Re: Any cheap postscript laser printers for linux ?

On 2007-09-21, Rod Smith <rodsmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
(HP Laserjets use PCL rather than postscript, but PCL is well documented and is
supported on GNU/Linux without any issues.)

Some LaserJets support PostScript, and more support PostScript as an
option via a plug-in circuit board or cartridge. I don't know what the
percentages are of models in these two categories, though.

Allmost all HP Laserjet printers are based on PCL. Since the Laserjet 4
generation, more and more of them were sold with PostScript support.
It may work very well, but in all but the absolute last generations the PCL
printouts are faster.

Best to use the native PCL. The printer'll have less work, and you compter
has plenty of memory and CPU to deal with that.

Of course, if this is important to you, you've got to be careful;
"PostScript support" in an ad could mean a Windows driver that converts
PostScript to PCL, much as Ghostscript does. I don't know if HP has ever
stooped to this sort of confusing terminology, but even if they haven't, a
retailer or eBay seller might.
I don't think you should apply a Linux way of thinking to a Windows
environment. The applications don't churn out PostScript. They print to this
virtual printer, using a set of API's. The Windows driver converts that to
Poscript / PCL / GDI / HPGL/2 / ... An approach used in OS/2, before it was
transposed to Windows.

The only Windows applications that generate a direct printer language like
PostScript, are those ported from another OS. (ie Mac).
And those are known for their poor printing performances, under Windows.
(PageMaker is a good example)

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