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Print Architecture

Print Architecture

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
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Print Architecture

Print Architecture

Uploaded by

Taur1968
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 47

HP DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS TECHNICAL

FUNDAMENTALS

Book 1: Windows Print Architecture


Technical, Rev. 14.41

Learner guide – book 1 of 7

HP ExpertOne
Rev. 15.21
Course #: 00990446
Part #: 00990446S11503
HP DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS TECHNICAL
FUNDAMENTALS

Book 1: Windows Print Architecture


Technical, Rev. 14.41

Learner guide – book 1 of 7

HP ExpertOne
Rev. 15.21
Course #: 00990446
Part #: 00990446S11503
Notice
© Copyright 2014 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
The information contained herein is subject to change without notice.

The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements
accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an
additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained
herein.

This is an HP copyrighted work that may not be reproduced without the permission of HP.

Trademark Credits
Adobe™ and PostScript™ are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated, which may be registered in
certain jurisdictions.
Apple®, Mac®, and Macintosh® are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
Windows® is a U.S. registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Microsoft® is a U.S. registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Edition History
Rev 14.4 Aug 2014

Copyright ©2014 HP corporate presentation. All rights reserved.


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This course is an HP ExpertOne authorized course designed to prepare you for

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the associated certification exam. All material to be used and studied in

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preparation to pass the certification exam is included in this training.

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HP ExpertOne provides training and certification for the most sought-after IT

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disciplines, including convergence, cloud computing, software-defined

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networking, and security. You get the hands-on experience you need to hit the

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ground running. And you learn how to design solutions that deliver business

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value.

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HP ExpertOne gives you:
 A full range of skill levels, from foundational to master
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 Personalized learning plans and resources through My ExpertOne
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 Certifications that command some of the highest pay premiums in the


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industry
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 A focus on end-to-end integration, open standards, and emerging


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technologies
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 Maximum credit for certifications you already hold


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 A supportive global community of IT professionals


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 A curriculum of unprecedented breadth from HP, the world’s most


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complete technology company


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Visit hp.com/go/ExpertOne to learn more about HP certifications and find the


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training you need to adopt new technologies that will further enhance your IT
expertise and career.
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Table of Contents:

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COURSE INTRODUCTION 4

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WINDOWS PRINTING OVERVIEW 5

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TWO PRINT PATHS 8

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GDI PRINTING 10

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CHAPTER 2: PAGE DESCRIPTION LANGUAGES 22

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XPS PRINTING 36

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WIN8 AND V4 PRINTER DRIVERS 39

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COURSE SUMMARY 45

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Most of us are familiar with printing in Microsoft Windows. Simply click File/Print or press the Ctrl-P to print.
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It’s easy to take this simple process for granted but behind the scenes there is a lot going on. Application data
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has to be converted into something the printer will understand. There are also components within the
Windows printing subsystem that have responsibility for sending the print job to the printer.
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Before print data is actually sent to a printer the print system will pause the process to allow users an
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opportunity to specify print setup preferences.


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When you choose to print, the first thing you typically see is the print setup dialog box. The interface can be
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generic or advanced. This dialog box finds out what the user wants to do with your print job. It offers a list of
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installed printers from which to choose and then offers options for basic settings, such as duplexing, layout,
and finishing options. You can change settings here if the default settings are unsuitable. After changing the
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print job setting the users clicks “OK” and the print job begins it’s journey through the Windows operating
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system, to the printer, and ultimately becomes a printed page in the output tray.
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There are two print paths in the Windows operating system. The original print path, the GDI print path, is still
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the most common way applications print in Windows. GDI stands for Graphics Device Interface. This is the part
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of Windows that enables all applications to use one print driver. The second print path, called the XPS print
path has been part of Windows since Windows Vista was announced in 2005. XPS stands for XML Paper
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Specification and represents an alternative method for printing. Microsoft bridges between the two print
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paths with filters and converters and this effectively shields the users from this additional complexity in the
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print subsystem.
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This training course will examine each of these print paths so that you’ll have a good understanding of how
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printing actually works in Windows.


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In Windows, applications communicate with graphical devices (like monitors and printers) via the Graphics
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Device Interface (or GDI). GDI works with device drivers to render the data into an appropriate format for
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display or printing. The data may be converted multiple times during the printing process. For example, the
application will have a particular format which is converted into an intermediate spooler format, then
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converted into a page description language which is received by the printer and ultimately rasterized into
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ones and zeroes for printing. Data elements can be pre-rasterized anywhere along this print path and
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combined before printing. It really depends on the printers capabilities.


