated and
moved in one efficient paper motion. The VFUs are maintained for compatibility with earlier applications.
Following an introductory overview of how to plan a vertical page format, the following two methods of
vertical formatting are described in this chapter:
• Vertical tab table: The IBM Proprinter XL and the Epson FX emulations each contain a vertical tab
table. It is a set of programmed vertical tabs.
• Electronic Vertical Format Unit (EVFU): Only the P-Series emulation provides the EVFU capability.
Planning a Vertical Page Format
Vertical page formatting with a VFU consists of four steps:
1. Select the type of vertical format you want to use. This is covered in the next section.
2. Design the form, determining the spacing and channel assignments for every line. Channel
assignments are discussed in the VFU sections.
3. Determine the programming sequence. The format of the sequence depends on the type of VFU you
select and is discussed in each VFU section of this chapter.
4. Send the programming sequence to the printer in the host data stream. This loads the VFU program.
VFU Characteristics
Keep in mind the following information when programming and using a VFU:
Elongated Characters. You can use elongated (double high) characters in VFU programs. The VFU
automatically counts one line of elongated characters as two character lines.
VFU Not Loaded. If the VFU is not loaded, the printer performs a single line feed in response to VFU
commands.
Paper Runaway Protection. If the VFU memory is loaded and a channel code is sent that was not
previously loaded, the printer moves the paper a single line feed.
Line Spacing. The printer can use either 6 or 8 lines per inch (lpi) spacing. These VFUs calculate the
forms length by line density selected. The 6 and 8 lpi spacing may be mixed on the same form, but should
be done carefully.
Form Feed. A form feed sent from the control panel or a command from the host moves the paper to the
first channel 1, which is the top of form.
Vertical Tab. A VT command moves the paper to the next channel 12. If a channel 12 is not loaded, a
line feed will occur.
164
Proprinter and Epson Vertical Tab Table
The IBM Proprinter XL and the Epson FX emulations each contain a vertical tab table. It is a set of
programmed vertical tabs. Various lines of the form are assigned vertical tabs, which are then accessed
by control code for rapid paper advancement to the tab position.
Two control codes are used for vertical tabbing: ESC B sets single channel vertical tabs, and VT executes
a vertical tab. These codes are described in Chapters 4 and 5, which cover the Proprinter and Epson
emulations, respectively. The Epson emulation also has ESC / to select one of eight tab channels and
ESC b to set the tabs in a particular channel.
Executing Vertical Tabs
The vertical tab execute code is VT (hex 0B). It prints the contents of the print buffer (if data are in the
buffer) and causes paper movement to the next predefined vertical tab position. If a tab position is not
defined, the paper is moved to the next line at the current line spacing. If a tab position is at the current
line, the paper is moved to the next tab position. If no tab positions are defined between the current line
and the end of the form, the paper moves to the next TOF.
Vertical Tab Positions
Vertical tab positions are set by line number. A maximum of 16 vertical tab positions can be set on the
form. A sample format is shown in Figure 14.
The first vertical tab is set at line 6 for part number data, a second tab is set at line 8 for part name data,
and a third tab is set at line 14 for quantity data. The ESC B code assigns the vertical tabs to the lines of
the form. Once the tab positions are set, sending the vertical tab execute code (VT) causes the paper
(currently at the top-of-form position) to advance to the first tab position for PART NUMBER data.
Sending another VT moves the paper to the second tab position for PART NAME, followed by a third VT
to access the third tab position for QUANTITY data.
Form Data
Form Line
Number
Vertical Tabs
Part Number
1
Top of Form
2
3
4
5
6
Tab 1
7
Part Name
8
Tab 2
9
10
11
12
13
Quantity
14
Tab 3
15
16
17
18
19
20
Figure 14 Example of Vertical Tab Positions
165
P-Series EVFU (Electronic Vertical Format Unit)
The EVFU may be selected in P-Series protocol. The EVFU provides 14 channels to identify up to 192
lines depending on the paper instruction. The programming sequence is 1) start load code; 2) line
identification code; and 3) end load code.
Start Load Code - Hex 1E
The start load code clears and initializes the EVFU memory for the memory load program. The start load
code is hex 1E.
