Printer Job Language Technical Reference Manual

Printer Job Language

Technical Reference Manual

License

Development Company, LP

Reproduction, adaptation, or

translation without prior written

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as allowed under the copyright

laws.

The information contained in

this document is subject to

change without notice.

Publication Number: 5021-0380

Edition 12, 6/2003

Trademarks

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PostScript logo are trademarks

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which may be registered in

certain jurisdictions. AppleTalk

is a registered trademark of

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registered trademark of

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Corporation. HP Explorer

Software is a trademark and

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EN iii

Inside This Manual

What You Can Learn From This Manual

Printer Job Language (PJL) was developed by Hewlett-Packard to

provide a method for switching printer languages at the job level, and

for status readback between the printer and the host computer. PJL

offers application programs an efficient way to remotely control

Hewlett-Packard printers. Using PJL, developers can provide

applications with the ability to programmatically switch printer

languages, monitor printer status, request the printer model and

configuration, change control panel default settings, modify control

panel messages, and more.

This manual is written for experienced users such as application

developers and technical support personnel. Before using PJL

commands, programmers should be familiar with the introductory

information in Chapters 1, 2, and 3, and with the programming tips in

Chapter 11. In addition, users of this manual should be acquainted

with the HP LaserJet printer language (PCL) and with LaserJet printer

features.

Application Developers

This PJL Technical Reference Manual provides developers with all

the information necessary to add PJL to their applications. Examples

are used throughout the manual to help developers write efficient and

properly functioning code.

Technical Support Personnel

This manual provides reference information for network

administrators and other technical support personnel who manage

multi-user systems. PJL provides the potential for significantly

enhancing network printer operation.

Non-Technical Users

Non-technical users can use the features of PJL by using HP Explorer

Software, or by using software that supports PJL. Since improperly

used PJL commands can cause problems in a network situation,

inexperienced users are advised against using PJL commands on

any system other than a dedicated workstation.

iv EN

Manual Organization

This manual is comprised of eleven chapters and four appendices.

The first three chapters introduce you to the range of PJL features,

PJL syntax and format, some rules about using PJL, and a brief

description of each command. Chapter 4 explores the essential

“kernel” commands—those commands that are part of almost every

PJL job. Chapters 5 through 10 each describe a separate group of

related commands. The remaining chapters cover programming tips

and related PJL information. A brief description of each chapter is

provided below.

Chapter 1. Introduction to PJL

This chapter explains what PJL is, who should use PJL, and the

benefits of using PJL in application programs. It also covers

compatibility with non-PJL printers, which includes older models of

HP LaserJet printers, HP DeskJet printers, and HP DesignJet plotters

and printers.

Chapter 2. PJL Command Syntax and Format

Chapter 2 explains the conventions used to describe PJL command

syntax. The chapter also explains the formats that PJL commands

follow and describes what happens when the printer receives an

illegal command.

Chapter 3. Using PJL

This chapter explains how PJL commands are used, including the

requirements of a PJL job and examples showing basic PJL

command structure. In addition, the chapter categorizes the PJL

commands in this manual by their functionality, along with a brief

command summary.

Chapter 4. Kernel Commands

This chapter explains the three core commands used in most PJL

jobs: the Universal Exit Language (UEL) command, the COMMENT

command, and the ENTER command. The chapter also describes the

related topics of implicit and explicit printer language switching.

EN v

Chapter 5. Job Separation Commands

Chapter 5 describes the JOB and EOJ commands, which are used in

combination to define job boundaries and provide job-related

feedback, such as job completion.

Chapter 6. Environment Commands

This chapter explains setting the printer to a known state. The

DEFAULT, INITIALIZE, RESET, and SET commands are explained

here.

Chapter 7. Status Readback Commands

Chapter 7 describes status readback, the format of status readback

responses, using software tools to interpret status readback, and the

commands associated with status readback (INQUIRE, DINQUIRE,

ECHO, INFO, USTATUS, and USTATUSOFF). This chapter also

covers the processes involved in job recovery and monitoring the

printer control panel.

Chapter 8. Device Attendance Commands

Chapter 8 describes the commands used to display messages on the

printer control panel: the RDYMSG, OPMSG, and STMSG

commands.

Chapter 9. PJL File System Commands

Chapter 9 describes the commands used for managing a printer-

based disk drive, or other printer-based mass storage. The

commands include FSAPPEND, FSDIRLIST, FSINIT, FSMKDIR,

FSQUERY, FSUPLOAD, FSDOWNLOAD, and FSDELETE. These

commands provide the capability to initialize the mass storage, make

directories, list directories, and download, upload, delete, and

append files.

Chapter 10. Job Management

Chapter 10 describes the job management features found on the

HP LaserJet 8100 and 8500 printers.

vi EN

Chapter 11. Programming Tips for Using PJL

This chapter demonstrates how to create well-formed jobs and

discusses common problems and things to watch for when using PJL

commands. Samples are included to demonstrate different types of

applications.

Appendix A. Product-Specific Feature Support

This chapter lists all of the PJL commands and shows which

commands are supported by the different PJL printers. It also shows

which environment variables are supported, and includes printer-

specific information about several PJL printers.

Appendix B. PJL Command Summary

This appendix lists all of the PJL commands in alphabetical order, and

shows the format of each command.

Appendix C. Programming Examples

Appendix C shows an example of a PJL job in both the generic format

used in the rest of this manual, and in the C programming language.

The appendix also includes a batch file that modifies the control panel

display message during job processing.

Appendix D. PJL Status Codes

This appendix describes the status code information available when

using status readback.

Index

This manual includes an index for easy access to PJL information.

EN vii

Related Documents

The following documents provide related information about

Hewlett-Packard PCL 5 printers.

PCL 5 Printer Language Technical Reference Manual

The PCL 5 Printer Language Technical Reference Manual provides a

description of the printer command language that controls PCL 5

printers. The manual provides explanations of each PCL command,

and examples demonstrating how the commands are used to control

the printer. A large portion of the manual is devoted to HP-GL/2, the

vector-based graphics language that is part of all PCL 5 printers.

PCL 5 Comparison Guide

This document provides printer-specific information on paper

handling, internal fonts, PCL command support, and control panel

information. It identifies feature differences between the PCL 5

printers, and how the printers implement the commands described in

the PCL 5 Printer Language Technical Reference Manual.

PCL/PJL Technical Quick Reference Guide

This booklet is designed to provide quick access to the syntax of each

PCL and PJL command. The commands are grouped by their

function so that those familiar with PCL and/or PJL can find the

syntax of a specific command without opening the manual.

viii EN

Manual Conventions

This manual uses the following conventions:

• Items in italics indicate names of variables.

• Items in UPPERCASE letters indicate PJL command names

and words you type verbatim. PJL command names referred

to in text are also in uppercase.

• Items in square brackets [ ] indicate optional parameters. The

brackets themselves are not typed.

• Items in brackets < > indicate a control code character (for

example, <CR> for carriage return) or a special defined

identifier.

• A vertical bar (|) indicates there is more than one optional

parameter.

Note Throughout this manual, the term printer also includes any relevant

DesignJet plotters and printers.

EN Contents-i

Contents

Printer Job Language

Technical Reference Manual

Inside This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-iii

Manual Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-iv

Related Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-vii

Manual Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-viii

Contents

1 Introduction to PJL

The Benefits of PJL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Who Should Use PJL? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Compatibility With Non-PJL Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

2 PJL Command Syntax and Format

Syntax Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Format of PJL Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

PJL Syntax Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Types of Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

Processing Invalid Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

3 Using PJL

Overview of How Commands are Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

PJL Job Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Some Sample PJL Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

What's Next? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

Command Groupings by Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

4 Kernel Commands

Universal Exit Language (UEL) Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

ENTER Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

COMMENT Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Methods of Printer Language Switching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Contents-ii EN

5 Job Separation Commands

JOB Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

EOJ Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8

PJL Job Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10

Password Protection of Default Feature Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10

Control Panel Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11

Disk Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11

Job Cancellation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13

Start of Job Notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13

End of Job Notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14

Job Cancellation Unsolicited Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15

6 Environment Commands

Print Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2

Changing Environment Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5

Environment Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6

PJL Reset Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8

Key Points to Remember About Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10

PJL Environment Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11

General PJL Environment Variables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12

Port-Specific Variables (LaserJet 4PJ Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-26

PCL-Specific Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-27

PostScript-Specific Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-31

ESC/P-Specific Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-32

Setting the Printer to a Desired State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-34

DEFAULT Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-36

INITIALIZE Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-39

RESET Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-42

SET Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-45

7 Status Readback Commands

Printer Status Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3

Synchronizing Status Readback Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3

Format of Status Readback Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4

INQUIRE Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5

DINQUIRE Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10

ECHO Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14

INFO Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16

USTATUS Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31

TIMED Variable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40

USTATUSOFF Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-42

Job Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43

Sending the Initial Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43

EN Contents-iii

After Job Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44

8 Device Attendance Commands

RDYMSG Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2

OPMSG Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5

STMSG Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7

9 PJL File System Commands

FSAPPEND Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3

FSDIRLIST Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5

FSDELETE Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7

FSDOWNLOAD Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8

FSINIT Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9

FSMKDIR Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10

FSQUERY Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11

FSUPLOAD Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13

File System Example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15

10 Job Management

HP LaserJet 8100 Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1

HP LaserJet 8500 Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5

11 Programming Tips for Using PJL

PJL Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-2

Print Data Generators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-3

Printer Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-5

Spoolers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-11

Requesting Printer Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-18

Using Status Readback in a Multi-User System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-18

A Product-Specific Feature Support

PJL Feature Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2

PJL Environment Variable Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6

HP LaserJet IIISi Comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-43

Comments about HP LaserJet Printers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-44

LaserJet Printers with Reduced-Function

Control Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-51

Color LaserJet Printer Comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-52

