PCLTool SDK V8.71          Release Note

Summary

The PCLTool SDK is an industry exclusive dynamic link library (.DLL) that converts HP PCL text and vector files into bitmap formats (in-memory TIFF Gp4, in-memory DIB, .PCX, .DCX, .BMP, XPS and .TIF) or vector formats (in-memory GDI, .PMF, WMF and EMF) with metrically matching TrueType fonts for those used to create the HP PCL print file.

PCLTool comes with a sample application program that exercises all the functions of both the PTC32.DLL and PTV32.DLL. The PTC32.DLL does the conversion from the source HP PCL file directly to the screen or into a image file format. It creates placeable and device independent files. PTV32.DLL can either preview the converted file on the screen or print it to the current Windows printer driver.

Both the .DLL's that come with PCLTool are designed to fit into existing applications quickly and seamlessly. Converting a HP PCL print file directly into WMF/EMF format saves time and money compared to printing, scanning and OCR reading each page of text. The powerful new search feature can find a specific invoice in a 70,000 page print file and extract it for viewing and/or printing.

PCLTool provides a full text search of multi-page PCL print files. With up to three text strings, it can generate a hit list of all the pages found, with accuracy percentages, across multiple print files in a directory. The user can select which PCL pages on the hit list to extract, view and/or print.

Here are some of the main SDK programs.

• PCLXForm is a script-drive batch full transformation program that performs the functions of the other batch programs: PCLCVT and PCL2PDF.

• PCLView is a "Reader" program with end user GUI to Index, Retrieve, Extract, Normalize, View and Print native PCL files.

• PCLPrint is a command line-driven utility thats converts PCL into a internal memory raster DIB or vector GDI image, then prints to any Windows printer driver. This tool is used to print PCL to Windows GDI Only, PostScript or other non-PCL printers.

• FILTER is a utility program to search and replace within a PCL print stream to make pre-conversion modifications or corrections to the file.

• TNXDUMP is a utility program to re-format the text extracted from a PCL into various ASCII formats for data migration applications.

The SDK comes with the source code for these programs included:

• PCLCVT is a batch indexing and conversion program with MS VC\C++ source code.

• PCLPTR is a batch printing program with MS VC\C++ source code.

• PCL2PDF is a bis a convert to TIFF program with end user GUI with MS Visual Basic source code.

• VBDEMO2 is a convert to TIFF program with end user GUI with MS Visual Basic source code.

• VBDEMO is a sample program with GUI for several SDK functions with MS Visual Basic source code.

• PCLSplit is a utility program that splits PCL print streams into smaller files by pagecount or by keyword or into single page files.

• PCLTWrap.dll is a wrapper .DLL for VB, Delphi and other RAD platform developers to talk-through to our C .DLL's.

PCLTool SDK - Programmer's Guide

Call us if you have any questions as to the feasibility of using our technology to solve any application requirements you may have.

Key Benefits

• Turns laser printer output files into a portable documents without the need of proprietary drivers, authoring kits, viewers, etc.

• Turns documents printed to your laser printer viewable in its native, printer-ready format.

• Indispensable in the development of Windows electronic form applications that use HP PCL form overlays or  as a tool for developers of HP PCL4/5/5e/5c+HPGL/2+PCL XL (PCL6) applications on any platform.

• A valuable trouble-shooting tool for technical support personnel responsible for solving HP PCL4/5/5e/5c+HPGL/2+PCL XL (PCL6) printer problems.

Applications

• Preview PCL and Print to Non-PCL Printers - Integrate into your Windows applications that use PCL form overlays for previewing and printing to non-PCL printers like: HP DeskJets^®, Canon BubbleJets^®, GDI, PostScript^®, Acrobat^® PDF file format and other printers. You can also integrate with your DOS programs that print to PCL printers running out of a Windows DOS shell.

• WEB Server Storage Format - Store high volume printer output "as is" on a web server for clients to browse and/or download. (The IRS tax forms in PCL format are not representative of the generally smaller files sizes of HP PCL documents)

• Portable Document Format - E-mail printer output as attachments to view with Browser Helper prior to printing to any Windows^® printer driver or directly to a HP PCL printer.

• Convert PCL to PDF format (PCL2PDF) - PCLTool promotes the use of HP PCL as a portable, viewable document format, especially due to it's size, speed and bandwidth advantages over PDF format.  However, PCLTool will also convert PCL into PDF files.  For PCL2PDF conversion, the default is our native PDF driver (PDFWRITE.DLL) or you can select the Windows printer driver that comes with Acrobat Exchange.

SPECIAL NOTE:  When PDF Image Only files have to be made due to the composition and nature of the PCL, The text can be extracted during the conversion and overlaid on to the PDF image to add-back text search ability with the Acrobat Reader "find" dialog or with the catalog/search feature.

• Printer Output to Archive/Retrieval - Direct archiving of printed output to CDROM with an index, page-level retriever and viewer.

• FAX Server Front-End Processor - Convert printer output into faxable image formats to achieve the rated throughput of your server.

