Introduction To Pjl - HP Color LaserJet 5500 Technical Reference Manual

Introduction to PJL

What is PJL?
Hewlett-Packard's Printer Job Language (PJL) was
developed to give software applications more job-level
printer control, and to provide printer status information to
applications. PJL provides for the special needs of networks
and other multi-user systems, in addition to enabling
applications to simulate control panel functions that
previously could not be controlled without pressing control
panel keys.
For the HP printers (HP LaserJet, HP DeskJet, and HP
DesignJet) that support it, PJL allows job-level control that
cannot be accomplished with PCL, PostScript, or other
printer languages. To provide this control, PJL functions
"above" the level of PCL and other printer languages,
providing four major functions:
Printer language switching between jobs
Job separation
Printer configuration
Status readback from the printer to the host computer
1
Introduction to PJL 1-1