HP DeskJet 1200C and 1600C Printer Family Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-52

Contents-iv EN

HP LaserJet 5Si/ 5SiMx/5Si Mopier Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-56

HP LaserJet 5Si Mopier Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-57

HP LaserJet 4000 and 5000 Series Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-59

HP LaserJet 1100 Series Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-61

HP LaserJet 2100 Series Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-62

HP Color LaserJet 4500 Series Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-63

HP LaserJet 8000 and 8100 Series Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-64

HP Color LaserJet 8500 Series Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-65

B PJL Command Summary

C Programming Examples

D PJL Status Codes

Status Code Groupings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-1

Informational Messages (10xxx) * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-2

Background Paper Loading (11xyy) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-4

Background Paper Tray Status (12xyy). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-6

Output Bin Status (15xxy). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-7

PJL Parser Errors (20xxx). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-7

PJL Parser Warnings (25xxx) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-9

PJL Semantic Errors (27xxx) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-10

Auto-Continuable Conditions (30xxx) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-11

PJL File System Errors (32xxx) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-13

Potential Operator Intervention

Conditions (35xxx) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-14

Operator Intervention Conditions (40xxx) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-16

Foreground Paper Loading (41xyy) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-19

Paper Jam Messages (LaserJet 5Si/5SiMx only) (42xyy) . . . . . . . . . . . . D-20

Optional (External) Paper Handling Device Messages (43xyy) . . . . . . . . D-22

LaserJet 4000 / 5000 Series Paper Jam Messages (44xyy) . . . . . . . . . . D-23

Hardware Errors (50xxx). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-24

Glossary

Index

EN Introduction to PJL 1-1

Introduction to PJL

What is PJL?

Hewlett-Packard's Printer Job Language (PJL) was developed to give

software applications more job-level printer control, and to provide

printer status information to applications. PJL provides for the special

needs of networks and other multi-user systems, in addition to

enabling applications to simulate control panel functions that

previously could not be controlled without pressing control

panel keys.

For the HP printers (HP LaserJet, HP DeskJet, and HP DesignJet)

that support it, PJL allows job-level control that cannot be

accomplished with PCL, PostScript, or other printer languages. To

provide this control, PJL functions “above” the level of PCL and other

printer languages, providing four major functions:

• Printer language switching between jobs

• Job separation

• Printer configuration

• Status readback from the printer to the host computer

Note For information about products newer than those included in this

book, see the Printer Job Language Technical Reference Addendum,

which includes product-specific information about newer products, as

well as commands and variables added to PJL to support these

newer products.

1-2 Introduction to PJL EN

Figure 1-1 PJL Resides Above Other Printer Languages

Note Some HP printers, such as the LaserJet 4L, 5L, 6L, or 1100 Series

printers, do not support printer language switching or job separation.

See Appendix A for feature support information.

Using PJL, software applications can request information such as

printer model, configuration, and status. PJL also can be used to

change control panel settings and modify the message displayed on

the control panel, or change feature settings in printers without a

control panel, such as the HP LaserJet 1100 Series printers. For

those printers supporting more than one printer language,

applications can print one job using PCL, and then print the next job

using PostScript or another printer language—without any operator

intervention.

EN Introduction to PJL 1-3

The Benefits of PJL

Listed below are some of the benefits PJL provides:

• Programmatic printer language switching. PJL provides

fully reliable switching between printer languages, such as

PCL, Epson, IBM ProPrinter, and PostScript, directly from

within applications.

• Printer status readback. Printer model information,

configuration, printer feature settings, and other printer status

information can be obtained using PJL.

• Programmatic front panel control. Control panel settings,

including control panel messages, can be changed remotely.

• Ease of use. All PJL commands except the Universal Exit

Language (UEL) command consist of printable characters and

plain-English words or abbreviated words. Learning to use PJL

can be accomplished by reading the first three chapters of this

manual and following the examples provided in the text.

• Better spooler control. PJL allows spoolers improved printer

management, especially in a network environment.

Who Should Use PJL?

PJL is designed to be used by experienced programmers, such as

software application developers and technical support personnel.

Although PJL is not complicated, it is a powerful tool, and should be

used only by experienced users who can create jobs that cause no

adverse effects on other jobs in a shared environment. Applications

containing PJL commands used as described in this manual provide

users with smooth transitions between print jobs. Conversely,

improperly used PJL commands can create problems in multi-user

printing environments.

1-4 Introduction to PJL EN

Compatibility With Non-PJL Printers

Because all HP printers do not support PJL, it is important to know

what happens when PJL commands are sent to a non-PJL printer.

PJL commands are recognized by the following HP printers:

• LaserJet IIISi, 4Si, 4SiMx, 5Si, 5SiMx, 5Si Mopier

• LaserJet 1100 Series, 2100 Series

• LaserJet 4000 Series, 5000 Series

• LaserJet 8000 Series, 8100 Series

• LaserJet 4V, 4MV

• LaserJet 4, 4 Plus, 4M, 4M Plus, 5, 5M

• LaserJet 4L, 4ML, 4LJ Pro, 4LC, 5L, 6L

• LaserJet 4P, 4MP, 4PJ, 5P, 6P, 6MP

• Color LaserJet, Color LaserJet 5, 5M

• Color LaserJet 4500 Series, 8500 Series

• DeskJet 1200C, 1600C

• DesignJet Family

• PaintJet XL300

The printers listed above are designed to handle any PJL command,

even those not supported by that particular printer. On the other

hand, all PCL 4 printers, and all PCL 5 printers not listed above, do

not support PJL. When PJL commands are sent to a non-PJL printer,

the results differ depending on which commands are used and which

printer language is used. The following paragraphs explain what

happens when PCL and PostScript jobs containing PJL commands

are sent to non-PJL printers.

Note For best results, do not send PJL commands to a non-PJL printer.

EN Introduction to PJL 1-5

PCL Jobs

When non-PJL printers receive PCL jobs, any PJL commands that

precede the initial PCL printer reset command (<ESC>E) print as

ASCII text. When the initial printer reset command is received, it

causes a page eject and the PCL job begins on a new page. The end

result is a page or more of PJL commands followed by the PCL job,

and possibly followed by more PJL commands. The PCL job should

print as it would without any PJL commands, as long as the PCL

portion of the job begins and ends with a PCL printer reset command.

However, a page of PJL commands printed before and probably after

the PCL job can be expected.

For those PCL applications that do not begin with a PCL printer reset

command (or another PCL command that forces a page eject when

preceded by printable data), the PJL commands are printed as ASCII

text on the same page as the PCL job. A good portion of the job may

be unusable due to unpredictable page breaks and overprinted text

on the first page.

PostScript Jobs

When non-PJL printers are running in PostScript mode, PJL

commands cause a PostScript error and prevent the job from printing.

Pressing the printer's Continue key removes the error message, but

the error causes the printer to discard the PostScript job.

Other Printer Languages

PJL code is interpreted differently when running different printer

languages on non-PJL printers. To avoid printing problems, do not

use PJL commands when printing to any non-PJL printer, regardless

of which printer language is used.

1-6 Introduction to PJL EN

EN PJL Command Syntax and Format 2-1

PJL Command Syntax

and Format

Introduction

This chapter explains the conventions used to describe PJL

command syntax. This chapter also describes the several different

formats that PJL commands may take, giving examples of each. The

chapter provides an explanation of how PJL-compatible printers

handle illegal commands.

Note For information about products newer than those included in this

book, see the Printer Job Language Technical Reference Addendum,

which includes product-specific information about newer products, as

well as commands and variables added to PJL to support these

newer products.

2-2 PJL Command Syntax and Format EN

Syntax Conventions

The following syntax conventions are used to describe the PJL

commands in this manual:

variables Items in italics indicate names of variables.

COMMANDS Items in uppercase letters indicate PJL command names

and words that you type verbatim. PJL command names

referred to in text are also in uppercase.

[ ] Items in brackets [ . . . ] indicate optional parameters. The

brackets themselves are not typed.

< > Identifies a control code character, such as <CR> for

carriage return, or a special defined identifier. The table on

the next page lists the control codes and special identifiers

used in the PJL syntax. (The < and > symbols themselves

are not typed, but are replaced with the control codes or

special identifiers they represent. For example, replace

<FF> with the form feed character [ASCII 12].)

~ This character indicates that the current line of code is a

continuation of the previous line. For example, “All of this

text belongs on the

~ same line.”

| A vertical bar indicates there is more than one optional

parameter, such as LPARM and IPARM: [LPARM :

personality | IPARM : port].

EN PJL Command Syntax and Format 2-3

The following illustration is an example of a PJL command line

containing the ENTER command:

The table below lists the control codes and special identifiers used in

this manual:

<HT> Horizontal tab character (ASCII 9).

<LF> Line feed character (ASCII 10).

<CR> Carriage return character (ASCII 13).

<SP> Space character (ASCII 32).

<ESC> Escape character (ASCII 27).

<FF> Form feed character (ASCII 12).

<WS> White space, a result of one or more <SP>

or <HT>.

<words> Printable characters (Roman-8 characters 33

through 255) and <WS>, starting with a printable

character.

^D PostScript end-of-file indication. It is not part of

PJL, but is used to end PostScript examples.

2-4 PJL Command Syntax and Format EN

Format of PJL Commands

All PJL command lines follow one of the following four formats. Each

format defines how commands using that format are structured.

Format #1

<ESC>%–12345X

The only command that uses this format is the Universal Exit

Language (UEL) command.

Format #2

@PJL [<CR>]<LF>

This format allows a PJL line with no command, and is used to add

clarity to PJL command listings. You can use one or more of these

commands to visually break up several lines of PJL commands.