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So one of the first things that has to occur before printing is determining a device’s capabilities and
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characteristics. Windows applications make GDI calls to obtain this device information. Of particular interest
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is whether the printer is capable of rasterizing text fonts and/or vector graphics. Low-end devices may lack
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these capabilities and will receive pre-rasterized content. More capable printers have the processing power
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and capability to rasterize text and graphics and will receive the drawing primitives instead. This effectively
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reduces the amount of data traveling to the printer and often results in improved print quality.
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After determining a device’s capabilities the Windows application uses appropriate GDI calls to create a
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representation of the data that is compatible with the target printing device. Depending on the document, the
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printing process can be time consuming and is typically performed as a background process so the user can
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continue using the application.


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When the application’s GDI calls are processed the result is an intermediate format called enhanced metafiles
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(or EMFs) which are stored in the spooler for background processing. The EMF files are eventually sent to the
printer driver where they are converted into a page description language (or PDL) the printer understands.
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Windows uses a component called a port monitor to deliver the print data to the device. The connection can
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be local (like a USB port), to a print server, or to a printer directly connected to the network.

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When we take a closer look at the spooler components we can see that the actual print data resides in a
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queue. If the driver has converted the data into a PDL it is considered to be RAW format and if the data is
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awaiting conversion it is still EMF data. The spooler can store both types of files. The spooler component
called the print provider manages the conversion process (which basically means it calls the printer driver to
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convert the data) and then sends the data directly to the port monitor or to a language monitor. The language
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monitor is used for bi-directional communications with the printing device and provides easy way to configure
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the printer job setting like copies, duplex, etc. HP created PJL, or Printer Job Language, specifically for this
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purpose.
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PJL also specifies the beginning and end of the print data, and, in this example, it specifies that the print job is
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using PCL, with the ENTER LANGUAGE = PCL command. The PJL beginning and ending commands are
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important for keeping print jobs separate during printing. In this example, when the beginning PJL command
arrives (the ESC%-12345) the printer switches to PJL mode, processes the PJL commands, and switches to
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the PCL personality (with the ENTER LANGUAGE command). Then the PCL personality inside processes the
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print data and returns to PJL mode when done. With PJL it is clear where the print job starts and ends.
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This is an example of an HP PCL5 print job. Other languages, like PostScript and PCL/XL use different PJL
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commands. For example, PostScript needs an ENTER LANGUAGE =PS, and for PCL6, ENTER LANGUAGE =
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PCL/XL. These PJL commands mark job boundaries, configure print job settings, and tell the printer which
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personality, or PDL, is required to process the print job. Page description languages are discussed later in this
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training course.
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Besides preconfiguring print job settings, PJL also has the ability to obtain print job status, change device
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configuration settings and more. In regards to the spooler components, PJL is implemented as a language
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monitor which receives the RAW print data from the spooler’s print provider and forwards the data to the port
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monitor. This gives the language monitor an opportunity to insert appropriate PJL commands before and
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after the print data.


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At this point, the print job is created, translated, and spooled. The printer is identified, connected, and
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configured, and the print job is ready for the Windows spooler to submit the print job to the printer.
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If the target printer is a local USB connected device, a local port monitor will be used to transfer the print data
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to the printer.
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When the printer is connected to a local USB port, on the client, the USB device is automatically loaded. The
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USB device driver isn’t a printer driver. Instead, the Windows spooler uses the USB device driver as a conduit
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to communicate with the printer.


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If the target printer is connected to a Windows print server and is being shared, the print driver (on the client)
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can render the EMF data into a page description language (like PCL or PostScript) before being sent to the
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server. This is often called client side rendering. If, instead, the EMF data is sent to the server for conversion,
this is known as server-side rendering. It is also called the legacy print server because this process was used
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in earlier Windows operating systems, like XP and Server 2003.


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With newer platforms like Win 7/8 and Server 2008R2 and above, Client Side Rendering is the new standard.
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While there are differences in printing between versions of the Windows operating system, the general idea
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goes like this. The client spooler needs to transfer the print data to the Windows print server. If the client
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renders the data locally the client spooler will use the Server Message Block (or SMB) protocol to transfer the
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RAW print file to the remote print server’s spooler.


