AIX Printer Tips: HP 1200 Printer Support on AIX

Contents

About This Document
What is an HP 1200 DeskJet Printer?
Differences From HP-LJ 4
Modifications to HPLJ-4 PCL Virtual Printer
Modifying the HPLJ-4 PostScript Virtual Printer
Printing Color and Graphics

About This Document

The HP1200 DeskJet Printer is supported in AIX 4.2 with virtual printer files called hpdj-c.ps and hpdj-c.pcl.  Prior to this release of AIX, simple modifications to the HP LaserJet 4 colon files can give a working AIX printing solution.  This document describes how to make these simple changes.  The information provided can also server as a guide for modifying virtual printers for other unsupported printers.

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?

The HP DeskJet 1200C is a 300-dpi LaserJet-compatible thermal injet color printer. It uses PCL 5 and is very compatible with the LaserJet 4 family of printers" This means that except for the color aspect that an HPLJ-4 colon file (virtual printer) should work just fine.

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

Follow these directions and your HP DeskJet1200C should print just fine from AIX.
  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:
  5.      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]
  6. Type: cr= and Hit Enter.

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

  9. This will allow passthrough to work right with carriage returns.
  10. Type ci~v to enter vi editing of the ci attribute.
  11. This will display the following screen:
  12. 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>
  13. Delete lines marked with "*" above.

  14. Place cursor on the line and hit "dd".
  15. This should leave:
  16. 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))
    ~
  17. Type :wq to save the changes and exit the vi session
  18. Hit the Enter key to exit lsvirprt

Modifying the HPLJ-4 PostScript Virtual Printer

The only change to this virtual printer should be to remove the set paper tray command from the ci attribute as follows:
  1. lsvirprt
  2. ci~v (ci tilde v)
  3. Move to the line that shows statusdict begin and remove these lines:
  4.      ' 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'
  5. Use :wq to save changes
  6. Hit enter to leave lsvirprt

Printing Color and Graphics

If you plan to print color and graphics to this printer use:
HP 1200 Printer Support on AIX: AIX Printer Tips: hp1200.html ITEM: FAX
Dated: 99/02/02~00:00 Category: zap
This HTML file was generated 99/06/24~12:42:12
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