Choose Dot Matrix,
InkJet, Laser, Thermal BarCode and Label Printers, Specialty Printers.
Here are some guidelines for qualifying a printer:
The printer must use Centronics parallel: or RS232Serial Interface:
* Parallel: 36 Pins * Serial: 25 Pins
* Also includes IEEE-1284 Centronics interface * 9600 Baud, 8 Bits, No Parity, 1 Stop Bit
Printers
may include:
* Plain Text Printers (Generic Text) eg. Impact Printers (eg. Genicom, Printronix,
Dataproducts)
* PCL Emulation Printers (widely used by Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark, Kyocera)
* DOS Printers (Generic Text) and Linux Compatible Printers (Generic Text)
* Epson Emulation Printers used by Epson, Fujitsu, Panasonic
* BarCode Printers (You may use it's programmers manual to print barcodes
using escape sequences).
* Ticket and Receipt Printers (Generic Text, or special language ASCII commands,
eg, ESCPOS).
A
General Test For Compatibility:
You can make a quick test of printer compatibility by sending a plain text
print job to your printer using the
computers LPT or COM port. For example, create a Windows Notepad document
and send it to the printer
using Generic Print Driver. This print driver is available on the Windows
CD, or as a download from Microsoft.
If your Notepad document prints successfully, then printer compatibility will
probably be true. This test is
not suited for barcode or label printers that may need a special language
involving escape sequences. The
barcode printer may still be compatible.
Print Drivers
Not Really Required:
You are able to send escape sequences and control characters to the printer
from the software application
you develop. So there is great freedom to control your own print formatting.
With PCL emulation printers you
can program margins, bolding, font selection, font size, pitch. eg. printstring
= "ESC +
&k2S" sets compressed
pitch on a PCL emulation printer. By doing your own formatting, you do not
require any print driver, therefore
you can use various printers without a common emulation, such as Zebra label
printers or Datamax label
printers which each use a different language. Use their programmers manual
to write your print code.
INCOMPATIBLE
PRINTERS:
The printer must not be the "GDI" or "PPA" interface type
which uses a bidirectional proprietary protocol to
receive and place a rasterized print image in the print engine. These printers
are also called "winprinters"
(devices that originally runs over the WPS Windows printing system). These
printers do not have a character
interface. Example:. Samsung SCX-1150F Copier/Fax/Scanner/Printer. Some of
these printers are also called
"PPA printers" (Printing Performance Architecture) by Hewlett-Packard.
Some PPA printers that cannot be
used are: Hewlett-Packard PPA or host-based printers:
|
SOME INCOMPATIBLE PRINTERS: |
|
|
HP Deskjet 710c printer |
HP Deskjet 1000c, 1000Cxi, and 1000Cse printers series |
|
HP Deskjet 712c printer |
HP Deskjet 3800 printer series |
|
HP Deskjet 720c printer |
HP Original Photosmart photo printer (C3804A) |
|
HP Deskjet 722c printer |
HP Photosmart P1000, 1000, 1215 and 1215vm printers |
|
HP Deskjet 820Cxi and 820Cse printers |
HP LaserJet 3100 printer series |
|
HP Deskjet 825c |
HP LaserJet 1000 printer series |
Please feel free to inquire
about a printer's compatibility to: Rick Hoffman
email rhoffman@sympatico.ca
PHOTOLOGIC LTD. Tel:
(905) 377-8915 Interface
Adapters For Printers