Detailed instructions for use are in the User's Guide.
PCL 5 Color Technical Reference Manual
Notice
The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.
Copyright and License
Copyright © 1999 Hewlett-Packard Company. All rights are reserved. This document contains proprietary information which is protected by copyright. Except as allowed by copyright laws or herein, reproduction, adaptation, or translation without prior written permission is prohibited.
Trademarks
Adobe, PostScript, and the PostScript logo are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated which may be registered in certain jurisdictions. AppleTalk is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. PCL and Resolution Enhancement are registered trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Company. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
Hewlett-Packard Company 11311 Chinden Boulevard Boise, Idaho 83714 U.S.A.
Inside This Manual
What You Can Learn From This Manual
This manual describes the PCL 5 commands used to print color on the HP Color LaserJet printer family and the other Hewlett-Packard PCL 5 color printers. Some of the main topics include an overview of the color printing process, using palettes, choosing color modes, adjusting output color to meet your requirements, printing color raster graphics, and HP-GL/2 vector graphics. Examples are provided which demonstrate the use of the PCL 5 color commands.
Note
All commands described in this manual are not necessarily supported by all printers. See the PCL 5 Comparison Guide for feature support information for each printer. This manual is written primarily for users that are already familiar with PCL 5 printer features. For information on using PCL 5, see the PCL 5 Printer Language Technical Reference Manual.
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Manual Organization
This manual contains seven chapters and four appendices. Chapters 2 through 4 describe command usage for the HP Color LaserJet 4500 and 8500 printers. Appendices A through D describe how these functions are achieved on the HP Color LaserJet, Color LaserJet 5, 5M, and the DeskJet 1200C and 1600C printers. Chapters 5 through 7 pertain to all the color printers described in this manual. A brief description of each chapter is provided below.
Chapter 1. Color Printing Overview
This chapter explains background information about printing color documents using PCL 5. Topics include palettes, color selection, pixel encoding, color modes, and color matching.
Chapter 2. Using Color Modes
Chapter 2 defines the color modes and describes how to use them, including descriptions of sending color raster data using different pixel encoding modes and color spaces.
Chapter 3. Using Palettes
This chapter describes the palettes associated with the color modes and explains how palettes are created, saved, and modified.
Chapter 4. Modifying Output Color
This chapter explains the options for modifying the output color: the Render Algorithm command, the Monochrome Print Mode command, Driver Configuration command, and Finish Mode command.
Chapter 5. The PCL Print Model
Chapter 5 describes the print model and how it determines the printed outcome when various patterns, colors, and images are applied together on a page. This chapter discusses the role that logical operations and transparency modes have on this process.
Chapter 6. Raster Graphics
This chapter describes the raster graphics commands and also compressing raster graphics images using various compression methods.
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Chapter 7. Color Vector Graphics (HP-GL/2)
This chapter discusses printing color pages using HP-GL/2, the vector graphics language included on all PCL 5 printers. The chapter describes new and/or modified HP-GL/2 commands and how they are used to print with HP color printers.
Appendix A. Color Printing Overview (Color LaserJet, 5, 5M, DeskJet)
Appendix A explains background information about printing color documents using PCL 5. Topics include palettes, device-dependent vs. device-independent color, color selection, pixel encoding, color modes, and color matching.
Appendix B. Using Color Modes (Color LaserJet, 5, 5M, DeskJet)
Appendix B defines the color modes for the HP Color LaserJet, Color LaserJet 5, 5M, and the DeskJet 1200C and 1600C printers, and describes how to use them. It includes descriptions of sending color raster data using different pixel encoding modes and color spaces.
Appendix C. Using Palettes (Color LaserJet, 5, 5M, DeskJet)
Appendix C describes the use of palettes for the HP Color LaserJet, 5, and 5M, and DeskJet 1200C and 1600C printers. It explains the palettes associated with the color modes and explains how palettes are created, saved, and modified.
Appendix D. Modifying Output Color (Color LaserJet, 5, 5M, DeskJet)
Appendix D describes how to modify output color for the HP Color LaserJet, Color LaserJet 5, 5M, and the DeskJet 1200C and 1600C printers. This chapter explains how color can be optimized by compensating for different conditions, such as variations in color due to light sources, limitations of the original artwork and variations in viewing monitors. The chapter details the use of halftone rendering algorithms, color lookup tables, gamma correction, and viewing illuminant commands. These commands are provided so that users can request and receive color output that matches their expectations.
Index
An index offers quick access to PCL command information. v
Related Documents
The following documents provide related information about Hewlett-Packard PCL 5 printers.
PCL 5 Printer Language Technical Reference Manual
The PCL 5 Printer Language Technical Reference Manual provides a description of the printer command language that controls PCL 5 printers. The manual provides explanations of each PCL command, and has examples demonstrating how the commands are used to manipulate the printer. A large portion of the manual is devoted to HP-GL/2, the vector-based graphics language in PCL 5 printers.
PCL 5 Comparison Guide
This document provides printer-specific information on paper handling, internal fonts, PCL command support, and control panel information. It identifies feature differences between the various PCL 5 printers, and how the printers implement the commands described in the PCL 5 Printer Language Technical Reference Manual.
Printer Job Language Technical Reference Manual
This manual describes PJL, the HP printer job language used on many of the Hewlett-Packard printers. PJL is used for switching printer languages, requesting status information, changing display messages, inquiring about feature settings, and other job-level functions.
PCL/PJL Technical Quick Reference Guide
This booklet is designed to provide quick access to the syntax of each PCL and PJL command. The commands are grouped by their function so that those familiar with PCL and/or PJL can find the syntax of a specific command without opening the manual.
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Contents
PCL 5 Color Technical Reference Manual
Inside This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii Manual Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv Related Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
Chapter 1 Color Printing Overview
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-1 Working with color documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-2 PCL 5 Color Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 Color Specifications and Color Spaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 Color Management and the Standard Red, Green, Blue Color Space . . . . . . . .1-4 Palettes and Color Selection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-6 PCL 5 Color Graphics Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-6 PCL 5 Color Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-6 PCL 5 Raster Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-7 Pixels and Pixel Encoding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-7 Well-Behaved Raster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-9
Chapter 2 Using Color Modes
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-1 Simple Color Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-3 PCL Imaging Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-5 Configure Image Data (CID) Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-5 HP-GL/2 Imaging Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-13
Chapter 3 Using Palettes
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-1 Saving the Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-3 Push/Pop Palette Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-3 Palette Management by ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-5 Select Palette Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-6 Palette Control ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-8 Palette Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-9 Simple Color Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-11
EN
Contents vii
CID Color Palettes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-13 Device RGB and sRGB Palettes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-13 Device CMY Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-14 HP-GL/2 Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-15 Foreground Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-17 Foreground Color Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-17 Programming Color Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-19
Chapter 4 Modifying Output Color
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-1 Halftone Render Algorithms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-2 Render Algorithm Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-2 Monochrome Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-3 Monochrome Print Mode Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-3 Driver Configuration Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-4 Finish Mode Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-6
Chapter 5 The PCL Print Model
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-1 Command Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-6 Source Transparency Mode Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-7 Pattern Transparency Mode Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-8 Logical Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-9 Logical Operations and Transparency Interactions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-12 Logical Operation Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-13 ROPs in the RGB Color Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-14 ROPs in the CMY Color Space. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-15 Using a ROP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...