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If the Windows client does not render the print data locally the EMF, along with the printer’s device
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characteristics are sent to the remote print server where it will be converted in a suitable page description
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language format. The print server knows which printer driver to use by matching the name of the printer
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driver on the client. The client spooler uses a remote procedure call, or RPC, to the remote print server to
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transfer the EMF data.


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The remote print server is then responsible for submitting the RAW print data to the actual device.
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In direct IP printing the client PC bypasses the print server and sends the print job directly to the network
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connected printer. The driver on the client renders the print data into a page description language and the
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spooler uses a network port monitor to packetize the print data before sending it to the printer.
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A couple of things to consider with Direct IP printing:


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• While direct IP printing does removes the need for a print server, it requires queues to be created and managed on
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each client.
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• Direct IP printing also requires the driver to be installed locally, which means updating print drivers means direct
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interaction with each client.


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• And, if the IP address of the device changes, the port on each client needs to be updated as well
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Before direct IP printing can begin, the printer must receive the data from the network. For HP printers, this
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requires a component inside the printer called HP Jetdirect, which enables the printer to communicate with
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other network devices, like PCs and servers. HP Jetdirect handles all of the network communications in the
printer. Networks communicate using standardized languages called protocols. Protocols include codes or
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commands to manage traffic inside the network. In order to communicate over the network, the device
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sending the message must have access to the recipient device and communicate with it. Then the device that
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is submitting the print job, packages the print data in the chosen protocol by dividing it into manageable
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packets sized according protocol requirements.


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HP Jetdirect provides several processes required to receive the print job and send it to the right
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place in the printer:


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• First, HP Jetdirect must support one or more protocols that the Windows spooler supports, in order to receive the print
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job
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• When it receives the print job packets, it separates the print job data from the protocol headers, and reassembles the
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print job in the right order.


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• Then it sends the remaining print job data and instructions to the printer formatter for further processing.
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And after that, HP Jetdirect provides real-time device status, supplies levels, and progress of the print job.
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The formatter is the main processor assembly in the printer. It’s similar to a PC’s motherboard. It contains the
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HP Jetdirect interface, several custom processing chips, and it contains the printer’s firmware. It handles
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most of the functions of the printer and all of the printing capabilities. The printer firmware is similar to the
operating system of a computer. It controls the hardware, the control panel, the settings, and the printing
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processes. HP enterprise printers use firmware called HP FutureSmart. FutureSmart is single codebase
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firmware for all HP enterprise printers and MFPs. This means all devices are using the same firmware code. A
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major benefit to HP FutureSmart firmware is that If you know how to use one, you know how to use them all.
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And if HP fixes fix one, they fix them all.


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HP formatters also contain memory used for buffering and storing page data used by the different page
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description languages within the printer.


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Now that the print job safely made it over the network to the printer, the formatter translates the print data
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into a form that the printer can use. With PCL, this is a two-step process where the PCL parser creates an
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intermediate format, called display lists that a second background process eventually renders bitmaps of
pages (or a series of ones and zeros for each page).
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Display lists are a collection small bitmaps of text characters, images, and graphics. PCL data contains some
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un-rasterized content because earlier GDI was informed by the driver that the printer could rasterize some of
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the content. Now PCL has to perform the rasterization of that content. When done, a collection of small
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bitmap objects remain.


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Before the printer can use the print data the display lists are combined into one bitmap that represents the
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desired page. The printer does consume the rendered page images to produce actual printed pages according
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to the printer’s marking technology, like laser or ink print engines.


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HP printers include technologies that enhance the rendering processes to improve print quality. One of these
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technologies is HP resolution enhancement technology (REt) for printing text and black and white images.
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Printed images are collections of dots of toner or ink that fill in the objects on the page. When a dot close to
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the edge of an object is too big, it is ignored and this can make the object appear blurry or jagged. HP
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resolution enhancement resizes the dots to fit better inside the object making the object clearer with
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smoother edges. This improves the quality of curves and text. This is the reason why content like text and
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vector graphics should be rasterized at the printer.


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A PDL (or page description language) is a language for describing the layout of one or more printed pages.
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There are many PDLs available but currently the most popular are HP Printer Command Language (or PCL)
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and Adobe PostScript. PCL has done extremely well in general office printing and PostScript has become a
standard for the graphics industry. All enterprise level HP printers support both PCL and Postscript by default.
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Let’s compare these two PDLs to better understand their similarities and differences as well as appropriate
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applications of each.
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HP invented PCL in 1984 to control printer features across many different models. PCL began with inkjet
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printers but now it is a common standard language on HP printers including LaserJets.


