4.2.8. Coordinates ; 4.2.9. Units ; Decipoints - Page 45

2001/10/02 

CHAPTER 2 "PCL" - 25 

4.2.8.  Coordinates 

The printer control language coordinate system has its origin at the intersection of the left edge of the logical 
page and the top margin. The x-coordinate value of the current cursor position increases as the cursor moves 
from left to right, the y-coordinate value increases as the cursor moves down the page. The cursor can be 
explicitly positioned anywhere on the current logical page using the PCL coordinate system. In addition, the 
cursor’s coordinate position will change as text and graphics are printed. 

4.2.9.  Units 

You can specify cursor movement within the PCL coordinate system using one of three different unit systems. 

Decipoints 

A decipoint is one-tenth of a typographic point measurement = 1/720". 

Rows and columns 

Using the horizontal motion index (HMI) (Esc&k#H) and vertical motion index (VMI)(Esc&l#C) commands you 
can set the width of a column and the height of a row. You can then use the column width and row height as the 
units of the coordinate system. The line-spacing command is an alternative to the VMI command. 

Units 

The unit of measurement used must be defined by the unit of measure command as described in 4.2.10. 

4.2.10.  Unit of measure 

Esc&u#D 

(27)(38)(117)#(68) 

<1Bh><26h><75h>#<44h> 

• 

# value can be 96, 100, 120, 144, 150, 160, 180, 200, 225, 240, 288, 300, 360, 400, 450, 480,  600, 720, 800, 900, 1200, 

1440, 1800, 2400, 3600, 7200. 

• 

# stands for the unit of measurement in dots per inch. 

• 

The value set by this command is used as the unit setting for use by other setting commands such as 

ESC*p#X. 

• 

The default value of # is 300. 

Example) 

Esc&u300D Esc*p+100x+200Y 

move cursor 100/300 inch right and 200/300 inch down. 

Esc&u600D Esc*p+100x+200Y 

move cursor 100/600 inch right and 200/600 inch down. 

4.2.11.  Setting the left and right margins 

Esc&a#L 

(27)(38)(97)#(76) 

<1Bh><26h><61h>#<4Ch> 

# stands for the distance between the left edge of the logical page and the left margin  in columns. 

Esc&a#M 

(27)(38)(97)#(77) 

<1Bh><26h><61h>#<4Dh> 

# stands for the distance between the left edge of the logical page and the right margin in columns. 

• 

The column width is as defined by the HMI. If you subsequently change the HMI, the margin positions that 

you have set do not change - that is, when you specify margin positions they remain fixed physically until 
you specify new ones or reset them to default values. 

• 

You cannot specify a value for the left margin that is greater than the value of the current right margin. 

• 

If the current cursor position is to the left of your new left margin setting, the cursor will be moved to the new 

left margin. 

• 

You cannot set the right margin further right than the right edge of the logical page.