digital printing Digital printing is a method of printing from a digital-based image directly to a variety of media. It usually refers to professional printing where small-run jobs from desktop publishing and other digital sources are printed using large-format ...

, a page description language (PDL) is a computer language that describes the appearance of a printed page in a higher level than an actual output

bitmap In computing, a bitmap is a mapping from some domain (for example, a range of integers) to bits. It is also called a bit array or bitmap index. As a noun, the term "bitmap" is very often used to refer to a particular bitmapping application: t ...

(or generally raster graphics). An overlapping term is printer control language, which includes Hewlett-Packard's

Printer Command 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 printer ...

(PCL). PostScript is one of the most noted page description languages. The markup language adaptation of the PDL is the page description markup language. Page description languages are text (human-readable) or binary data streams, usually intermixed with text or graphics to be printed. They are distinct from graphics application programming interfaces (APIs) such as

GDI GDI may refer to: Science and technology * Gasoline direct injection, a type of fuel injection * Graphics Device Interface, a component of Microsoft Windows * Guanosine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor, a protein Organisations * Gabriel Dumont I ...

and OpenGL that can be called by software to generate graphical output.

Notable examples

Various page description languages exist: * AFP, Advanced Function Presentation ( IBM) * Apple Raster, formerly known as URF, used by the

AirPrint AirPrint is a feature in Apple Inc.'s macOS and iOS operating systems for printing without installing printer-specific drivers. Connection is via a wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), either directly to AirPrint-compatible printers, or to non-compatible shar ...

protocol. *

Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

GARO, Graphic Arts language with Raster Operations (for large format printers), based on Hewlett-Packard PCL3GUI / RTL and CPCA job description language. * Common Ground page definition language * CPCL, Comtec Printer Control Language (now Zebra) * DPL, Datamax Printer Language (now

Honeywell Honeywell International Inc. is an American publicly traded, multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It primarily operates in four areas of business: aerospace, building technologies, performance ma ...

) * DTPL, Datamax Ticket Printer Language * DVI, Device Independent, output from

TeX Tex may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tex (nickname), a list of people and fictional characters with the nickname * Joe Tex (1933–1982), stage name of American soul singer Joseph Arrington Jr. Entertainment * ''Tex'', the Italian ...

* E411, Emulation 411, for Ticketing and Flight Strip (ATC) systems (IER) * EPL, Eltron Programming Language (now Zebra) *

Envoy Envoy or Envoys may refer to: Diplomacy * Diplomacy, in general * Envoy (title) * Special envoy, a type of diplomatic rank Brands *Airspeed Envoy, a 1930s British light transport aircraft *Envoy (automobile), an automobile brand used to sell Br ...

page description language ( WordPerfect) *

ESC/P ESC/P, short for Epson Standard Code for Printers and sometimes styled Escape/P, is a printer control language developed by Epson to control computer printers. It was mainly used in dot matrix printers and some inkjet printers, and is still widel ...

Epson Seiko Epson Corporation, or simply known as Epson, is a Japanese multinational electronics company and one of the world's largest manufacturers of computer printers and information- and imaging-related equipment. Headquartered in Suwa, Nagano ...

Standard Code for Printers, simple language mainly used in

dot matrix printer A dot matrix printer is an impact printer that prints using a fixed number of pins or wires. Typically the pins or wires are arranged in one or several vertical columns. The pins strike an ink-coated ribbon and force contact between the ribbon ...

s * ESC/P2, an expanded version of ESC/P * ESC/Page, Epson Standard Code for Page Printer, a page description language (distinct from ESC/P) used in a number of Epson laser printers, especially Japanese models *

ESC/POS ESC/P, short for Epson Standard Code for Printers and sometimes styled Escape/P, is a printer control language developed by Epson to control computer printers. It was mainly used in dot matrix printers and some inkjet printers, and is still widely ...