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PCL 1 and PCL 2 were early versions (1980’s) providing text printing features only. When PCL3 arrived in 1984
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it added support for fonts and images. In fact many low-end HP printers continue to use a modified version of
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PCL3 for a page description language. PCL3 was also shipped with the first HP LaserJet in 1984.
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In 1985 HP released the LaserJet Series II products which included PCL 4. This version added more page
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printing capabilities, macro support and limited graphics (actually just a rectangle command).
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It wasn’t until 1990 when HP released PCL5 with the HP LaserJet III products that full vector graphics was
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supported. This include drawing lines, curves, polygons, etc. PCL5 has become the defector standard in
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general office printing. It has, of course, changed since it introduction in 1990. In 1993 HP introduced PCL5e
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which added enhancements like 600 dpi support and scalable font technology. In 1984 PCL5c added color
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support.
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Now there is PCL6, but it is completely different than previous versions. Before we cover PCL6, let’s spend a
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little more time with PCL5 to see how it works.


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PCL is a set of compact escape sequence codes embedded in the print job data stream. This approach to a PDL
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minimizes data transmission and decoding tasks, requiring only a parser and not a full blown code
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interpreter.
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By default, PCL assumes plain text and through the use of escape sequences many things can be changed. An
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escape sequence is a string of characters that begins with the ESC character and ends with the first capital
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letter encountered. Everything in between are PCL instructions, of which there are many. There are groups of
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escape sequences. Some deal with page commands like rotate, set margins or resolution, etc. Other escape
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sequences specify font information, cursor positioning, paper selection, watermarking and many other
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things. This is how PCL describes the layout of pages.


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A real limitation of PCL 1-4 was the lack of vector graphic support. This includes lines, curves, polygons, fills,
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gradients, and other things you would expect to find with vector graphics. These objects would still print with
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PCL4 but they would have to be rasterized on the client before being sent to the printer.
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PCL4 was ideal for word processing applications but insufficient for desktop publishing. During that time HP
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also offered pen plotters that could print vector graphics using a graphical PDL called HP GL/2. The basic idea
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was that instead of creating graphics primitives within PCL, PCL4 and HP/GL2 could be combined. HP
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Designjet plotters, by the way, still use HP-GL/2.


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As printer features and capabilities improved, HP created a version of PCL that could handle text, images, and
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vector graphics at the same time. The solution was HP PCL 5, which is the text-based PCL4 that does a great
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job on text and images, plus HP GL/2 for vector graphics support. So PCL5 is really PCL4 + HP GL/2.
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PCL 5 works by defaulting to PCL for each page and when a vector graphic appears, PCL 5 reserves the space
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for the graphic (in a picture frame) and switches to HP


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GL/2 mode to create the graphic. HP added an escape sequence to switch to HP GL/2. Then GL/2 draws the
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graphic within the picture frame and when done, HP GL/2 switches back to PCL mode with another escape
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sequence.
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This works pretty well but there were some issues. Today PCL5 is considered deprecated and should be used
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on an as needed basis only. Customers are encouraged to move to PCL6, if possible, for general office
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printing.
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HP printing devices accommodate another PDL called PostScript ®, which was created by Adobe Systems.
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PostScript is actually a programming language that requires an interpreter to scan data and logic and execute
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various functions. PostScript also goes beyond the definition of a page description language and includes
other capabilities typically found in operating systems. Adobe added new capabilities to PostScript Level 2
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and Level 3 and now PostScript is the industry standard for graphics and high-end publishing.
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Postscript print job data includes variables, programming instructions, data, loops, and other components of
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a programing language. The Postscript interpreter reads the print job data and temporarily stores the data in
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stacks. Then the Postscript commands use the data on the stacks to complete the programming instructions.
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For instance, when PostScript scans each line it encounters operands, instructions, and operators. It stores
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everything in appropriate memory stacks until an instruction occurs that uses the temporarily stored data.
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This is the nature of PostScript and means naturally PostScript requires more memory, is less tolerant of
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errors, and needs processing power than PCL5. If PCL5 encounters a command it doesn’t understand it can
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still print the page. If PS encounters a command it doesn’t understand, an error page is printed and the
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remainder of the job is flushed.


