Introduction to Page Description Languages (PDLs)
A non technical explanation of PostScript, HP GL/2, GARO and other page description languages
If you have ever clicked the “print” button on your computer you’ve used a page description language (PDL). If you’ve worked in the digital printing industry, or bought a printer at anytime in the past 20 years, the names of the languages may even sound familiar – PostScript, HP GL/2, PCL, GARO. Yet, unless you are a programmer writing code for print applications or an administrator who manages the printers on a network you are unlikely to have had a reason to give page description languages much thought. Page description language technology is so universal and so reliable that most people are completely unaware that they are using it every time they click print.
So why write a white paper about PDLs now? Because one of the oldest and best known page description languages –- PostScript – is maturing and is slowly being replaced by new technologies. Unlike some technologies that come and go quickly, PostScript has been around for a long time. Some of your large-format printing customers may be reluctant to give it up – even if they don’t need it anymore – just because it is familiar. At the same time because PostScript is so deeply entrenched in digital printing technology (and remains useful for certain applications) it will probably be around for a long time to come. During this period of technology transition, some of your customers are going to look to you for advice. This white paper is therefore intended to help you gain a better understanding of what PDL’s are so that you can feel more comfortable discussing this topic with your customers. Please note however, this is not a technical guide to PDLs, many of the technical concepts are greatly simplified here in hopes of presenting this technology in terms hat can be easily understood by a wide variety of people and customers.
read more
More...