AIX Printer Tips: HP 1200 Printer Support on AIX

Contents

About This Document

Simple modifications of the HP LaserJet 4 colon files will work for almost all users. This document describes those changes.

This document supports AIX 4.1.5. Support for AIX 4.2 and later is provided in hpdj-c virtual printers.

What is an HP 1200 DeskJet Printer?

Some models of the HP DeskJet 1200C support a PostScript Option. When using these printers, you can add as an HPLJ-4, but be sure to remove the paper tray selection option from the ci attribute.

As for color, the virtual printer really doesn't do anything there. In fact if you are going to print color documents you should do this in passthrough mode.

Differences From HP-LJ 4

1. It does not have tray support
2. It does not like the PJL set language command
3. It supports Expanded Color Print PCL Commands
4. It supports some slightly different Raster graphics
5. It doesn't support all HPLJ-4 page sizes
6. It doesn't support all HPLJ-4 GL macro's
7. It only supports Resolution of 300

Modifications to HPLJ-4 PCL Virtual Printer

1. Create the print queue as an HP-LJ-4 PCL queue
2. Type: lsvirprt
3. Select the new print queue
4. This will display:

     hp1200            lpx      hplj-4  (PCL)                                  
To LIST attributes, enter AttributeName1 ... (* for all attributes)
To CHANGE an attribute value, enter AttributeName=NewValue
To FORMAT and EDIT an attribute value, enter AttributeName~v
To EDIT the attribute file, enter ~v
To terminate, press Enter: cr=[enter]

5. Type: cr= and Hit Enter.

This will disable printer reset.
6. Type ct=\33&k2G

This will allow passthrough to work right with carriage returns.
7. Type ci~v to enter vi editing of the ci attribute.
8. This will display the following screen:

Command To Initialize the Printer
ci = %I[pU]%?%G_j%{2}%=%t%IpL%e%I[pR,pL,eR,eP,c1,eT,eS,eO,ct,eF,eu,es,eC]%;

* %IpU          INCLUDE: (Reset command)
* %?            <IF>
*     %G_j      PUSH: (INITIALIZE printer?)
*     %{2}      PUSH: (Integer Constant 2)
*     %=        PUSH: (pop2 = pop1 ?)
* %t            <THEN>
*     %IpL      INCLUDE: (Command to set printer language)
* %e            <ELSE>
*     %IpR      INCLUDE: (Command to set printer resolution )
*     %IpL      INCLUDE: (Command to set printer language)
      %IeR      INCLUDE: (PCL Reset)
      %IeP      INCLUDE: (Select pitch - default is 10)
      %Ic1      INCLUDE: (Select the Roman-8 symbol set)
      %IeT      INCLUDE: (Set Typeface/style/weight)
*     %IeS      INCLUDE: (Set Duplex/Simplex Mode)
      %IeO      INCLUDE: (Specify the page orientation)
      %Ict      INCLUDE: (Set line termination mode)
*     %IeF      INCLUDE: (Select font if specified)
*     %Ieu      INCLUDE: (Generate the paper source escape sequence)
      %Ies      INCLUDE: (Set Page Size)
      %IeC      INCLUDE: (Set the vertical line spacing (VMI))
* %;            <END>

9. Delete lines marked with "*" above.

Place cursor on the line and hit "dd".
10. This should leave:

Command To Initialize the Printer
ci = %IpU%?%G_j%{2}%=%t%IpL%e%I[pR,pL,eR,eP,c1,eT,eS,eO,ct,eF,eu,es,eC]%;

     %IeR      INCLUDE: (PCL Reset)
     %IeP      INCLUDE: (Select pitch - default is 10)
     %Ic1      INCLUDE: (Select the Roman-8 symbol set)
     %IeT      INCLUDE: (Set Typeface/style/weight)
     %IeO      INCLUDE: (Specify the page orientation)
     %Ict      INCLUDE: (Set line termination mode)
     %Ies      INCLUDE: (Set Page Size)
     %IeC      INCLUDE: (Set the vertical line spacing (VMI))
~

11. Type :wq to save the changes and exit the vi session
12. Hit the Enter key to exit lsvirprt

Modifying the HPLJ-4 PostScript Virtual Printer

1. lsvirprt
2. ci~v (ci tilde v)
3. Move to the line that shows statusdict begin and remove these lines:

     ' statusdict begin '
     %?        <IF>
         %G_u  PUSH: (Input PAPER SOURCE)
         %{2}  PUSH: (Integer Constant 2)
         %=    PUSH: (pop2 = pop1 ?)
     %t        <THEN>
         '3'
     %e        <ELSE>
         %G_u  PUSH: (Input PAPER SOURCE)
         %{3}  PUSH: (Integer Constant 3)
         %=    PUSH: (pop2 = pop1 ?)
     %t        <THEN>
         '2'
     %e        <ELSE>
         %G_u  PUSH: (Input PAPER SOURCE)
         %{7}  PUSH: (Integer Constant 7)
         %=    PUSH: (pop2 = pop1 ?)
     %t        <THEN>
         '1'
     %e        <ELSE>
         '0'
     %;        <END>
     ' setpapertray end'

4. Use :wq to save changes
5. Hit enter to leave lsvirprt

Printing Color and Graphics

• qprt -dp -Php1200 file

or
• Set _d=p in the virtual printer (Passthrough mode)