Format #3

@PJL command [<words>] [<CR>]<LF>

The COMMENT and ECHO commands currently are the only PJL

commands using format number 3.

Format #4

@PJL command [command modifier : value]

~ [option name [= value]] [<CR>]<LF>

This format is used for all of the other PJL commands and is

described in more detail below.

command — command is one of the assigned PJL command names,

such as ENTER, RDYMSG, or RESET.

[command modifier : value] — The command modifier enables the

user to specify what is effected by the command. For example, with

the command modifier LPARM you can specify language-specific

variables. A PJL command with a command modifier of LPARM : PCL

only affects PCL-specific settings. A PJL command can contain only

one command modifier. For example, in the command: @PJL SET

EN PJL Command Syntax and Format 2-5

[LPARM : personality]|[IPARM : port] variable = value [<CR>] <LF>,

you can use either the LPARM command modifier or the IPARM

command modifier, but not both.

[option name [ = value ] ] — The option parameter specifies an

option or sets a command option to a certain value. Examples include

“@PJL INQUIRE COPIES” and “@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE =

personality.” The range of values varies with each specific command

and each printer model. A PJL command may have no options, or one

or more options (an unlimited number).

The DEFAULT command shown below illustrates format number 4.

The command sets the default PCL point size to 14.25.

PJL Syntax Rules

Following are the rules governing the use of PJL commands:

• The PJL prefix “@PJL” always must be uppercase. The

remainder of the PJL command is not case-sensitive. For

clarity, however, this manual shows other portions of PJL

commands in uppercase to indicate portions that are not

variable and that should be typed as shown (such as the first

three words in the following command):

@PJL STMSG DISPLAY = "message" [<CR>]<LF>

• Spacing between characters, or “white space,” is comprised of

one or more of either the space character (ASCII 32) or the

horizontal tab character (ASCII 9). For clarity and consistency,

this manual shows all white space as one blank space.

2-6 PJL Command Syntax and Format EN

• The placement of white space in PJL commands depends on

its location within the command. Some white space is required

and some is optional:

• White space is required between the @PJL prefix and the PJL

command name, and between the PJL command name and

command modifiers. For example:

@PJL OPMSG DISPLAY or

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = personality

• If white space is shown in any other place in the command, it is

optional (see the examples below).

• If white space is not shown between two portions of a

command, white space is not allowed. An example is between

the optional carriage return and required line feed character

that terminate most commands.

For clarity, this manual consistently shows white space as one blank

space. The PJL language requirements are shown in both examples

below:

EN PJL Command Syntax and Format 2-7

Types of Variables

PJL uses alphanumeric variables, numeric variables, and strings. The

following explains the three types of variables and their ranges.

• Alphanumeric variables. Any combination of letters and

digits, with the stipulation that the first character always must

be a letter. Letters consist of the uppercase letters (Roman-8

characters 65 through 90) and lowercase letters (97 through

122). Digits consist of numbers 0 through 9 (characters 48

through 57).

Examples of valid alphanumeric variables include:

LaserJet279

J1953

Examples of invalid alphanumeric variables include:

279LaserJet

(Alphanumeric variables must begin with a letter)

J 1953

(Space characters [ASCII 32] are not allowed in alphanumeric

variables)

• Numeric variables. Any number consisting of digits, with one

optional decimal point and an optional + or – sign preceding

the first digit. Only one decimal point may be used, and it must

be placed somewhere after the first digit. Digits are not

required after the decimal point.

Examples of valid numeric variables include:

0.123456

–123.456

+657000

2468.

Examples of invalid numeric variables include:

.123456

(The decimal point must be preceded by at least 1 digit)

–123.45.6

(Only 1 decimal point is allowed in a numeric variable)

+657,000

(Commas are not allowed in numeric variables)

2-8 PJL Command Syntax and Format EN

• Strings. Enclosed in quotation marks, strings consist of any

combination of characters from Roman-8 character 32 through

255, plus character 9 (horizontal tab), excluding character 34

(quotation marks).

Examples of valid strings include:

"<HT>This is a valid string."

(Tabs are allowed in strings)

"Print job #4655"

Examples of invalid strings include:

"This is not a valid" string."

(Strings cannot contain quotation marks)

"This is also not<CR>valid."

(<CR> is not within the valid range of characters for a string.)

Note Strings displayed on the printer control panel are generally displayed

using the Roman-8 symbol set. On HP LaserJet 4PJ, 4V, and 4MV

printers, when the language is set to Japanese, strings which

correspond to a control panel message are displayed on the control

panel using the JIS X0201-76 character set.

This is also true for some other printers/languages. See the note on

page 8-3.

EN PJL Command Syntax and Format 2-9

Processing Invalid Commands

There are two general types of invalid commands: those commands

with syntax errors, and those that have syntax or semantic warnings.

Each type is handled differently.

• Syntax errors cause the printer to ignore the entire PJL

command, and include errors such as unrecognized

commands and command modifiers, strings missing closing

double-quotes, numeric values missing digits before the

decimal point, and numeric values encountered when

alphanumeric values are expected. When the printer receives

commands with syntax errors, it ignores the entire command.

For example, the value portion of the JOB command's NAME

option is a string and requires double quotes around the value

(as shown below). In the second example below, the JOB

command is ignored since the string (April Paychecks)

contains the opening but not the required closing quotes.

Valid command:

@PJL JOB NAME = "April Paychecks" <LF>

Invalid command:

@PJL JOB NAME = "April Paychecks <LF>

• Syntax warnings and semantic warnings are issued for

commands such as those having unsupported options, values

that are out of range, values that are the wrong type or

missing, or values that are included when none are allowed.

When the printer receives commands with syntax or semantic

warnings, it executes as much of the command as possible,

but the portion of the command containing the warning is

ignored.

• For example, in the following two sample PJL commands,

START is a valid option for the JOB command, but FINISH is

not a valid option (the END option should be used). The

START option is executed, but the FINISH option is ignored.

Valid command:

@PJL JOB START = 1 <LF>

Invalid command:

@PJL JOB START = 1 FINISH = HOME <LF>

2-10 PJL Command Syntax and Format EN

Note Any errors that occur during PJL parsing can be received by enabling

device status as described in Chapter 7 (send the @PJL USTATUS

DEVICE = VERBOSE command). Appendix D lists the status codes

that are received by the host when an invalid command is received

and unsolicited verbose device status is enabled.

EN Using PJL 3-1

Using PJL

Introduction

This chapter describes how PJL commands are used. After reading

this chapter, you can create basic jobs and perform simple PJL tasks,

such as printer language switching and changing some PJL feature

settings.

To give you an understanding of where to look for more PJL

information, this chapter explains how the manual categorizes PJL

commands into groups of related commands. Each command has a

brief description of its function to help familiarize you with the PJL

language.

Note Each PJL printer supports a different set of PJL commands. See

Appendix A for printer-specific information.

Note For information about products newer than those included in this

book, see the Printer Job Language Technical Reference Addendum,

which includes product-specific information about newer products, as

well as commands and variables added to PJL to support these

newer products.

Overview of How Commands are Used

As previously explained, PJL resides “above” other printer languages

such as PCL and PostScript. PJL commands encapsulate the printer

language jobs, as shown in Figure 3-1. The Universal Exit Language

(UEL) command allows the printer to alternate between interpreting

PJL commands and printer language commands. (Although PCL and

PostScript are shown in Figure 3-1, other printer languages can be

involved.)

3-2 Using PJL EN

Figure 3-1 PJL Commands Encapsulate Print Jobs

PJL Code PCL Job PJL Code PostScript

Job

PJL Code

EN Using PJL 3-3

PJL Job Requirements

PJL has certain job requirements that must be met to work correctly.

Jobs that satisfy the following requirements are “well-formed” and

work well with all PJL printers, both in single-computer/single-printer

environments and network environments. Here are the requirements:

• All PJL jobs must begin and end with a UEL command

(<ESC>%–12345X). This command exits the current printer

language and returns control to PJL.

• The UEL command at the beginning of the job must be

immediately followed by the PJL command prefix (@PJL). The

“@PJL” can be followed by an optional carriage return and a

required line feed character, or it can be the prefix of another

PJL command (see the two following examples). No other

characters, including control characters, are allowed between

the UEL command and the @PJL prefix.

• The UEL command at the job end must not be followed by

anything (except the first character of the next job).

• Line Termination—a line feed character (<LF>) is required to

terminate all PJL commands (except the UEL command). A

carriage return can precede the terminating line feed, however

the carriage return is optional and is ignored.

• No blank command lines are allowed. The command

@PJL [<CR>]<LF> is provided for situations where a blank

line is needed to add space between command lines.

The following command lines demonstrate two ways to begin a job

while satisfying PJL requirements. Both lines begin with a UEL

command, are immediately followed by @PJL, and are terminated

with a line feed character. All PJL jobs also must end with a UEL

command. The examples on the following page demonstrate how to

begin and end a PJL job.

<ESC>%–12345X@PJL COMMENT *Start Job* <CR><LF>

3-4 Using PJL EN

Some Sample PJL Jobs

This section consists of two basic PJL jobs that illustrate how to use

PJL. The first job changes a few printer control panel settings and

prints a PCL file. The second job prints a PCL file followed by a

PostScript file. (The ~ symbol indicates that the command line is

actually part of the previous line.)

Example: Changing Control Panel Settings

This example simulates using PJL to control printer features that are

not available in a particular application program. In this case, the

features to be modified are the number of copies and the Resolution

Enhancement technology setting.