Channel Assignment
The EVFU memory has the capacity for 192-line forms. The first line identification code (channel code) in
the memory load program defines the first line on the form; the second line identification code defines the
second line on the form, etc. Each line must have a line identification code. Filler channel codes are used
for lines that will not be accessed by the print program. Any channel code can be used as a filler except
channel code 1, which is reserved for the top-of-form, and channel code 12, which is reserved as the
vertical tab channel. The same filler channel code can be repeated as necessary for any number of lines.
Channel 1. The top-of-form code, reserved as the first line on the form or the first line printed (top-of-form
position). The operating program sends the channel 1 code to advance to the top of the next form. After
the memory is loaded, a Form Feed code (FF, hex 0C) will move the paper to the next channel 1 (top-of-
form).
Channels 2 through 11, 13 and 14. Used as general channel codes (line identification codes) or filler
channels. Each line on the form must be identified by a channel code. When the operating program sends
the channel code, the paper advances to the line identified by the channel code. Lines not used by the
operating program must be identified by filler channels (unused channel codes).
Channel 12. Reserved as the Vertical Tab channel. The Vertical Tab code (VT, hex 0B) prints any data in
the print buffer and rapidly slews the paper to the next line identified by the channel 12 code. If channel
12 is not loaded in the EVFU memory, a single line feed will be executed when a VT code is sent.
Channel 15 and 16. The codes for Channels 15 and 16 function as the Start Load and End Load codes.
End Load - Hex 1F
The end load code terminates the memory load program. The end load code is hex 1F. Channel codes
in excess of 192 channels received prior to the end load code are discarded.
Using the EVFU
Once the EVFU program has been enabled and loaded, sending the appropriate channel code to the
printer will cause any data in the buffer to print and will position the paper to the next line on the form
having the specified channel number assigned in EVFU memory.
For a data byte to be recognized as an EVFU instruction, the following criteria must be met:
• Data bit 5 must be 1 (set)
• Data bits 6-8 must be 0 (not set)
Given these conditions, the lower four bits of a byte will specify the EVFU channel number. Table 43 lists
the EVFU channels and their equivalent data bytes.
166
Table 44 P-Series EVFU Codes
ASCII Data Bits
Channel
Hex Dec. Code PI 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
10 16 DLE 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 (TOF)
11 17 DC1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2
12 18 DC2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3
13 19 DC3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 4
14 20 DC4
0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 5
15 21 NAK 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 6
16 22 SYN 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 7
17 23 ETB 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 8
18 24 CAN 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 9
19 25 EM 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 10
1A 26 SUB 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 11
1B 27 ESC 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 12 (VT)
1C 28 FS 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 13
1D 29 GS 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 14
1E 30 RS 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 Start Load
1F 31 US 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 End Load
(X = Undefined, 0, or 1) (1 = High) (0 = Low)
NOTE: The ESC code cannot be used simultaneously as the EVFU VT code and the Special Function
Control Code (SFCC). Refer to the appropriate protocol chapter for more information on the
SFCC.
Clearing the EVFU Memory
The following actions will reset (clear) the EVFU memory:
1. Sending only the start load code.
2. Sending a start load code followed immediately by an end load code.
3. A second start load code is received, resulting in reinitialization of the EVFU. (This allows the host
data to be restarted.)
When the EVFU memory is cleared, the forms length returns to the previously set value and the current
print position becomes the top-of-form (TOF).