• Scanner Elimination or Avoidance - Convert printer output into TIFF format with an index to bypass having to scan, edit, OCR, et al.

• Form Scraping - Extract the ASCII text out of a print datastream to migrate that data into another application or for COLD storage.

• Print Server Accounting - Integrate into a print server to count the number of PCL pages printed by various users.

• Form Overlay Migration Utility - Convert PCL Form Overlays into Windows Metafile Format (.WMF), vector to vector to use for quick previewing in Windows applications. Or, to extract for COLD overlays. Once in .WMF format, you can also convert into JAVA classes.

• Authoring Tool - Convert a sample of your applications printed output into small, fast, device independent vector.WMF files for incorporation into Help files, presentations, etc.

Features

• .DLL's with Sample Program: All high/low level function calls are exercised in sample program.

• WINFMOVE can convert the TrueType typefaces that come with Windows for support of these fonts.

• Speed: PTC32 was designed to rasterize fonts “on-the-fly” and does it in a heartbeat!

• PTC32 Log File: If PTC32 encounters any warnings or error conditions, or PCL that requires it to make a decision on, a log file is automatically generated.

• Font Substitution Map: A font map can be used to substitute metrically correct scalable fonts for bitmaps.

Pricing: US$495-$995 depending on options selected.  Subject to reasonable restrictions and conditions. Custom licensing and modifications available. If you purchase the PCLWorks Program for US$89 or PCLWorks Program (unlimited) for US$157, a $50 credit can go towards the purchase of PCLTool SDK.

Call us if you have any questions about how to use PCLTool to solve any of your application requirements.

Feature Comparison Chart

Program Versions:	PCLWorks Program	PCLTool SDK
Description	Advanced Features	All Available Features
Support for Resident and Downloaded Bitmap fonts	Yes	Yes
Support for LaserJet IIIsi Resident Scalable Intellifonts	Yes	Yes
Support for Download Scalable PCLEO Intellifonts (.SFS)	Yes	Yes
Support for Download PCLETTO [TTF scalable outline] Intellifonts (.SFT)	Yes	Yes
Support for Windows core set [base 14] of TrueType fonts.	Yes	Yes
Support for Expanded Character Sets in Latest Windows base fonts	Yes	Yes
Viewing Limitation	Up to 50K pgs per file or month	Std - 50K Lvl I - 150K Lvl II - 300K Lvl III - Unltd
Prints to Non-PCL Printers	Up to 50K pgs per file or month	Std - 50K Lvl I - 150K Lvl II - 300K Lvl III - Unltd
FastPrints to PCL Printer	Unlimited	Unlimited
File Format(s) Converted	BMP, DCX, PCX, PMF, TIF, EMF & PDF	BMP, DCX, PCX, PMF, TIF, EMF & PDF
Direct Native PDF .DLL - with FULL TEXT SEARCHABILITY	Yes	Yes
Convert Limitation	Up to 50K pgs per file or month	Std - 50K Lvl I - 150K Lvl II - 300K Lvl III - Unltd
Font Map Substitutions	Fonts can be substituted	Fonts can be substituted
Indexing	By Page, Location & Text	By Page, Location & Text
Searching	By Text Strings for Hits	By Text Strings for Hits
Full Text Extraction	Yes	Yes
PCL Normalization	Yes	Yes
Files/Path Preference	Active	Active
Warnings Preference	Active	Active
PCLTool.EXE - Gen. Purpose Developer GUI	Yes	Yes, basic tool
TIFF2PCL.EXE - Batch converts TIFF to PCL	Yes	Yes
VBDemo.EXE's/PCLTWRAP.DLL	No	Yes, Option I w/ Source Code
PCLView.EXE - Index/Search/View/Print (Except to PDF)	No	Yes, Option II
PCLPrint.EXE - Batch Print Program (Except to PDF)	No	Yes, Option II w/Source Code
PCL2PDF.EXE - Batch Converter (PDF Only)	No	Yes, Option III w/ Source Code
TIFF2PDF.EXE - Batch converts TIFF files into PDF files.	No	Yes, Option III w/ Source Code
PCLCVT.EXE - Batch Converter (Except to PDF)	No	Yes, Option IV w/ Source Code
PCLXForm.EXE - Script Driven Batch Transformation (all formats)	No	Yes, Option V
PCLCodes.EXE - Translates PCL escape codes for debugging	Yes	Yes
TNXDUMP.EXE - Formats extracted ASCII text	Yes	Yes
FILTER.EXE - Searches & Replaces escape codes and data in binary PCL files	Yes	Yes
PCLSplit.EXE - Splits PCL file into smaller files or single pages	Yes	Yes
API access to .DLL's	No	Yes, Option I
Total File Size	13 Mb	19 Mb
Pricing	US$89 ($50 credited to SDK)	US$495-$995 (Depending on Options Selected)
DOWNLOAD	PCLTool SDK EVAL	PCLTool SDK EVAL

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