Enabling HP-GL/2 Vector Graphics Support (PCL-5e) in the GPD

Important

The modern print platform is Windows' preferred means of communicating with printers. We recommend that you use Microsoft's IPP inbox class driver, along with Print Support Apps (PSA), to customize the print experience in Windows 10 and 11 for printer device development.

For more information, see Modern print platform and the Print support app design guide.

To enable HP-GL/2 vector support on Windows XP, you must do two things:

1. Set the *Personality attribute to PERSONALITY_HPGL2.

2. Define a GraphicsMode customized feature that has an HPGL2MODE option. To provide raster graphics support as well, include a RASTERMODE option.

You can set the personality attribute in this way:

*Personality: =PERSONALITY_HPGL2

The PERSONALITY_HPGL2 constant is defined in stdnames.gpd.

The following GPD example demonstrates setting the *Personality attribute and defining a GraphicsMode customized feature with both a vector graphics mode, as well as a raster graphics mode. Note that the entire block is guarded by an *Ifdef GPD compiler directive.

*Ifdef: WINNT_51
*Personality: =PERSONALITY_HPGL2
*Feature: GraphicsMode
{
    *rcNameID: =GRAPHICSMODE_DISPLAY
    *FeatureType: DOC_PROPERTY
    *HelpIndex: 12000
    *DefaultOption: HPGL2MODE
    *Option: HPGL2MODE
    {
        *rcNameID: =GRAPHICSMODE_HPGL2_DISPLAY
    }
    *Option: RASTERMODE
    {
        *rcNameID: =GRAPHICSMODE_RASTER_DISPLAY
    }
}
*Endif:

The WINNT_51 parameter used in the above directive applies to versions of Unidrv, rather than operating system versions. For a Windows XP Unidrv printer driver running on Windows 2000, the WINNT_51 parameter is defined and the block is compiled. For earlier Unidrv versions, regardless of operating system version, this parameter is undefined, and the block is not compiled.

A GPD file for a color printer should also define a ColorMode feature, as shown in the following generic sample. Note that specific details of your printer might require changes to certain values.

*Feature: ColorMode
{
  *rcNameID: =COLOR_PRINTING_MODE_DISPLAY
  *HelpIndex: 12004
  *DefaultOption: 24bpp
  *Option: Mono
   {
     *rcNameID: =MONO_DISPLAY
     *DevNumOfPlanes: 1
     *DevBPP: 1
     *Color?: FALSE
     *Command: CmdSelect
      {
        *Order: PAGE_SETUP.16 
        *Cmd: "<1B>&b1M"
      }
   }
  *Option: 24bpp
   {
     *rcNameID: =24BPP_DISPLAY
     *DevNumOfPlanes: 1
     *DevBPP: 24
     *DrvBPP: 24
     *PaletteSize: 256
     *PaletteProgrammable?: TRUE
     *Command: CmdDefinePaletteEntry
      {
        *Cmd : "<1B>*v" %d{RedValue}"a"
+                       %d{GreenValue}"b"
+                       %d{BlueValue}"c"
+                       %d{PaletteIndexToProgram}"I"
 }
     *Command: CmdSelectPaletteEntry { *Cmd : "<1B>*v" 
+                        %d{CurrentPaletteIndex}"S" }
     *Command: CmdSetSrcBmpWidth { *Cmd : "<1B>*r" 
+                        %d{RasterDataWidthInBytes / 3}"S" }
     *Command: CmdSelect
      {
        *Order: PAGE_SETUP.16
        *Cmd: "<1B>*v1N<1B>*v1O<1B>*l184O<1B>*v6W<000308080808>
+              <1B>*v0a0b0c7i255a255b255c"
      }
   }
}