167
Standard ASCII Character
Set
B7 B6
B5
BITS
0 0
0
0 0
1
0 1
0
0 1
1
1 0
0
1 0
1
1 1
0
1 1 1
COLUMN
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
B4 B3 B2 B1
ROW
0 0 0 0
0 NUL
0
0
0 DLE 20
16
10 SP 40
32
20 0 60
48
30 @ 100
64
40 P 120
80
50
`
140
96
60 p 160
112
70
0 0 0 1
1 SOH
1
1
1 DC1
(XON)
21
17
11 ! 41
33
21 1 61
49
31 A 101
65
41 Q 121
81
51 a 141
97
61 q 161
113
71
0 0 1 0
2 STX
2
2
2
DC2 22
18
12
" 42
34
22
2 62
50
32
B 102
66
42
R 122
82
52
b 142
98
62
r 162
114
72
0 0 1 1
3 ETX
3
3
3
DC3
(XOFF)
23
19
13
# 43
35
23
3 63
51
33
C 103
67
43
S 123
83
53
c 143
99
63
s 163
115
73
0 1 0 0
4 EOT
4
4
4
DC4 24
20
14
$ 44
36
24
4 64
52
34
D 104
68
44
T 124
84
54
d 144
100
64
t 164
116
74
0 1 0 1
5 ENQ
5
5
5
NAK
25
21
15
% 45
37
25
5 65
53
35
E 105
69
45
U 125
85
55
e 145
101
65
u 165
117
75
0 1 1 0
6 ACK
6
6
6
SYN 26
22
16
& 46
38
26
6 66
54
36
F 106
70
46
V 126
86
56
f 146
102
66
v 166
118
76
0 1 1 1
7 BEL
7
7
7
ETB 27
23
17
' 47
39
27
7 67
55
37
G 107
71
47
W 127
87
57
g 147
103
67
w 167
119
77
1 0 0 0
8 BS 10
8
8
CAN
30
24
18
( 50
40
28
8 70
56
38
H 110
72
48
X 130
88
58
h 150
104
68
x 170
120
78
1 0 0 1
9 HT 11
9
9
EM 31
25
19
) 51
41
29
9 71
57
39
I 111
73
49
Y 131
89
59
i 151
105
69
y 171
121
79
1 0 1 0
10 LF 12
10
0 A
SUB
32
26
1A
* 52
42
2A
: 72
58
3A
J 112
74
4A
Z 132
90
5A
j 152
106
6A
z 172
122
7A
1 0 1 1
11 VT 13
11
0 B
ESC 33
27
1B
+ 53
43
2B
; 73
59
3B
K 113
75
4B
[ 133
91
5B
k 153
107
6B
{ 173
123
7B
1 1 0 0
12 FF 14
12
0 C
FS 34
28
1C
, 54
44
2C
< 74
60
3C
L 114
76
4C
\ 134
92
5C
l 154
108
6C
| 174
124
7C
1 1 0 1
13 CR 15
13
0 D
GS 35
29
1D
- 55
45
2D
= 75
61
3D
M 115
77
4D
] 135
93
5D
m 155
109
6D
} 175
125
7D
1 1 1 0
14 SO 16
14
0 E
RS 36
30
1E
. 56
46
2E
> 76
62
3E
N 116
78
4E
^ 136
94
5E
n 156
110
6E
~ 176
126
7E
1 1 1 1
15 SI 17
15
0 F US 37
31
1F / 57
47
2F ? 77
63
3F O 117
79
4F _ 137
95
5F o 157
111
6F DEL 177
127
7F
KEY
OCTAL
DECIMAL
HEX
ASCII CHARACTER
168
169
P-Series Emulation
Character Sets
Introduction
This appendix shows the character set charts (also referred to as code pages) for the P-Series emulation.
The character sets are shown in Near Letter Quality (NLQ). They may be selected using the configuration
menus, described in detail in your Administrator’s Manual. There are also several control codes that allow
you to select different character sets, described in Chapter 3 of this book. These include “SFCC l”, “SFCC
OSET”, “SFCC R” and “SFCC PSET”.
The maximum set of printable symbols is shown for columns hex 80-9F (selected via the ESC 6 control
code).
170
IBM PC, Primary Subset: ASCII (USA)
171
IBM PC, Primary Subset: French
172
IBM PC, Primary Subset: German
173
IBM PC, Primary Subset: English (UK)
174
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Danish
175
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Swedish
176
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Italian
177
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Spanish
178
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Japanese
179
IBM PC, Primary Subset: French Canadian
180
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Latin American
181
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Danish II
182
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Spanish II
183
IBM PC, Primary Subset: Latin American II
184
IBM PC, Extended Subset: 0437 PC Character Set
185
IBM PC, Extended Subset: 0850 PC Multilingual
186
Multinational, ASCII (USA)
187
Multinational, EBCDIC
188
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: ASCII (USA)
189
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: German
190
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Swedish
191
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Danish
192
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Norwegian
193
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Finnish
194
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: English (UK)
195
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Dutch
196
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: French
197
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Spanish
198
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Italian
199
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Turkish
200
ECMA Latin 1, Primary Subset: Japanese
201
ECMA Latin 1, Extended Subset: Multinational
202
ECMA Latin 1, Extended Subset: Barcode 10 cpi
203
ECMA Latin 1, Extended Subset: Greek
204
ECMA Latin 1, Extended Subset: Graphic
205
ECMA Latin 1, Extended Subset: Scientific 10 cpi
206
DEC Multinational, ASCII (USA)
207
DEC Multinational, French
208
DEC Multinational, German
209
DEC Multinational, English (UK)
210
DEC Multinational, Norwegian/Danish
211
DEC Multinational, Swedish
212
DEC Multinational, Italian
213
DEC Multinational, Spanish
214
DEC Multinational, Japanese
215
DEC Multinational, French Canadian
216
DEC Multinational, Dutch
217
DEC Multinational, Finnish
218
DEC Multinational, Swiss
219
OCR A
220
OCR B
221
Proprinter Emulation
Character Sets
Introduction
This appendix shows the character set charts (also referred to as code pages) for the Proprinter
emulation. The character sets are shown in Near Letter Quality (NLQ). They may be selected using the
configuration menus, described in detail in your Administrator’s Manual.
