Creating a PCL Separator File That Creates No Printed Output

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5 and 3.51
• Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5 and 3.51
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0

SUMMARY

This article describes how to create a PCL separator page which generates no output when switching a printer to PCL mode. The default PCL separator page, in addition to switching to PCL mode, prints the username, date, and job number on the separator sheet. A non-printing separator page may be preferable if you have a printer that does not autoswitch to PCL and you do not want the separator pages generated by the default PCL.SEP separator file printed.

MORE INFORMATION

The PCL separator page is used to force a printer which supports multiple input formats (such as Postscript, PCL, HPGL, etc.) to switch to PCL mode. For a general PCL separator that does not generate output, start with %SystemRoot%\System32\PSCRIPT.SEP:

   \
   \H1B\L%-12345X@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE=POSTSCRIPT\0

   Copy this to another file and modify it to read:

   \
   \H1B\L%-12345X@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE=PCL\0

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For more information on customizing separator pages please see section 6 page 13 of the "Windows NT Concept and Planning Guide" portion of Books Online (which is included on the Windows NT CD-ROM) or see your printer's manual.

Here is the default PCL.SEP file (; = comments added):

   \
   \H1B\L%-12345X@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE=PCL
   \H1B\L&l1T\0
   \H34
   \B\S\N\4        ;Switch to double high/double wide and print user name
   \I\4            ;Print the job id#
   \U\D\4          ;End double high/double wide and print date
   \E              ;Eject the page