<ESC>%–12345X@PJL COMMENT *Start Job* <CR><LF>

@PJL JOB NAME = "Sample Job #1" <CR><LF>

@PJL SET COPIES = 3 <CR><LF>

@PJL SET RET = OFF <CR><LF>

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = PCL <CR><LF>

<ESC>E. . . . PCL job . . . .<ESC>E

~<ESC>%–12345X@PJL <CR><LF>

@PJL EOJ<CR><LF>

<ESC>%–12345X

Example: Switching Printer Languages

This example contains two print jobs, one PCL and one PostScript.

The PCL job prints first, then PJL code switches the printer language

to prepare for the PostScript job.

@PJL COMMENT ** Beginning PCL Job ** <CR><LF>

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = PCL <CR><LF>

@PJL SET LPARM : PCL SYMSET = DESKTOP <CR><LF>

<ESC>E . . . . PCL job . . . .<ESC>E

~<ESC>%–12345X@PJL COMMENT End PCL <CR><LF>

@PJL COMMENT Ready for PostScript Job <CR><LF>

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = POSTSCRIPT <CR><LF>

%!PS-ADOBE ... PostScript print job ... ^D

~<ESC>%–12345X

EN Using PJL 3-5

What's Next?

Now that you have learned the PJL requirements and have seen how

to use PJL commands in the sample programs described on the

previous page, look through the following “Command Groupings”

table. It can help you find the information you need to add PJL

capabilities to your application. If your application only uses PJL to

switch printer languages, you may need to read only Chapter 4.

However, if you want to do more with PJL, be sure to look through

Chapter 11 (Programming Tips for Using PJL), and the other chapters

that pertain to your application. Also, be sure you know which PJL

commands are supported by the printer you are using. See Appendix

A for feature support information.

• Chapter 5 explains commands that enable you to create jobs

for keeping track of printing status, and explain a non-printing

mode that allows printing of specific pages of print jobs.

• Chapter 6 describes commands that enable you to change

control panel settings and default configuration settings. The

commands in this chapter enable you to set the printer

features to a known state.

• Chapter 7 covers status readback commands, enabling you to

request configuration and status information from the printer.

• Chapter 8 explains the commands that can alter the messages

displayed on the printer control panel.

• Chapter 9 describes the PJL file system for managing

printer-based file storage.

• Chapter 10 describes using the PJL job management

commands.

3-6 Using PJL EN

Command Groupings by Functionality

This manual categorizes the PJL commands into related groups.

Each group of commands is covered in a separate chapter, as

indicated in the following table. This table lists each command and

gives a short description of each.

Command Group Command Command Description

Kernel Commands

(Chapter 4)

Universal Exit Language

(UEL)

Exits current printer

language and returns

control to PJL.

COMMENT Causes PJL to accept the

command line as a

comment.

ENTER Selects a printer language

for processing the current

job.

Job Separation Commands

(Chapter 5)

JOB Informs printer of the start

of a print job, resets the

page count, allows naming

of the job, supports

non-printing mode for

printing portions of jobs.

Where supported, it adds

PJL password security.

EOJ Tells printer the print job is

complete, resets the page

count.

Environment Commands

(Chapter 6)

DEFAULT Sets default value for

environment variables.

SET Sets an environment

variable to a specified value

for the duration of

a PJL job.

INITIALIZE Resets current and default

PJL variables to factory

default values.

RESET Resets current PJL

variables to default values.

EN Using PJL 3-7

Status Readback

Commands

(Chapter 7)

INQUIRE Requests the current value

for a specified environment

variable.

DINQUIRE Requests the default value

for a specified environment

variable.

ECHO Returns the <words>

portion of the command to

the host computer.

INFO Requests a specified

category of printer

information, such as printer

model number, printer

memory available,

configuration, page count,

status, environment

variables, and unsolicited

status variables.

USTATUS Allows printer to send

unsolicited status

messages for device status

changes, end-of-job status,

and pages printed. Status

can be sent at specified

time intervals.

USTATUSOFF Turns off all unsolicited

status.

Command Group Command Command Description

3-8 Using PJL EN

Device Attendance

Commands

(Chapter 8)

RDYMSG Specifies a message that

replaces the READY

message on the printer

control panel. Does not

affect online state.

OPMSG Displays specified

message on printer control

panel and takes printer

offline.

STMSG Displays specified

message on printer control

panel and takes printer

offline. If status readback is

enabled, returns name of

the key (ON LINE,

CONTINUE, or RESET)

that operator presses to

return the printer online.

PJL File System

Commands

(Chapter 9)

FSAPPEND Appends data to an existing

file or creates a new file.

FSDELETE Deletes printer mass

storage files.

FSDIRLIST Lists PJL file system files

and

directories.

FSDOWNLOAD Downloads files to the

printer mass storage

system.

FSINIT Initializes the printer mass

storage file system.

FSMKDIR Creates a directory on the

printer mass storage file

system.

FSQUERY Queries existence of

directories and files and

returns file sizes.

FSUPLOAD Uploads all or part of a file

from the printer to the host.

Command Group Command Command Description

EN Using PJL 3-9

3-10 Using PJL EN

EN Kernel Commands 4-1

Kernel Commands

Introduction

This chapter explains the following three PJL commands:

• Universal Exit Language (UEL) command — exits the current

printer language and returns control to PJL.

•ENTER command — selects a printer language for processing

the current job.

• COMMENT command — enables developers to add

comments to their PJL commands.

Together, these commands provide a minimum set of tools necessary

to implement job control. These commands allow applications to set

job boundaries, add comments, and programmatically select printer

languages.

Besides programmatic printer language switching, you can configure

some LaserJet printers to switch printer languages automatically

between print jobs. Following the descriptions of the UEL, ENTER,

and COMMENT commands, this chapter describes the different

methods used to switch printer languages.

Note For information about products newer than those included in this

book, see the Printer Job Language Technical Reference Addendum,

which includes product-specific information about newer products, as

well as commands and variables added to PJL to support these

newer products.

4-2 Kernel Commands EN

Universal Exit Language (UEL) Command

The Universal Exit Language (UEL) Command causes the printer to

exit the active printer language. The printer then returns control

to PJL.

Note Use the UEL command at the beginning and end of every PJL job.

You do not need a UEL command before every PJL command. The

examples demonstrate using this command.

Syntax:

<ESC>%-12345X

Parameters:

The UEL command does not use any parameters.

Comments:

The UEL command is a data stream sequence recognized by all

printer languages in PJL printers. The UEL command instructs the

active printer language to finish processing the current job and

relinquishes control to PJL. If PJL is active, any unprocessed PJL

commands are discarded and the printer is ready to accept the next

PJL command.

Note If the printer is processing a PostScript job and TBCP is enabled, the

UEL command causes the printer to exit PostScript and enable PJL.

Remember that:

• All jobs must start and end with the UEL command. Printers

that support I/O switching use the UEL command as one way

to determine job boundaries, indicating when to perform I/O

switching (see the “Timeouts” section in Appendix A).

• At the beginning of a PJL job, the PJL command prefix (@PJL)

must immediately follow the UEL command. If the printer

receives any characters, spaces, or control codes before

@PJL, it enables the default printer language and processes

the job in that printer language (if PERSONALITY =AUTO, the

data stream is sampled for context-sensitive switching—see

EN Kernel Commands 4-3

the “Methods of Printer Language Switching” later in this

chapter). Instead of relying on implicit switching, use the

ENTER command to specify the printer language, even if the

printer has only one printer language.

The following example demonstrates the use of the UEL command.

Example: Using the UEL Command

This example enters PCL and prints a PCL job. Notice how the job

begins and ends with the UEL command, and how the first UEL

command is followed immediately by the @PJL prefix.

<ESC>%-12345X@PJL COMMENT PCL Job <CR><LF>

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = PCL <CR><LF>

<ESC>E . . . . PCL Job . . . . <ESC>E

~<ESC>%-12345X

If the print job was a PostScript job instead, the following would be

sent:

<ESC>%-12345X@PJL COMMENT PostScript <CR><LF>

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = POSTSCRIPT <CR><LF>

%!PS-ADOBE ... PostScript print job ... ^D

~<ESC>%-12345X

Similarly, for an ESC/P print job, send the following:

<ESC>%-12345X@PJL COMMENT ESC/P <CR><LF>

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = ESCP <CR><LF>

... ESC/P print job ...

~<ESC>%-12345X

4-4 Kernel Commands EN

ENTER Command

The ENTER command enables the specified personality (such as

PCL or PostScript). Use this command to select the printer language

for printing subsequent data.

Syntax:

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = personality [<CR>]<LF>

Parameters:

• personality — The personality variable must be set to PCL,

POSTSCRIPT, ESCP, or one of the other supported

personalities. Personalities besides PCL and PostScript can

be added to some printers by plugging in additional hardware,

such as cartridges or ROM SIMMs. If your application handles

status readback, you can request a list of all valid personalities

present in the printer (see the “INFO CONFIG” section in

Chapter 7).

Comments:

The ENTER command must be positioned immediately before any

personality-specific data. The selected personality begins parsing

immediately after the <LF> that terminates the ENTER command.

If the printer does not receive the ENTER command requesting a

specific printer language, the printer enables the default printer

language as set from the control panel (or if the printer supports

context switching, such as the HP Color LaserJet 4500 series, 8500

series, 8100 series, LaserJet 2100 series, 4000 series, 5000 series,

8000 series, 8100 series, 5Si, 5SiMX, 5Si Mopier, 5, 5M, 5P, 6P, and

6MP printers, it samples the data stream if personality is set to

AUTO—see the “Methods of Printer Language Switching” later in this

chapter).

Parameter Range

personality PCL, POSTSCRIPT, ESCP,

Others *

* Other personalities might be supported.

