Printer Command Language
Page description language
Printer Command Language, more commonly referred to as PCL, is a page description language (PDL) developed by Hewlett-Packard as a printer protocol and has become a de facto industry standard. Originally developed for early inkjet printers in 1984, PCL has been released in varying "levels" for thermal, dot matrix, and page printers. HP-GL/2 and PJL are supported by later versions of PCL.
PCL is occasionally and incorrectly said to be an abbreviation for Printer Control Language which actually is another term for page description language.
PCL levels 1 through 5 overview
PCL levels 1 through 5e/5c are command-based languages using control sequences that are processed and interpreted in the order they are received. At a consumer level, PCL data streams are generated by a print driver. PCL output can also be generated by custom applications.
PCL 1 was introduced in 1984 on the HP ThinkJet 2225 and provides basic text and graphics printing with a maximum resolution of 150 dpi (dots per inch).
PCL 1+ was released with the HP QuietJet 2227.
PCL 2 added Electronic Data Processing/Transaction functionality.
PCL 3 was introduced in 1984 with the original HP LaserJet.
The public source identifies “Printer Command Language” as page description language. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Printer, Command and Language.
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This entry incorporates text from “Printer Command Language” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.