PCL Font Selection

Question

Can somebody give more detail on how the PCL font selection actually works? As I'm confused by reading the HP reference manuals.

There is a Primary FontSelectTable and a Secondary FontSelectTable. e.g.: I make changes to the Primary FontSelectTable:

EC(0U EC(s0P EC(s16.66H EC(s8.5V EC(s0S EC(s0B EC(s0T

When will these new characteristics from the Primary FontSelectTable be used?

Is it like this:

1)

• a) Text need to be printed
• b) Check which font to use (Primary or Secondary). (e.g. "Primary")
• c) A CHECK IN THE FONTSELECTTABLE ALWAYS HAPPENS (e.g. Primary FontSelectTable data will be used).
• d) A font is selected based on prioirity on the Primary FontSelectTable characteristics.
• e) The font, based on the characteristics of the Primary FontSelectTable is set as the current font
• f) The text is printed with the current font == primary font.

2)

• a) Text need to be printed
• b) Check which font to use (Primary or Secondary). (e.g. "Primary")
• c) THE FONTSELECTTABLE WILL NOT BE CHECKED. Use the current active or default Primary Font.
• d) The text is printed with the current font == primary font.

So the question is: when does a primary/secondary font change?

Is it everytime you print something that the FontSelectTable will be checked or does it only happend with a PCL command (which one?) that tells the printer to create a new primary/secondary font based on the current status of the FontSelectTable?

Answer 1

You sort of have the idea, but the font select table is a wish list, if you will, but it is no guarantee that there is actually a font that matches all the specifications in the select table resident in the printer. Any font spec you give like at the top of your post takes effect immediately upon receipt by printer, and if such a font is resident you will see the change immediately. Just remember, the select table only selects from available fonts, it does not create them.

But what should the printer do if there is NO resident font the matches ALL of the selection criterion in the table. Well, there is a pecking order of the font attributes that the PCL interpreter uses to select the font actually used. The order of priority is...

1. Symbol Set
2. Proportional vs fixed pitch font
3. Size ( pitch (cpi) for fixed pitch or point size for proportional)
4. Posture ( upright vs. italics et. al. )
5. Stroke weight ( medium vs. bold et. al. )
6. Typface ( Courier, Times, Arial etc.)

I almost always completely repopulate the font select table every time I changes fonts. You don't have to though. You can certainly issue a "bold on" command EC(3B and there is a good chance you will get the font you expect. Surprises can arise when you only change a single attribute.

Assume we are printing using Letter Gothic, all is OK, we then change only style to italic, all is still ok, and then we change only the stroke weight to bold(effectively looking for bold italic), all is NOT ok. We don't even have Letter Gothic any more. The problem is that there is NO Letter Gothic bold /italic font in the standard LaserJet internal fonts. The printer is looking for a font that is

Some symbol set Fixed Pitch Some size (most are scalable) Italic Bold Letter Gothic Typeface

Sadly, the printer steps through the priorities against the available fonts and lo and behold the only fixed pitch bold italic font available is Courier, and that is what you get. As the typeface has the lowest selection priority, it is the first casualty of any mismatch.

As an exercise, try starting with Courier, and then change the EC(0P to EC(1P

You can't make the fixed pitch Courier a proportional font with a command. It only changes the best match.

To be clear the printer defaults to the primary font upon reset and it will remain the active font until you issue a ^N (CTRL-N) which will switch to the secondary font which will be the active font until you issue ^O to switch back to the primary. Changes to the primary table begin EC( while secondary changes begin EC)

Are you more confused now?