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Today, HP uses an HP PS emulator to support Postscript print jobs to streamline the printing process.
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Basically, this means HP emulation Postscript, while being compatible with Adobe’s PostScript, outputs the
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appropriate display list format so the high power processors can be utilized. HP uses the term Postscript
(lower case s, or simply PS, to refer to HP software that is compatible with Adobe PostScript.
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HP emulation Postscript is fully compatible with Adobe PostScript Level 3. It also takes advantage of
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embedded HP print quality technologies such as Image REt, auto trapping, and adaptive halftoning.
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HP enterprise printing products with emulation PostScript Level 3 also support Direct PDF printing, which
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means the printer can receive PDF files directly. HP printers currently support directly printing PDF ver 1.4
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files. When a PDF file arrives at the printer, it goes immediately to a filter process that reads the file and
converts it to the Postscript format. From there, it follows the same path a Postscript print job follows to the
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DC controller. The benefit of Direct PDF printing is document fidelity. No driver is involved providing fewer
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opportunities for errors.


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PDF files can also be stored on the printer hard drive and printed from the control panel or from the EWS.
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Printing technology had improved to the point where HP realized it was time for a new PDL.
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HP decided to start from the ground up to create a completely new PDL that is fully compatible with the
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Windows GDI printing process and that fully accommodates a graphical environment. HP originally named it
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HP PCL XL but changed it to HP PCL 6. HP PCL6 is PCL/XL, but it also includes the HP PCL5 personality for
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backward compatibility. When people speak of PCL6 they’re likely talking about PCL XL.
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PCL 6 is based on the Windows graphical environment (GDI) rather than on text as in earlier HP PCL versions.
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PCL 6 enables the printer to draw objects in a similar way they are drawn on the computer screen. PCL 6
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directly corresponds with GDI functionality. In other words, if GDI can do something, so can HP PCL 6. That’s a
generalization, for sure, but it does indicate HP’s intent. By mirroring GDI, the PCL6 (really PCL/XL) printing
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process in Windows is simplified and performance and reliability are improved dramatically.
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HP PCL 6 is a superior solution for Windows office printing applications (like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.).
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And the best news is: There is no need for HP GL/2 with PCL 6. PCL6 has full support for vector graphics.
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PCL 6 does not use embedded escape sequences like earlier versions of PCL. Instead, PCL 6 uses a document
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model of sessions and pages. PCL 6 is also stack-based like PostScript, although it is not a programming
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language. When the printer receives a PCL6 print job, PJL will include the PJL command ENTER LANGUAGE =
PCL/XL. This switches the printer language to PCL6. Following this is the actual print data. The first and last
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statement are considered to be job boundaries and inform the printer where the print job begins and ends.
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There is ample evidence that PCL6 is a better match for Windows and Windows applications. Unless
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customers are using third party solutions based on PCL5 they are encouraged to migrate to PCL6, which will
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provide the best tradeoff of printing performance and quality for most office printing.
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The newest addition to HP’s family of page description languages is PCLm. PCLm is HP’s mobility version of
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PCL. Mobile devices have limited resources and the driver-based printing paradigm of Windows will not
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suffice. A light-weight driverless solution is needed. PCLm is driverless. PCLm is actually an application of the
Adobe PDF format.
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PCLm has two important properties: image-based format, streamable. Imaged-based PDF files significantly
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reduce complexity. There are no text objects or vector graphics, every page is an image. This removes the
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need for a print driver. The printer is simply printing pictures of pages. The PCLm print data also needs to be
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streamable. This is because PCLm is based on PDF and normally when printing PDFs the entire PDF file needs
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to be transferred to the printer before printing can begin. This places a huge memory requirement for mobile
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devices that need to temporarily store the print data. By making PCLm streamable, printing can begin
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immediately.
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Currently, the majority of HP inkjet and laserjet printers support PCLm.


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ePCL is an architecture for directly printing from a mobile device. It’s essentially a HP-recommended protocol
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stack for mobile printing.


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ePCL is comprised of four components: device discovery, device capabilities discovery, job configuration and
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submission, and a page description language.


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Device discovery is handled by Bonjour (a.k.a., mDNS-SD , for service discovery). This is a common protocol
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used for device discovery.


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Next the mobile device needs an easy method for configuring print job settings and submitting the print job
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to the printer. ePCL leverages the Internet Printing Protocol for this step. IPP uses HTTP to transfer print jobs.
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This means that the mobile device can easily submit a print job using the IP address or hostname of the
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printer.
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ePCL also describes the page description layer. There are currently two supported page description
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languages supported by ePCL. First, there’s PCLm. Second is PDF. It is anticipated that low-end devices will
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consume PCLm print jobs whereas enterprise printing devices have the resources and benefit from complete
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PDF print files.