The maximum set of printable symbols is shown for columns hex 80-9F (selected via the ESC 6 control
code).
222
0437 PC Character Set
223
0850 PC Multilingual
224
OCR A
225
OCR B
226
227
Epson Emulation Character
Sets
Introduction
This appendix shows the character set charts (also referred to as code pages) for the Epson emulation.
The character sets are shown in Near Letter Quality (NLQ). They may be selected using the configuration
menus, described in detail in your Administrator’s Manual. The international character sets may be
selected using the ESC R n control code (see page 123).
The maximum set of printable symbols is shown for columns hex 80-9F (selected via the ESC I or ESC 6
control code).
228
0437 PC Character Set
229
0850 PC Multilingual
230
Epson Set, ASCII (USA)
231
Epson Set, French
232
Epson Set, German
233
Epson Set, English (UK)
234
Epson Set, Danish I
235
Epson Set, Swedish
236
Epson Set, Italian
237
Epson Set, Spanish I
238
Epson Set, Japanese
239
Epson Set, Norwegian
240
Epson Set, Danish II
241
Epson Set, Spanish II
242
Epson Set, Latin American I
243
Epson Set, French Canadian
244
Epson Set, Latin American II
245
OCR A
246
OCR B
247
Contact Information
Printronix Customer Support Center
IMPORTANT Please have the following information available prior to calling the
Printronix
Customer Support Center:
• Model number
• Serial number (located on the back of the printer)
• Installed options (i.e., interface and host type if applicable to the problem)
• Configuration printout: (See “Printing A Configuration”) in your printers
Administrator’s manual.
• Is the problem with a new install or an existing printer?
• Description of the problem (be specific)
• Good and bad samples that clearly show the problem (faxing or emailing
of these samples may be required)
Americas (714) 368-2686
Europe, Middle East, and Africa (31) 24 6489 311
Asia Pacific (65) 6548 4114
China (86) 800-999-6836
http://www.printronix.com/support.aspx
Printronix Supplies Department
Contact the Printronix Supplies Department for genuine Printronix supplies.
Americas (800) 733-1900
Europe, Middle East, and Africa (33) 1 46 25 19 07
Asia Pacific (65) 6548 4100
China (86) 400-886-5598
http://www.printronix.com/supplies-parts.aspx
248
Corporate Offices
Printronix, LLC.
6440 Oak Canyon RD, Suite 200
Irvine, CA 92618
U.S.A.
Phone: (714) 368-2300
Fax: (714) 368-2600
Printronix LLC.
c/o Printronix Nederland BV
Bijsterhuizen 11-38
6546 AS Nijmegen
The Netherlands
Phone: (31) 24 6489489
Fax: (31) 24 6489499
Printronix Schweiz GmbH
3 Changi Business Park Vista
#04-05 AkzoNobel House
Singapore 486051
Phone: (65) 6548 4100
Fax: (65) 6548 4111
Printronix Commercial (Shanghai) Co. Ltd
Room 903, 9th Floor
No.199, North Xizang Road
200070 Shanghai P.R.China
Phone: (86) 400 886 5598
Fax: (8621) 61171256
Printronix India Pvt Ltd
B-808/809, BSEL Tech Park
8th Floor, Sector 30A
Vashi Navi Mumbai 400705
India
Toll Free No.: 1800 102 7896
Fax: (9122) 4158 5555
Visit the Printronix web site at www.printronix.com
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