In digital printing, 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 upright=1, The Smiley, smiley face in the top left corner is a raster image. When enlarged, individual pixels appear as squares. Enlarging further, each pixel can be analyzed, with their colors constructed through combination of the values for ...

). 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 PostScript (PS) is a page description language in the electronic publishing and desktop publishing realm. It is a dynamically typed, concatenative programming language. It was created at Adobe Systems by John Warnock, Charles Geschke, Do ...

is one of the most noted page description languages. The

markup language Markup language refers to a text-encoding system consisting of a set of symbols inserted in a text document to control its structure, formatting, or the relationship between its parts. Markup is often used to control the display of the document ...

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 interface An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how ...

s (APIs) such as GDI and

OpenGL OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, cross-platform application programming interface (API) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. The API is typically used to interact with a graphics processing unit (GPU), to achieve hardwa ...

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 GARO, Graphic Arts language with Raster Operations (for large format printers), based on

Hewlett-Packard The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. HP developed and provided a wide variety of hardware components ...

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 Digital Visual Interface (DVI) is a video display interface developed by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG). The digital interface is used to connect a video source, such as a video display controller, to a display device, such as a comp ...

, Device Independent, output from TeX * 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 wide ...

, Epson 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, Epson Standard Code for

POS POS, Pos or PoS may refer to: Linguistics * Part of speech, the role that a word or phrase plays in a sentence * Poverty of the stimulus, a linguistic term used in language acquisition and development * Sayula Popoluca (ISO 639-3), an indigenous ...

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

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-89 ...

and HP-GL/2, geometric language introduced by

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 digital document products and services in more than 160 countries. Xerox is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut (having moved from St ...

) * 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 Intermec printers (now a subsidiary of

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

) *

MODCA MO:DCA (Mixed Object:Document Content Architecture) is an IBM compound document format for text and graphics elements in a document. The 'Mixed Object' refers to the fact that an MO:DCA file can contain multiple types of objects, including text, i ...

, Mixed Object Document Content Architecture (IBM) * MTPL, Mannesmann Tally Printer Language * PCL, Printer Command Language (

) *

PDF Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...

, Portable Document Format (

Adobe Systems Adobe Inc. ( ), originally called Adobe Systems Incorporated, is an American multinational computer software company incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in San Jose, California. It has historically specialized in software for the cre ...

), now ISO 32000 *

(

) * 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 is a Japanese multinational electronic components and printer manufacturing company headquartered in Shizuoka, Japan. It was founded in 1947 as a precision processor of miniature components, later expanding into automatic lathes, printers, ...

printers * SPL, Samsung Printer Language *

SVG Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is an XML-based vector image format for defining two-dimensional graphics, having support for interactivity and animation. The SVG specification is an open standard developed by the World Wide Web Consortium s ...

, 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 * 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, Washi ...

) * 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