EN Kernel Commands 4-5

Note To select the ESC/P personality, always be sure to use the

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = ESCP command to explicitly select it.

For any job containing personality-specific data, send the ENTER

command if the intended printer language is known, instead of relying

on the printer's ability to switch to the default printer language. This is

true even if there is only one available personality.

When a printer language is specified, that language currently must be

installed in the printer. If the printer receives a request for an invalid

printer language, the printer consumes the data stream until it finds

the next UEL command, and then discards the data. The printer also

posts an “invalid personality” clearable warning message (W2

INVALID PERS) and, if enabled, returns a status message.

Note In spooling applications, performance is not adversely

affected if both the application file and the spooler send

the ENTER command.

Example: Using the ENTER Command

@PJL COMMENT Beginning PostScript Job <CR><LF>

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = POSTSCRIPT <CR><LF>

%!PS-ADOBE ... PostScript print job ... ^D

~<ESC>%-12345X@PJL <CR><LF>

@PJL COMMENT End of PostScript Job <CR><LF>

@PJL <CR><LF>

@PJL COMMENT Prepare for PCL Job <CR><LF>

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = PCL <CR><LF>

<ESC>E . . . . PCL Job . . . . <ESC>E

~<ESC>%-12345X

4-6 Kernel Commands EN

COMMENT Command

The COMMENT command enables you to add a line of information as

a comment. Use this command whenever you want to add an

explanation to PJL commands.

Syntax:

@PJL COMMENT remarks [<CR>]<LF>

Parameters:

Comments:

The COMMENT command is useful for documenting lines of PJL

commands. Comments may be placed anywhere in the PJL code

between the initial UEL command and the ENTER command.

(Comments placed after the ENTER command are considered

personality-specific data and are printed as determined by the active

printer language.)

Like other PJL commands, the COMMENT command is terminated

by a line feed character. You cannot extend comments onto the next

line. Comments longer than one line require a separate COMMENT

command for each line.

See the following page for an example demonstrating the use of the

COMMENT command.

Example: Using the COMMENT Command

This example demonstrates using the COMMENT command to add

clarity to your PJL command listings.

@PJL COMMENT ************************ <CR><LF>

@PJL COMMENT ** D. Thiel— 10/22/92 ** <CR><LF>

@PJL COMMENT ************************ <CR><LF>

@PJL <CR><LF>

Parameter Range

remarks Roman-8 character codes 33

through 255 and <WS>, starting

with a printable character.

EN Kernel Commands 4-7

@PJL <CR><LF>

@PJL JOB NAME = "Using Comments" <CR><LF>

@PJL <CR><LF>

@PJL COMMENT **** TURNING OFF **** <CR><LF>

@PJL COMMENT **** RESOLUTION **** <CR><LF>

@PJL COMMENT **** ENHANCEMENT **** <CR><LF>

@PJL SET RET = OFF <CR><LF>

@PJL <CR><LF>

@PJL COMMENT ***** ENTERING PCL ***** <CR><LF>

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = PCL <CR><LF>

<ESC>E . . . . PCL Job . . . . <ESC>E

~<ESC>%-12345X@PJL <CR><LF>

@PJL EOJ <CR><LF>

<ESC>%-12345X

Methods of Printer Language Switching

There are three methods of switching printer languages, two of which

are supported by all PJL printers. All three methods are described

below:

• Explicit Switching. With explicit switching, the ENTER

LANGUAGE command is used to “explicitly” select the desired

printer language. This is the preferred switching method

because it ensures that the specified printer language is

always selected (see Figure 4-1).

• Implicit Switching. If the printer has a default printer

language configured, and the print job does not explicitly

select a printer language using the ENTER LANGUAGE

command, the printer automatically switches to the default

printer language. (See the User's Manual for each printer for

instructions about specifying a default printer language.) This

switching method does not always ensure that the proper

printer language is used, since the printer simply uses the

default language.

• Context Switching (HP Color LaserJet 4500 series,

8500 series, 8100 series, LaserJet 2100 series, 4000 series,

5000 series, 8000 series, 8100 series, HP Color LaserJet,

LaserJet 4, 4M, 4 Plus, 4M Plus, 4Si, 4SiMx, 4000 series, 5Si,

5SiMx, 5Si Mopier, 4ML, 4P, 4MP, 4V, 4MV, 5P, 6P, 6MP,

DesignJet plotters and printers only). If the printer is set to

automatically select a printer language (see the printer user's

manual), and the print job does not explicitly select a printer

language using the ENTER LANGUAGE command, the printer

samples the incoming data and looks for indications of a

4-8 Kernel Commands EN

particular printer language. Once it recognizes the printer

language, the printer backs up to the beginning of the sampled

print data and switches to the printer language determined to

be most appropriate. Then it begins to parse the data in the

newly selected printer language.

Note HP LaserJet 4V and 4MV printers cannot properly context-switch into

the ESC/P personality by sensing the data stream. Developers who

use ESC/P must use explicit or implicit switching.

Although printers supporting context switching can select printer

languages accurately, we recommend that every job containing

printable data include an ENTER LANGUAGE command to explicitly

select the correct printer language. This method improves

performance and eliminates unintentional printer language switching,

which can potentially cause data loss. Performance is not adversely

affected if both the application and the spooler send the ENTER

LANGUAGE command.

Figure 4-1 Switching Printer Languages

EN Job Separation Commands 5-1

Job Separation

Commands

Introduction

This chapter explains the JOB and EOJ commands. These

commands are used to describe the boundaries of a job, indicating

where the PJL job begins and ends. The commands can be used to

name a job, and they support a non-printing mode for printing

selected pages within a job. When used in combination with status

readback, the printer also can send status information regarding

when the printer starts processing the job and when the job is

complete. This chapter also describes PJL security and job

cancellation and their relationship to the JOB command.

Note For information about products newer than those included in this

book, see the Printer Job Language Technical Reference Addendum,

which includes product-specific information about newer products, as

well as commands and variables added to PJL to support these

newer products.

5-2 Job Separation Commands EN

JOB Command

The JOB command informs the printer of the start of a PJL job and

synchronizes the job and page status information. It also is used to

specify which pages of a job are printed. Use the JOB/EOJ

commands for spooling and related applications to monitor printing

status, name a job, print portions of a job, or to mark job boundaries

to keep the printer from treating a single print job as multiple jobs (for

example, when printing a job with a banner page). Also, in jobs sent

to those printers supporting the PASSWORD option, use a JOB

command to specify the correct password. For printers that support

the DISPLAY variable, the JOB command can be used to display a

control panel message while printing the job.

Note The JOB and EOJ commands always are used in pairs. Do not use

one without the other.

Since the JOB command causes a reset condition, any SET

commands must be positioned after the JOB command.

Syntax:

@PJL JOB [NAME = "job name"][START=first page]

~[END = last page][PASSWORD = number ]

~[DISPLAY = "display text"][<CR>]<LF>

Parameters:

Parameter Functional Range Default

NAME = "job name" Roman-8 characters 33

thru 255, <SP>, <HT>

N/A

START = first page 1 to 2,147,483,647 1

END = last page 1 to 2,147,483,647 Entire job

PASSWORD = number 0 to 65,535 0

DISPLAY="display text" Roman-8 characters 33

thru 255, <SP>, <HT>

N/A

EN Job Separation Commands 5-3

• NAME = "job name" — The command option NAME tags the

print job with a job name. The variable job name can be any

combination of printable characters and spaces or horizontal

tab characters, with a maximum of 80 significant characters.

The job name variable is a string and must be enclosed in

double quotes, as shown in the command syntax. If the NAME

option is included, the unsolicited job status includes the job

name (if unsolicited job status is enabled).

• START = first page — The command option START is used to

provide a non-printing mode for skipping to a selected portion

of the job. It indicates the first page that is printed. If the

START option is omitted, the printer starts printing at the

beginning of the job. If the end of the job comes before the

START page, no pages are printed.

Note For duplex jobs, the front and/or back side of the page is also printed,

depending on the value of START/END. If START is an even number,

the front side of that page will also be printed. If END is an odd value,

the backside of that page will also be printed. This allows the selected

pages to be inserted back into the original duplex job.

• END = last page — The command option END indicates the

page number of the last page to be printed. The last page

variable is relative to page 1 of the print job. If the END variable

is omitted, the printer prints to the end of the job. If the end of

the job is encountered before the START page, no pages are

printed. If the end of job is encountered before the END page,

printing terminates. Additionally, if the START page is greater

than the END page, no pages are printed.

• PASSWORD = number — The command option PASSWORD

allows the application to modify the NVRAM variables if the

password matches the active password variable. (Using PJL,

the NVRAM variables are modified using either the DEFAULT

or INITIALIZE commands; some printer language commands

may also modify NVRAM variables.) Passwords are set using

the DEFAULT command. The default password value is 0,

which indicates PJL security is disabled—any job can modify

printer feature settings using the DEFAULT or INITIALIZE

commands. If any other password value is active, PJL jobs

must issue the correct password value or they are disabled

from using the DEFAULT or INITIALIZE commands. (See the

“PJL Job Security” section at the end of this chapter.)

5-4 Job Separation Commands EN

• DISPLAY="display text " — The command option DISPLAY

is used to display a job message on the control panel display.

The message is displayed when the printer begins to work on

this job and is removed when the last page of this job reaches

the output bin. The variable "display text" can be any

combination of printable characters and spaces or horizontal

tabs, with a maximum of 80 characters. The actual number of

characters displayed depends on the printer. The display limit

can be determined by sending an INFO CONFIG command to

the printer. The printer will return DISPLAY LINES = value and

DISPLAY CHARACTER SIZE = value as part of the response.