Standard Code for POS printers * FGL, Friendly Ghost Language (Boca Systems) printers * Fingerprint, a programming language, Direct Protocol is subset of Fingerprint (

Intermec Intermec is a manufacturer and supplier of automated identification and data capture equipment, including barcode scanners, barcode printers, mobile computers, RFID systems, voice recognition systems, and life cycle services. Intermec holds p ...

) *

HP-GL HP-GL, short for Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language and often written as HPGL, is a printer control language created by Hewlett-Packard (HP). HP-GL was the primary printer control language used by HP plotters. It was introduced with the plotteHP ...

and HP-GL/2, geometric language introduced by Hewlett-Packard for pen plotters, still in use today for technical drawings * Interpress (

Xerox Xerox Holdings Corporation (; also known simply as Xerox) is an American corporation that sells print and electronic document, digital document products and services in more than 160 countries. Xerox is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut (ha ...

) * IJPDS, Ink Jet Printer Data Stream (

Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...

) * IPDS, Intelligent Printer Data Stream (IBM) * IGP/PGL,

Printronix Printronix is an American supplier of line matrix printers. Printronix is based in Irvine, California, and operates across 14 offices worldwide. Products Printronix's printers are primarily used in industrial environments for printing high-volum ...

Graphics Language * IPL, Intermec Printer Language, a programming language for

printers (now a subsidiary of

) * KPDL,

Kyocera is a Japanese multinational ceramics and electronics manufacturer headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It was founded as in 1959 by Kazuo Inamori and renamed in 1982. It manufactures industrial ceramics, solar power generating systems, telecommunic ...

Page Description Language * LCDS/Metacode, a print stream format used in older high-speed printers (

) * MODCA, Mixed Object Document Content Architecture (IBM) * MTPL, Mannesmann Tally Printer Language * PCL, Printer Command Language ( Hewlett-Packard) * PDF, Portable Document Format ( Adobe Systems), now ISO 32000 * PostScript ( Adobe Systems) * PPDS, Personal Printer Data Stream * RPCS, Refined Printing Command Stream (

Ricoh is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational imaging and electronics company (law), company. It was founded by the now-defunct commercial division of the Riken, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (Riken) known as the ''Riken ...

) * RTL (Raster Transfer Language, also known as PCL3GUI). Raster graphic command subset of Hewlett-Packard HP-GL/2, similar to PCL. * Star Line Mode, variant of ESC/POS used by Star Micronics printers *

SPL SPL may refer to: Association football * Saudi Professional League * Scottish Premier League * SportPesa Premier League, Kenya * Singapore Premier League * RoboCup Standard Platform League, matches between autonomous robots Computing Program ...

, Samsung Printer Language * SVG, an XML-based graphics description language primarily developed for the

World Wide Web The World Wide Web (WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information system enabling documents and other web resources to be accessed over the Internet. Documents and downloadable media are made available to the network through web ...

* Canon SG Raster (Swift Graphics Raster for large format printers), based on Hewlett-Packard PCL3GUI / RTL and IVEC (XML formatted job description language) * TSPL/TSPL2, Taiwan Semiconductor Printing/Programming Language (

TSMC Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC; also called Taiwan Semiconductor) is a Taiwanese multinational semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company. It is the world's most valuable semiconductor company, the world' ...

) * TTP, print language by Swecoin for kiosk printers (now Zebra) * UFR (Ultra Fast Rendering), a proprietary language (Canon) * XES,

Xerox Escape Sequence Xerox Escape Sequence or XES is a page description language (PDL) developed by Xerox corporation and introduced with their 2700 laser printers in 1982. XES offers similar capabilities to Hewlett-Packard's Printer Command Language (PCL), which firs ...

* XPS, XML Paper Specification introduced in Windows Vista (

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washin ...

) * ZJS, ZjStream Page Description Language (Zenographics) * ZPL,

Zebra Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zebr ...

Programming Language

References

{{Reflist

External links

Undocumented PrintingPrinter MIB Interpreters Language Families
��— contains example for PPDS
PPDS Escape codes
Computer printers Computer printing

Notable examples

See also

References

External links