Page description language of digital printing

In?digital printing, a?page description language?(PDL) is a computer language that describes the appearance of a printed page in a higher level than an actual output?bitmap?(or generally?raster graphics). An overlapping term is?printer control language, which includes Hewlett-Packard's?Printer Command Language?(PCL).?PostScript?is one of the most noted page description languages. The?markup language?adaptation of the PDL is the page description markup language.

Page description languages are text (human-readable) or binary data streams, usually intermixed with text or graphics to be printed. They are distinct from graphics?application programming interfaces?(APIs) such as?GDI?and?OpenGL?that can be called by software to generate graphical output.

Notable examples

Various page description languages exist:

• AFP, Advanced Function Presentation (IBM)
• Apple Raster, formerly known as URF, used by the?AirPrint?protocol.
• Canon?GARO, Graphic Arts language with Raster Operations (for large format printers), based on?Hewlett-PackardPCL3GUI / RTL and CPCA job description language.
• Common Ground page definition language
• CPCL, Comtec Printer Control Language (now Zebra)
• DPL, Datamax Printer Language (now?Honeywell)
• DTPL, Datamax Ticket Printer Language
• DVI, Device Independent, output from?TeX
• E411, Emulation 411, for Ticketing and Flight Strip (ATC) systems (IER)
• EPL, Eltron Programming Language (now Zebra)
• Envoy?page description language (WordPerfect)
• ESC/P,?Epson?Standard Code for Printers, simple language mainly used in?dot matrix printers
• ESC/P2, an expanded version of ESC/P
• ESC/Page, Epson Standard Code for Page Printer, a page description language (distinct from ESC/P) used in a number of Epson laser printers, especially Japanese models
• ESC/POS,?Epson?Standard Code for?POS?printers
• FGL, Friendly Ghost Language (Boca Systems) printers
• Fingerprint, a programming language, Direct Protocol is subset of Fingerprint (Intermec)
• HP-GL?and HP-GL/2, geometric language introduced by?Hewlett-Packard?for pen plotters, still in use today for technical drawings
• Interpress?(Xerox)
• IJPDS, Ink Jet Printer Data Stream (Kodak)
• IPDS, Intelligent Printer Data Stream (IBM)
• IGP/PGL,?Printronix?Graphics Language
• IPL, Intermec Printer Language, a programming language for?Intermec?printers (now a subsidiary of?Honeywell)
• KPDL,?Kyocera?Page Description Language
• LCDS/Metacode, a print stream format used in older high-speed printers (Xerox)
• MODCA, Mixed Object Document Content Architecture (IBM)
• MTPL, Mannesmann Tally Printer Language
• PCL, Printer Command Language (Hewlett-Packard)
• PDF, Portable Document Format (Adobe Systems), now ISO 32000
• PostScript?(Adobe Systems)
• PPDS, Personal Printer Data Stream
• RPCS, Refined Printing Command Stream (Ricoh)
• RTL (Raster Transfer Language, also known as PCL3GUI). Raster graphic command subset of Hewlett-Packard HP-GL/2, similar to PCL.
• Star Line Mode, variant of ESC/POS used by?Star Micronics?printers
• SPL, Samsung Printer Language
• SVG, an XML-based graphics description language primarily developed for the?World Wide Web
• Canon SG Raster (Swift Graphics Raster for large format printers), based on Hewlett-Packard PCL3GUI / RTL and IVEC (XML formatted job description language)
• TSPL/TSPL2, Taiwan Semiconductor Printing/Programming Language (TSC)
• TTP, print language by Swecoin for kiosk printers (now Zebra)
• UFR (Ultra Fast Rendering), a proprietary language (Canon)
• XES,?Xerox Escape Sequence
• XPS, XML Paper Specification introduced in Windows Vista (Microsoft)
• ZJS, ZjStream Page Description Language (Zenographics)
• ZPL,?Zebra?Programming Language