Note For HP LaserJet 4PJ, 4V, 4MV, 5Si, 5SiMx, 5Si Mopier printers, if the

LANG variable is set to Japanese, messages are displayed using the

JIS X0201-76 character set.

For the LaserJet 4000, 5000, 8000, and 8100 series printers, if LANG

is set to POLISH, CZECH, or HUNGARIAN, messages are displayed

using the Latin 2 (ISO 8859/2) character set. If LANG is RUSSIAN,

messages are displayed using Cyrillic (ISO 8859/5). For

LANG=TURKISH, the display is in Latin 5 (ISO 8859/9). This is also

true for the HP Color LaserJet 4500 printer, except there is no support

for Turkish or Hungarian on this printer.

Comments:

When a JOB command is received, the printer does not recognize the

UEL command as a PJL job boundary until an EOJ command is

received. UEL commands within a PJL JOB/EOJ command pair are

treated as printer language resets; they default the print environment

to the PJL Current Environment settings, instead of the User Default

Environment.

If your application has status readback capabilities, you can monitor

the job status using the USTATUS command with the JOB option. If

job status is enabled and the printer receives a JOB command, it

returns a job status message.

Note Resetting the page count associated with unsolicited page status

affects only future pages. Pages already processed, but not yet

printed, are not affected.

EN Job Separation Commands 5-5

JOB commands can be nested. For example, a spooling application

can send a PJL job that uses the JOB command to another spooler

that encapsulates the spooled job with another JOB/EOJ command

pair. When this is done, note that the job name from the outer JOB

command is cleared or overwritten by the inner command.

Example: Using the JOB Command to Print

Selected Pages

You can use the JOB command with the START and END options to

print selected pages of a job. The entire job must be sent to the

printer and formatted, but the printer does not begin printing until the

page indicated in the START option.

Note If there is a need to print more than one copy of each page, send the

job multiple times using the START and END options to print collated

copies. Using the SET command or a printer language “number of

copies” command to print multiple copies of selected pages causes

unexpected results, because the printer counts physical pages, not

multi-copy collated pages.

In this example, the JOB command:

• Informs the printer of the beginning of a print job.

• Names the print job “Jim's Job.”

• Instructs the printer to begin printing on page three of the job.

(Since the END option is missing, the job prints from page

three through the end of the job.)

Note that the name option for the JOB and EOJ commands need not

be the same. You may use different names for each.

@PJL JOB NAME = "Jim's Job" START = 3 <CR><LF>

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = PCL <CR><LF>

<ESC>E . . . . PCL Job . . . . <ESC>E

~<ESC>%-12345X@PJL <CR><LF>

@PJL EOJ NAME = "End of Jim's Job" <CR><LF>

<ESC>%-12345X

5-6 Job Separation Commands EN

Example: Using the JOB Command to Monitor

Job Status

This example demonstrates a PostScript print job that is spooled

before printing. The job actually consists of three separate sections

(notice the UEL commands that bound the three sections—the first

section does not need a closing UEL command since the printer is

already in PJL mode):

• The first section is sent by the spooler. These lines name the

print job and send the USTATUS command so the spooler can

monitor job status.

• The next section is a PostScript job sent to the spooler from a

software application.

• The last section is sent by the spooler to end the job. When the

last page is completely printed (in the output tray), the printer

returns unsolicited status information notifying the spooler that

the job is complete.

<ESC%>-12345X@PJL <CR><LF>

@PJL COMMENT **Beginning of Job ** <CR><LF>

@PJL JOB NAME = "TF's Monitor Job" <CR><LF>

@PJL USTATUS JOB = ON <CR><LF>

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = POSTSCRIPT <CR><LF>

%!PS-ADOBE .. PostScript print job ... ^D

~<ESC>%-12345X

~<ESC>%-12345X@PJL <CR><LF>

@PJL EOJ NAME = "End of TF's Job" <CR><LF>

<ESC>%-12345X

Note If the spooler received a print job that did not use PJL (that is, the

application generated a print job that consisted of just “%!PS-ADOBE

.. PostScript print job ... ^D”, a LaserJet printer using context-sensitive

switching would still print properly (provided PostScript is installed)

and the spooler would still receive the unsolicited job status

information.

EN Job Separation Commands 5-7

Example: Nested JOB Commands

This example shows a PCL job that was sent to spooler 1, which in

turn was sent to spooler 2 (the nested jobs are indented). Note that

the first job name is overwritten by the second job name (“Spooler 1

Job”) when the second JOB command is processed.

@PJL JOB NAME = "Printing Job Sent From

~Spooler 2" <CR><LF>

@PJL COMMENT Printing a PCL job <CR><LF>

@PJL JOB NAME = "Spooler 1 Job" <CR><LF>

@PJL SET RESOLUTION = 600 <CR><LF>

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = PCL <CR><LF>

<ESC>E . . PCL print job . .<ESC>E

~<ESC>%-12345X

~<ESC>%-12345X@PJL <CR><LF>

@PJL EOJ NAME = "End Spooler 1 Job" <CR><LF>

<ESC>%-12345X

~<ESC>%-12345X@PJL <CR><LF>

@PJL EOJ NAME = "End Spooler 2 Job" <CR><LF>

<ESC>%-12345X

Related Commands:

EOJ, USTATUS, DEFAULT

5-8 Job Separation Commands EN

EOJ Command

The EOJ command informs the printer that the job has completed.

Use this command whenever you use the JOB command.

Note The JOB and EOJ commands are always used in pairs. Do not use

one without the other.

Syntax:

@PJL EOJ [NAME = "job name"] [<CR>]<LF>

Parameters:

• NAME = "job name" — Using the EOJ command, you can

name your print job. The job name variable is a string and must

be enclosed in double quotes as shown in the command

syntax. The job name string need not be the same name used

in the JOB command. If the NAME option is included, the

unsolicited end-of-job status includes the job name

(if unsolicited job status is enabled).

Comments:

The EOJ command marks the end of the job started with the previous

JOB command. The EOJ command:

• Resets the PJL Current Environment variables to their default

(NVRAM) values, as if the printer powered down and then

powered up again.

• Resets the page number associated with unsolicited

page status.

Parameter Functional Range Default

NAME = "job name" Roman-8 characters 33

thru 255, <SP>, <HT>

N/A

EN Job Separation Commands 5-9

• Terminates the non-printing mode (enabled by using the

START/END options). The non-printing mode, if enabled by

the last JOB command, only applies to the previously received

data, and does not effect any future pages until another JOB

command enables the non-printing mode again.

Effect on Unsolicited Job Status

When the printer receives this command, it returns unsolicited job

status information, if enabled, when the last page of the job exits the

printer and is in the output tray. The EOJ command resets the page

number associated with unsolicited page status. Resetting the page

count associated with unsolicited page status only affects future

pages. Pages already processed, but not yet printed, are not affected.

Related Commands:

JOB, USTATUS

5-10 Job Separation Commands EN

PJL Job Security

HP LaserJet 2100 series, 4000 series, 4500 series, 5000 series,

8000 series, 8100 series, 8500 series, 4/4M Plus, 4V, 4MV, 4Si,

4SiMx, 5, 5M, 5Si, 5SiMx, 5Si Mopier, 5P, 6P, and 6MP printers

support the following types of PJL security:

• Password protection of default feature settings—this type of

security prevents applications from modifying the printer's

default feature settings unless the correct password is

specified.

• Control panel lock—prevents users from modifying control

panel settings using the control panel keys.

• Disk lock (LaserJet 4V, 4MV, 4000 series, 5000 series,

8000 series, 8100 series, 8500 series, 5, 5M, 5Si, 5SiMx,

5Si Mopier only)—prevents writing to the printer's disk

(or flash memory).

• File system initialization—for printers with a PJL file system,

the FSINIT command will not initialize the file system unless

specified in a secure job.

All types of security are set using the DEFAULT command and

queried using DINQUIRE or INQUIRE.

Password Protection of Default Feature

Settings

You can use a password to protect the printer's default features by

sending the @PJL DEFAULT PASSWORD = number command,

specifying a number between 1 and 65,535 (the 0 value disables

password protection). Once password protection is enabled, the

DEFAULT or INITIALIZE commands are disabled unless the correct

password is specified in the JOB command. Printer languages, such

as PCL and PostScript, are also prevented from changing default

variables.

Secure PJL jobs are able to use the DEFAULT and INITIALIZE

commands (or printer language commands) to set default features,

including the value of the PASSWORD, CPLOCK, and DISKLOCK

variables, until the next EOJ command is received.

EN Job Separation Commands 5-11

Control Panel Lock

You can “lock” the control panel by sending the @PJL DEFAULT

CPLOCK = ON command. When the control panel is locked, the user

cannot change any control panel settings. If the user tries to change

any control panel settings, the message “MENUS LOCKED” appears

on the control panel display for about 5 seconds. The CPLOCK

variable can only be changed from within “secure” PJL jobs (jobs with

the correct non-zero PASSWORD value in the JOB command).

For the printers that support the MINIMUM, MODERATE, and

MAXIMUM values for CPLOCK, MINIMUM locks out the RESET,

CONFIGURATION, and I/O menus. MODERATE locks out the menus

locked by MINIMUM, plus the PRINT QUALITY and PAPER

HANDLING menus. The MAXIMUM value locks out the menus locked

by MODERATE plus the PRINTING and INFORMATION menus and

the Job Cancel key (MAXIMUM has the same effect as the ON value).

Disk Lock

On printers which support Disk Lock, you can “lock” volume 0 by

sending the @PJL DEFAULT DISKLOCK = ON command. When

locked, you cannot write to volume 0 of the file system. It becomes

read-only to prevent actions such as formatting, downloading fonts to

the disk, deleting disk fonts, etc. If not locked, the disk is read/write.

