PCL code - can not enter 2 digit page length or text length

[rjstsas]

Using the following sequences - ESC&l66P or ESC&l66F and I get a P or F printed on the first line of the page and I get 60 lines per page... I have tried setting the page or test length to 9 and it works, but whenever I use 2 digits in the sequence it fails. I have tired this on mulitple printers and all do the same thing.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

[jlasman]

What is it you are trying to do?

The page formatting codes work together. It is unlikely that <esc>&166F by itself is going to do what you want. The form length is dependent on the line spacing as well as the top margin setting. If you have a top margin of 3 lines at 6 lpi, you certainly aren't going to get an additional 66 line fom on letter size paper.

Jim Asman
jlasman@telus.net

 

[rjstsas]

I am trying to print a page with 66 lines. I was not using the two codes together, just tried both of them. The issues is that if I enter a 2 digit line count ... like ESC&l10P, I get a P on the first line and then get 60 lines on a page. If I use ESC&l9P, I do not get the P, and I get 9 lines per page. I seems like any time I use 2 digits, I have a problem. I get the same result with ESC&l66F, except I get an F on the first line instead of a P (last character of the sequence is printing).

 

[jlasman]

If you want 66 lines on a page with margins try

<esc>&l2a0o7.27c3e66F

Jim Asman
jlasman@telus.net

 

[rjstsas]

I can not use any escape sequence that uses more that 1 variable character... ESC&l9P works, but ESC&l10P does not... I have tried this with other sequences and it happens on all of them. I am looking at how the printer is set up in unix.

 

[jlasman]

Did you enter the code as I suggested?

Which Unix? Which printer interface script?

Jim Asman
jlasman@telus.net

 

[rjstsas]

Running SCO UNIX V R 3.2.2. Used your command and it did not work. The interfaces script was set to unknown. I tried it as HPLASERJET, and it stil did not work. Further test shows that I can not send a sequece with more that 5 characters, including the escape sequence. ESC&l3E works, but ESC&l66P will not.

 

[jlasman]

I've used SCO for years. Where are you putting the code?

If you want, give me a call at the office(604)738-6112
and we will fix you up.

7am-4pm pacific time


Jim Asman
jlasman@telus.net

 

[Buff1]

at 6LPI it is unlikely (should I say impossible) to print 66 line on a laserjet anyway. About the most I've been able
to do is 64 lines. Now why it is rejecting a 2digit number
is a mystery. If you can bypass the unix driver and send it
directly to the printer it should accept it.

The Top margin command should be sent before the text length command if you are using both. You can typically
print up to 64 lines if you use a top margin of 1 line
Esc&l1E

Your best bet is to try 8LPI
Esc&l8D
which should give you a page size of 88 lines and 84 and possibly up to 86 printable lines.

 

[DansDadUK]

rjstsas states that &quot;using the following sequences - ESC&l66P or ESC&l66F and I get a P or F printed on the first line of the page&quot;.
This seems to imply that first five characters of each sequence are being interpreted by the printer as a parameterised sequence, leaving the sixth character (P or F) as data.
As Esc&l66 is not a valid sequence, this further implies that the printer interface script is somehow mangling what it is being given.
If you are only inserting a few PCL sequences at the start of what is otherwise ASCII text, it would be better to put these into one of the 'terminfo' init strings (or SCO equivalent) for a user-defined printer model.