PS TEXT FORMAT Reference Manual

System Parameters
6-4 11387 Tandem Computers Incorporated
For DEVICE^TYPE 2 or 3, Tandem has adopted a standard set of printer
features (and corresponding commands) for use in its printers. The set of
features used is PCL (Printer Control Language) command language
developed by Hewlett-Packard Company. Tandem is a licensee of
Hewlett-Packard Company. PCL command language defines a standard
for printer features and feature access by software applications. It provides
the highest level of communication between the system and the printer.
PCL command language is designed to be independent of the Tandem
system, device drivers, the I/O interface, and network communications. Its
purpose is to bring together all printers under a common and consistent
control structure that provides feature compatibility from printer to printer.
This protects the investment in applications and driver software.
DEVICE^TYPE 2 allows you to specify bold and underlining. Printers
implementing this feature set are generally multiple-user hard-copy
devices that have a wide range of performance. This level is used in the
EDP environment or for transaction processing and is referred to as Level II
in the PCL language.
DEVICE^TYPE 3 allows you to control fonts and draw straight lines for
boxes, and also contains the same features as DEVICE^TYPE 2. This level
is tailored toward the needs of the office: high-quality output with
additional data-formatting capabilities. This level is referred to as Level III
in the PCL language.
Refer to the Laser-LX Technical Reference Manual for more information about
the PCL language and its different levels.