The DISKLOCK variable can only be changed from within a “secure”

PJL job (a job that includes the correct, non-zero password value in

the JOB command). The DISKLOCK variable is used mainly in

networked or printer-shared configurations.

Note You can use the DINQUIRE command to check the status

of the PASSWORD, CPLOCK, and DISKLOCK variables. @PJL

DINQUIRE PASSWORD returns ENABLED or DISABLED, @PJL

DINQUIRE CPLOCK returns OFF or ON, and @PJL DINQUIRE

DISKLOCK returns OFF or ON. You do not have to be in a secure job

to use the DINQUIRE command to check these variables.

5-12 Job Separation Commands EN

Example: Using PJL Security

This example demonstrates how to set a password and to lock the

control panel so users cannot modify control panel settings. It is

assumed the password value at the start of job is 7654. The example

changes the password to 1776.

@PJL COMMENT **Set Password** <CR><LF>

@PJL COMMENT **& Lock Control Panel**<CR><LF>

@PJL JOB PASSWORD = 7654 <CR><LF>

@PJL DEFAULT PASSWORD = 1776 <CR><LF>

@PJL DINQUIRE PASSWORD <CR><LF>

@PJL DEFAULT CPLOCK = ON <CR><LF>

@PJL DINQUIRE CPLOCK <CR><LF>

@PJL EOJ <CR><LF>

<ESC>%-12345X

To unlock the control panel, you would send a job similar to the

following job. This job specifies the correct password with the JOB

command, and then uses the DEFAULT command to unlock the

control panel.

@PJL COMMENT **Unlock Control Panel** <CR><LF>

@PJL JOB PASSWORD = 1776 <CR><LF>

@PJL DEFAULT CPLOCK = OFF <CR><LF>

@PJL DINQUIRE CPLOCK <CR><LF>

@PJL EOJ <CR><LF>

<ESC>%-12345X

To write to volume 0 of the file system, you would send a job like the

following. This job specifies the correct password with the JOB

command, and then uses the DEFAULT command to unlock, and then

later to lock the disk.

@PJL COMMENT **Unlock Volume 0** <CR><LF>

@PJL JOB PASSWORD = 1776 <CR><LF>

@PJL DEFAULT DISKLOCK = OFF <CR><LF>

@PJL DINQUIRE DISKLOCK <CR><LF>

@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = POSTSCRIPT <CR><LF>

%!PS-ADOBE . . . PostScript print job . . . ^D

~<ESC>%-12345X@PJL <CR><LF>

@PJL COMMENT **Lock Volume 0** <CR><LF>

@PJL DEFAULT DISKLOCK = ON <CR><LF>

@PJL DINQUIRE DISKLOCK <CR><LF>

@PJL EOJ <CR><LF>

<ESC>%-12345X

EN Job Separation Commands 5-13

Job Cancellation

HP LaserJet 2100 series, 4000 series, 4500 series, 5000 series,

8000 series, 8100 series, 8500 series, 5, 5M, 5Si, 5SiMx printers and

the LaserJet 5Si Mopier support job cancellation using the printer

control panel. When a PJL print job is started using the PJL JOB

command as described in this chapter, the following PJL information

can be obtained from the printer:

• Start of job notification

• End of job notification

• Job cancellation unsolicited status

Each of these pieces of information is described below.

Start of Job Notification

If unsolicited job status is enabled when the printer begins processing

the PJL job, the printer responds to the PJL JOB command with an

@PJL USTATUS JOB START response. If job ID reporting is enabled

by sending @PJL SET JOBID=ON, the printer response includes a

job ID number that is associated with the job name supplied in the

JOB command.

For example, if the printer receives the following command:

@PJL JOB NAME = "job name"

If unsolicited job status and job ID reporting are enabled, the printer

would generate an ID number (such as 346) and respond with:

@PJL USTATUS JOB<CR><LF>

START<CR><LF>

NAME="job name"<CR><LF>

ID=346<CR><LF>

<FF>

The printer-generated ID number can range in value from 0 to 32767.

Job ID numbers are unique until they roll over to zero or until the

printer power is cycled (at which time the ID defaults to 0).

5-14 Job Separation Commands EN

End of Job Notification

Near the end of the PJL job, the application should send the EOJ

command as described in this chapter. If unsolicited job status is

enabled when the last page of the job is delivered to the output bin,

the printer responds to the EOJ command with an @PJL USTATUS

JOB END response. If JOB ID reporting is enabled, the response

includes a printer-generated ID number associated with the PJL job

name provided in the EOJ command. The response also contains a

RESULT field. All possible values for the RESULT are shown in the

following table:

Using the previous example, if the printer receives the following

command containing the same job name as in the JOB command:

@PJL EOJ NAME = "job name"

If unsolicited job status and job ID reporting are enabled, the printer

would use the ID number associated with that job name and respond

with:

@PJL USTATUS JOB<CR><LF>

END<CR><LF>

NAME="job name"<CR><LF>

PAGES=123<CR><LF>

ID=346<CR><LF>

RESULT=OK

<FF>

If the job had been cancelled instead of completed, the printer would

respond with the same message except the RESULT value would be

different.

RESULT Value Description

OK The last page of the job was sent

to the output bin.

USER_CANCELED The job was canceled from the

control panel.

HOST_CANCELED The job was canceled from a host

system.

RESOURCE_CANCELED The job was canceled because a

resource was not available (for

example, the media was not

loaded).

EN Job Separation Commands 5-15

Job Cancellation Unsolicited Status

As soon as the printer receives notification that a job is cancelled, the

printer provides the @PJL USTATUS JOB CANCELED message to

the driver/spooler if unsolicited job status is enabled. Using the same

job name and ID number as the previous example, the printer's

response would be:

@PJL USTATUS JOB<CR><LF>

CANCELED<CR><LF>

NAME="job name"<CR><LF>

ID=346<CR><LF>

RESULT=USER_CANCELED

<FF>

The job name provided in the NAME option of the PJL USTATUS JOB

CANCELED response is the current job name if a current job name is

available. The current job name is the job name retained in the printer

at the time the last PJL JOB command was processed. The current

job name could also have been supplied and/or modified using

PostScript.

If a job name is supplied in the EOJ command and if unsolicited job

status is enabled at the time the EOJ command is parsed, the NAME

option of the PJL USTATUS JOB CANCELED response will contain

the job name assigned in the EOJ command. Otherwise, the NAME

line is eliminated from the response.

5-16 Job Separation Commands EN

EN Environment Commands 6-1

Environment

Commands

Introduction

Hewlett-Packard printers have many features you can set using

printer commands or by pressing control panel keys. Since previous

jobs can change feature settings to unwanted values, applications

should set printer features affecting the print job to a desired state at

the beginning of the job.

Setting features to a desired state is easily accomplished using a

combination of PJL and printer language commands. This chapter

describes sets of printer features known as print environments, and

the PJL commands you use to set printer features to a desired state,

such as:

• DEFAULT sets the default value for environment variables,

storing these values in non-volatile RAM.

• INITIALIZE resets the current and default PJL variables to the

factory default values.

• RESET resets the current PJL variables to the default values.

•SET sets an environment variable to a specified value until the

next PJL reset condition.

Note For a list of default feature settings, see Appendix A.

Note For information about products newer than those included in this

book, see the Printer Job Language Technical Reference Addendum,

which includes product-specific information about newer products, as

well as commands and variables added to PJL to support these

newer products.

6-2 Environment Commands EN

Print Environments

At any time during printer operation, the printer's current feature

settings are referred to collectively as the print environment. When

certain printer events occur, such as the incidence of a printer

language reset, RESET command, or other PJL reset condition, the

print environment settings can default to the settings of other stored

environments.

The printer constantly maintains four environments, which are listed

below in priority order:

• Factory Default Environment (lowest priority)

• User Default Environment

• PJL Current Environment

• Modified Print Environment (highest priority)

The Factory Default Environment holds the initial feature values set at

the factory, which can be used for default values when a complete

reset is needed. The User Default Environment holds the settings

modified with the DEFAULT command, or set from the control panel.

The print environment defaults to the User Default values when

various printer conditions occur, such as the end of a PJL job, a PJL

reset condition, or when certain PJL commands are executed. The

PJL Current Environment contains the current PJL feature settings.

When a printer language is entered or a new job begins, the PJL

Current Environment settings are loaded into the Modified Print

Environment, providing a base feature set which the application can

modify if needed. After a printer language is entered, feature settings

are recorded in the Modified Print Environment.

Note HP LaserJet 4L, 5L, 6L, and 1100 series printers do not have

NVRAM. The PJL Default and Current Environment settings are

stored in RAM and are reset to the factory default values during a

power cycle.

Each environment is explained in more detail below:

• Factory Default Environment — This environment consists

of a group of feature settings that are permanently stored in

the printer. The printer uses these settings when it is powered

on for the first time after leaving the factory, and after the

INITIALIZE command is received.

EN Environment Commands 6-3

• User Default Environment — This environment contains the

values that are set using the DEFAULT command or the

control panel keys. These values are stored in non-volatile

RAM (in those printers containing NVRAM). Following any PJL

reset condition, these values are placed into the PJL Current

Environment. If the printer has a control panel, the User

Default values are displayed on the control panel under the

appropriate menu.

• PJL Current Environment — This environment contains the

current PJL feature settings. Current settings are based on the

User Default values and any settings modified using the SET

command. These values default to the User Default values

when a PJL reset condition occurs.