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This layered architectural approach to mobile printing enables HP to leverage existing protocols to simplify
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the mobile printing experience. The user presses the print command and HP takes care of the rest.
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The XPS print path in Windows is Microsoft’s attempt to streamline the printing process within Windows. XPS
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effectively extends the original GDI print path to accept another spool file format: XPS. XPS stands for XML
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Paper Specification. This basically means that the print data is an XML file format. Application developers can
now choose to use GDI or XPS APIs for printing. When the print provider finds the XML spool file it will route it
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to the XPS print path. The basic concept of the XPS print path is to use the same format for application data,
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spooler files, and page description language. With no translations, or conversions document fidelity is
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maintained. Or so the thought goes anyway. The reality is that most printing still occurs with the GDI print
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path.
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Microsoft planned for this contingency by providing two converters and two filters. One of the converters
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converts GDI to XPS. And the other converts XPS to GDI. So, if an application creates XPS print data but the
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target printer is PCL or PostScript the supplied converters will automatically convert the data into GDI. This
GDI data can then be sent through the original GDI print path to create the PCL or PostScript required. If the
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application creates print data using GDI, but the target printer supports XPS, the supplied converter will
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automatically convert the data to XPS and forward it to the XPS print path.
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The XPS print path also includes a filter pipeline that can convert the XPS print data into a page description
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language prior to printing. Only one filter is shown in the diagram but more than one filter can be used. That’s
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why it’s called a filter pipeline. If the printer supports XPS natively then no filters are required. Microsoft
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supplies two filters: one that converts XPS into PCL and one filter that converts XPS to PostScript.
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So basically the XPS data can be converted early in the printing process, at the end with filters, or not at all
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with XPS-enabled printers. This enables legacy printers and drivers to use the same print subsystem
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transparently.
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Microsoft also added enhancements to the Windows 8 printing subsystem. Of particular interest is the V4
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driver architecture, which allows printer vendors an opportunity to customize the user’s printing experience.
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The V4 architecture provides support for device experience applications. These are Windows 8 UI-style
applications, or Modern apps, represented as tiles on the Win8 start screen. According to Microsoft, print
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vendors have complete control of the printing experience. What is required is a great printing device, a
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custom V4 print driver, a device experience app, and metadata which ties everything together.
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Microsoft also made changes to the way V4 drivers are distributed to client PCs. Now V4 drivers are available
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from the Microsoft Store and are automatically downloaded during installation. If a printer vendor does not
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provide a V4 driver for their printer Microsoft will provide a class V4 driver for PCL and PostScript devices. The
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class V4 driver provided by Microsoft offers standard, or limited, functionality only. In some cases HP’s V3
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UPD offers a better printing experience than the class drivers.


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V4 drivers do not replace V3 drivers like HP’s UPD. Both drivers can reside on the Windows system. V3 drivers
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still perform properly in the Desktop mode. For instance, HP’s UPD can be used in dynamic mode or traditional
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mode in Desktop mode. However, when printing from a Modern app there are limitations with V3 drivers. V3
printer drivers do not support the new device experience apps with Modern applications but instead use a
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default user printing interface.


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Specifically, UPD in dynamic mode is not supported in Modern apps, and various options are missing in the
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default printing experience. This is not so much a UPD issue but is a limitation of all V3 drivers in Windows 8
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when using Modern apps.


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HP universal print driver is built upon the V3 driver architecture which allows vendors to replace many
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components with proprietary ones. Customization includes replacing the user interface, configuration,
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rendering and/or spooler components. That’s how HP created the universal printer driver. In this diagram
everything in blue can be customized by the print vendor.
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However, a quick glance at the V4 driver architecture shows that Microsoft has removed this opportunity to
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customize the traditional driver and spooler components. Vendors can provide filters for the XPS pipeline, but
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that’s about all that can be changed. Microsoft is encouraging vendors to create V4 print drivers and to use
the new device experience applications to provide a rich user experience.
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Because of this new architecture custom V3 drivers, like HP’s UPD, will have limited functionality when
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printing from Modern applications. From Desktop applications HP’s UPD is fully supported.
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Congratulations, you have completed the HP Windows Printing Architecture training. If necessary, repeat this
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training to get a better understanding of the material presented. You can also find information about these
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topics on the internet. After the training apply this newly acquired knowledge. You are now able to explain
what happens when users print from Windows. You can also advise others on page description languages and
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Windows 8 printing. If you need help, remember to use the appropriate support channels.
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