The ASCII escape character, which starts all PCL commands, ESC commands (Epson printers), ., is not a printable symbol and so it is represented by different combinations of characters in different environments. Here are some known versions.
| Environment | Code (keystrokes required to enter the escape character) | Example to enable form 100 for overlay on all pages. |
| Operating Systems | ||
| MS Windows NT (via font PCM files) | Click on the link to the left for complete details. | |
| Windows NT (via seperator page) MS KB Q131714 |
Copy the code on the right into a file called PCL.SEP on the local hard drive then From the Printer menu, choose Properties. Choose Details. Type the path to the separator file in the Separator File text box. Choose OK, and then choose OK again. | \ \H1B\L&f100Y\H1B\L&f4X |
| Applications | ||
| DOS EDIT |  -P
-[ |
¬ &f100Y¬ &f4X |
| UNIX VI | -P
-[ |
^[&f100Y^[&f4X |
| Unix Print Driver | Click on the link to the left for complete details. | |
| WORD for DOS | Hold down Alt, type 27 on the numeric keypad, release Alt | ¬ &f100Y¬ &f4X |
| Word for Windows | Click on the link to the left for complete details. | |
| Visual Basic | Const PASSTHROUGH = 19
Result = Escape(printer.hdc, PASSTHROUGH, 0, Chr(27), 0&) |
Const PASSTHROUGH = 19
Result = Escape(printer.hdc, PASSTHROUGH, 0, Chr(27)+"&f100y4X", 0&) |
| DOS BASIC | CHR(27) | LPRINT CHR(27) + "&f100Y" + CHR(27) + "&f4X" |
| TeleMagic, Foxpro, clipper, dBase, HPMS 1 & 2, Fedelio (dos versions) | chr(27) | ?? chr(27)+'&f100Y'+chr(27)+'&f4X' |
| Business Basic (CLS, MAS-90) | 'ES' | OPEN (1)"LP" PRINT (1)'ES',"&f101Y",'ES',"&f4X" |
| Platinum Accounting
Software |
\27 (insert in a new Printer Control File at the start of the setup string. Refer to Appendix C of the Platinum System Operators Guide) | Setup \27 \38 \102 \49 \48 \48 \89 \27 \38 \102 \52 \88 (remander of existing setup string) |
| Twinax converters | ||
| GENICOM | &%1B; | &%1B;&f100Y&%1B;&f4X |
| PRAIM | &%1B&% | &%1B&%&f100Y&%1B&%&f4X |
| IO | Ø E
&%1B&% |
Ø
E&f100YØ E&f4X
&%1B&%&f100Y&%1B&%&f4X |
| ACOM | Ø E | Ø E&f100YØ E&f4X |
| IBM | ||
| PC Support
IBM Terminals Work Station Controller Enhanced5250Emulation Work Station Function Work Station Emulation |
MOVE X '03011B' ESC
(ensure that the Unprintable Character action 'Replace character' option is disabled in the print override file.) |
CMOVEL '&f12Y'FRM12
CMOVEL '&f4X'OVL I |
| Andrew Card | ||
| IBM 3776 WorkStation | &%1B&%
(Set the Control field of the System Printer Control Screen to Extensions, Feature to ASCII Pass Thru, ASCII Pass Thru to On and Pass Thru Delimeter to &%) |
'&%1B&%&f100Y&%1B&%&f4X'
(see the listing on page *) |
| IDEAComm IDEALink | &%1B&%
(Ensure the "hex data delimiter" is set to &% in the configuration) |
'&%1B&%&f100Y&%1B&%&f4X' |
See also:
Comments:
Am just starting to wrestle with FreeBSD and am trying to get my HP laserjet to do sensible things. Your site has given me the best information I have found so far. If my hypotheses are correct, inside the quoted strings of Unix scripting (esc) gets represented as "\033" (octal 33). If this is correct, might be worth mentioning.+
Yes, this is correct
| file: /Techref/language/pcl/escchr.htm, 7KB, , updated: 2011/5/11 13:33, local time: 2025/4/27 04:49,
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