• Modified Print Environment — This environment is active as

soon as a printer language is entered. At that time, the PJL

Current Environment values are loaded into the Modified Print

Environment and act as a base set of features. Printer

language commands then are used to modify feature settings

to the desired state. The PJL Current Environment settings are

loaded into the Modified Print Environment whenever a

personality is activated or a reset is received, including any

printer language reset or PJL reset condition.

Figure 6-1 illustrates how the environments interact, and how they

affect the modified print environment.

6-4 Environment Commands EN

Figure 6-1 How Environments Affect the Print Job

EN Environment Commands 6-5

Changing Environment Settings

The following scenario elaborates on how the print environment

changes during printer operation. The “number of copies” feature is

used to show feature changes as events occur.

1 The first time the printer is turned on after it leaves the factory (or

after the INITIALIZE command), the number of copies feature is

set to the factory default value of 1 copy.

2 At any point following the initial power-on or the INITIALIZE

command, the number of copies feature can be set using the

DEFAULT COPIES command in a PJL job or by changing the

COPIES = setting on the control panel. This changes the User

Default Environment setting to a new value, such as number of

copies = 3. The User Default Environment values are not loaded

into the PJL Current Environment until the next PJL reset

condition occurs. (For printers with control panels, if the printer is

currently not processing a job while the feature is changed from

the control panel, the printer treats the feature change as a PJL

reset condition and loads the newly changed value into

non-volatile RAM.)

3 If the PJL job uses the SET COPIES = 5 command to change the

number of copies, the PJL Current Environment value changes to

the selected setting (for example, 5). Otherwise, the number of

copies setting remains the same as set using the DEFAULT

command or the control panel (in this example, 3).

4 If the printer language (such as PCL or PostScript) changes the

number of copies setting to another value, such as 8, the newly

specified printer language value overrides the PJL Current

Environment value. If the printer has a control panel, however, it

still displays the User Default Environment value set using the

control panel keys or the DEFAULT command (3).

5 The next PJL reset condition defaults the number of copies

setting to the value set from the control panel or by using the

DEFAULT command (User Default Environment). In this example,

the number of copies feature setting then defaults to 3 after a PJL

reset condition.

All other features operate similarly—if any feature is not modified by a

higher priority action, it keeps its current value setting.

6-6 Environment Commands EN

Example: Changing Environment Settings

This example shows the values stored in the different environments

when commands are issued. The example begins with the number of

copies set to 1 in all environments (the Factory Default Environment

setting). The table reflects the current settings after each command.

Environment Summary

As indicated previously, each print environment differs in relation to

how it is stored, how the settings are changed, and how the PJL

Current Environment can be defaulted. The table on the following

page summarizes the characteristics of each print environment. For

those printers without a control panel, disregard any mention of

control panels. In these printers, User Default Environment features

are controlled using just the DEFAULT command.

Note See Appendix A for a list of environment variables supported by each

PJL printer.

Command Sent

Environment Setting

Factory

Default

User

Default

PJL

Current

Modified

After PJL INITIALIZE or RESET

1111

@PJL DEFAULT COPIES=3 1311

@PJL SET COPIES = 4 1344

@PJL ENTER

LANGUAGE=PCL<LF>

<ESC>&l5X

1345

<ESC>%-12345X 1333

EN Environment Commands 6-7

Factory Default

Environment

Stored permanently in printer memory—settings cannot be modified.

Factory default settings cannot be read programmatically, but they are listed in the

PCL 5 Comparison Guide.

User Default

Environment

The User Default Environment is set to the factory default values when the printer

initially is powered on—before printer commands are sent from an application or any

control panel settings are changed.

Stored in non-volatile RAM in printers that have it—can be changed using the

DEFAULT command or control panel keys.

The INITIALIZE command loads the Factory Default settings into the User Default

Environment.

User default settings can be read using the DINQUIRE command.

PJL Current

Environment

Any PJL reset condition loads the User Default Environment feature settings into the

PJL Current Environment.

Always reflects the PJL-level settings currently in use.

Stored in RAM—can be changed using SET command. These values override

feature settings until the next PJL reset condition.

The INITIALIZE command loads the Factory Default settings into the PJL Current

Environment.

PJL Current Environment settings can be read using the INQUIRE command.

Modified Print

Environment

(Printer-

Language

Specific)

Active as soon as printer receives any printer language commands (such as PCL or

PostScript commands). This environment contains all of the feature settings

currently in effect at any point after a printer language is entered.

Printer language resets (such as the <ESC>E command in PCL), any printer

language switch, or the ENTER command load the PJL Current Environment into

the Modified Print Environment.

Stored in RAM—can be changed using printer language commands (PCL,

PostScript, and others). The printer language values override any PJL Current

Environment feature for the duration of the printer language job (until the printer

language is changed or a printer language-specific reset is executed).

The Modified Print Environment settings can be read if the active printer language

supports this capability.

6-8 Environment Commands EN

PJL Reset Conditions

EN Environment Commands 6-9

“PJL reset conditions” are listed below. Note that PJL reset conditions

differ from printer language resets (such as <ESC>E). Printer

language resets load the PJL Current Environment values into the

Modified Print Environment. PJL reset conditions are more powerful.

They load the User Default values into the PJL Current Environment,

and also into the Modified Print Environment.

In this document, the term PJL reset condition refers to any of the

following events:

•Power-on

• UEL command (when not between a JOB and EOJ command

pair)

• @PJL INITIALIZE command

• @PJL RESET command

• @PJL JOB or EOJ command

• Control panel reset

• Other printer-specific events (see Appendix A for information

about job boundaries)

6-10 Environment Commands EN

Key Points to Remember About Environments

When using PJL to set the printer to a desired state, remember the

following points.

• At the beginning of a PJL job, the current feature settings are

the same as the control panel values or those features set with

the DEFAULT command.

• When a printer language is entered, the current feature

settings (Modified Print Environment) become the same as the

PJL Current Environment. From this starting point, the printer

language commands modify the feature settings. Printer

language commands override all other settings.

• The PJL Current Environment settings can be changed using

the SET command. These settings take effect until the next

PJL reset condition. Note that since the JOB command causes

a reset condition, the SET command should always be used

after the JOB command.

• The control panel settings (User Default Environment) can be

changed using the control panel or the DEFAULT command. In

printers without a control panel, the default settings are

modified with only the DEFAULT command.

• The Modified Print Environment settings are changed using

printer language commands. These settings take effect for the

duration of the printer language job. After a printer

language-specific reset, such as <ESC>E for PCL, the PJL

Current Environment feature settings are loaded into the

Modified Print Environment.

• If the SET command is used in a PJL job, always use the PJL

RESET command after the job is completed.

EN Environment Commands 6-11

PJL Environment Variables

This section lists the PJL environment variables. General PJL

environment variables (those not printer language-specific) are listed

first, followed by printer language-specific variables. For most

variables except the read-only variables, value settings can be

modified using the following commands:

• SET — sets PJL Current Environment settings that remain

active until the next “PJL reset condition” (e.g. JOB, EOJ,

RESET, INITIALIZE commands—see page 6-8).

• RESET — the PJL RESET command defaults the PJL Current

Environment to the User Default Environment (feature settings

set with the DEFAULT command or the control panel keys).

• DEFAULT — modifies the User Default settings (stored in

NVRAM in those printers containing NVRAM).

• INITIALIZE — defaults all environments to the Factory Default

settings.

You can request value settings for printer features using the following

two commands:

• INQUIRE — requests the PJL Current Environment settings.

• DINQUIRE — requests the User Default (control panel)

settings.

(The INQUIRE and DINQUIRE commands are discussed in

Chapter 7.)

Note Whenever possible, use printer language commands to set printer

features. Use PJL commands only when there are no printer

language commands available for a desired feature.

When setting printer features with PJL, use the SET and RESET

commands if you want to affect the current PJL job only. Using the

DEFAULT and INITIALIZE commands affects the current job and

succeeding jobs (these commands should only be used when you

require a command that affects more than just the current job).

6-12 Environment Commands EN

General PJL Environment Variables

The following table lists the PJL environment variables that are not

printer language-specific. When you use these variables, do not use

the LPARM : personality option. The range of values for each variable

may differ for the various printer models. Appendix A lists the

environment variables and indicates which printers support each

variable. Another method of obtaining a list of valid variables and the

range of values for each variable is to send the INFO VARIABLES

command to request this information directly from the printer. See the

INFO command in Chapter 7 for more information. You can find

valuable information about environment variables in the control panel

sections of the user's manual for each printer.

Note Some environment variables can be modified using the DEFAULT

command but not the SET command, some can be SET but not

modified using DEFAULT, and some are read only variables.

Appendix A lists environment variables, including read only variables,

for all of the PJL printers.

General PJL Environment Variables

Variable Description

Sample Value

Range

AUTOCONT Returns the autocontinue configuration. ON, OFF

AUTOSELECT Sets the default media tray autoselect

feature of the printer.

ON, OFF

BINDING Sets the default relationship of the front

and back images on pages printed in

duplex.

LONGEDGE,

SHORTEDGE

EN Environment Commands 6-13

BITSPERPIXEL For PCL 6 only, this variable controls

the number of bits per pixel used when

printing grayscale or color images. The

valid values are dependent on the

current setting of RESOLUTION. If

RESOLUTION is 300 or 1200, the only

valid BITSPERPIXEL value is 1. If

RESOLUTION is 600, the only valid

BITSPERPIXEL values are 1 and 2. For

FastRes 1200 printing, first set the

RESOLUTION to 600 and then set

BITSPERPIXEL to 2. For ProRes 1200,

first set the RESOLUTION to 1200 and

then set BITSPERPIXEL to 1.

2, 1

CLEARABLE-WARNIN

Returns the configuration for displaying

clearable warnings (non-fatal error

messa