HP LaserJet 1100 Printer series - Typeface Selection Differences

Typeface Selection Differences

With the introduction of the HP LaserJet IID printer, Hewlett-Packard
expanded the typeface value field (in the font header) from a one-byte
to a two-byte value field, thus expanding the typeface range from
0-255 to 0-32767. This expansion allows for additional typefaces.

Prior to the HP LaserJet IID printer, typeface values used a single
byte (8-bits for a range of 0-255) for font selection. This value,
referred to as the typeface base value, was used to identify fonts for
selection. With the addition of the second byte in the typeface value
field, one bit was added to the typeface base value range, increasing
it from 8 bits to 9 bits (for a range of 0-511). This allows a greater
range for typeface base value selection.

In addition to expanding the typeface base value, two other values
were included in the two-byte typeface value: vendor number and
vendor version. The vendor number identifies the font vendor and
the vendor version identifies the version of the font. These two values
are for a vendor to create an updated version of the typeface. The
three values together represent the typeface family value. Refer to
the PCL 5 Printer Language Technical Reference Manual Chapter
11,“Font Creation - Typeface Family,” for a more complete
description of this two-byte typeface family value.

Note

With the introduction of the HP LaserJet 4 printer, HP redefined the
typeface field again, this time eliminating the vendor version identifier
and expanding the typeface family to encompass the 12 least
significant bits (bits 11-0) of this 16-bit field (see the field description
for “Typeface” in Chapter 11).

Both the typeface family value and the typeface base value can be
used for font selection. Since the typeface family value (two-byte
value) is based on the typeface base value (9 bit value), a font
selection which specifies the typeface base value may select a font
described by a typeface family value in the printer.

There is some variation in how font selection occurs between PCL 5
printer models when mixing the typeface family and base values. The
typeface selection compatibility for two types of values is identified for
the various PCL 5 printers in Table 3-8.

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