# Page description language > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Page_description_language > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Page_description_language.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Page_description_language > Source revision: 1355998033 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Computer language This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Page description language" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) In [digital printing](/source/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](/source/Bitmap) (or generally [raster graphics](/source/Raster_graphics)). An overlapping term is **printer control language**, which includes Hewlett-Packard's [Printer Command Language](/source/Printer_Command_Language) (PCL). [PostScript](/source/PostScript) is one of the most noted page description languages. The [markup language](/source/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](/source/Application_programming_interface) (APIs) such as [GDI](/source/Graphics_Device_Interface) and [OpenGL](/source/OpenGL) that can be called by software to generate graphical output. ## Notable examples Various page description languages exist: - [AFP](/source/Advanced_Function_Presentation), Advanced Function Presentation ([IBM](/source/IBM)) - Apple Raster, formerly known as URF, used by the [AirPrint](/source/AirPrint) protocol.[1] - [Canon](/source/Canon_Inc.) GARO, Graphic Arts language with Raster Operations (for large format printers), based on [Hewlett-Packard](/source/Hewlett-Packard) PCL3GUI / RTL and CPCA job description language.[2] - Common Ground page definition language - CPCL, Comtec Printer Control Language (now Zebra) - [DjVu](/source/DjVu), a mixed raster content (MRC) format supporting OCR-based scanned documents ([AT&T Labs](/source/AT%26T_Labs)) - DPL, Datamax Printer Language (now [Honeywell](/source/Honeywell#Acquisitions))[3] - DTPL, Datamax Ticket Printer Language - [DVI](/source/DVI_file_format), Device Independent, output from [TeX](/source/TeX) - E411, Emulation 411, for Ticketing and Flight Strip (ATC) systems (IER) - EPL, Eltron Programming Language (now Zebra) - [Envoy](/source/Envoy_(WordPerfect)) page description language ([WordPerfect](/source/WordPerfect)) - [ESC/P](/source/ESC%2FP), [Epson](/source/Epson) Standard Code for Printers, simple language mainly used in [dot matrix printers](/source/Dot_matrix_printer) - 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](/source/ESC%2FPOS), [Epson](/source/Epson) Standard Code for [POS](/source/Point_of_sale) printers - FGL, Friendly Ghost Language (Boca Systems) printers - Fingerprint, a programming language, Direct Protocol is subset of Fingerprint ([Intermec](/source/Intermec)) - [HP-GL](/source/HP-GL) and HP-GL/2, geometric language introduced by [Hewlett-Packard](/source/Hewlett-Packard) for pen plotters, still in use today for technical drawings - [Interpress](/source/Interpress) ([Xerox](/source/Xerox)) - IJPDS, Ink Jet Printer Data Stream ([Kodak](/source/Kodak)) - [IPDS](/source/IBM_Intelligent_Printer_Data_Stream), Intelligent Printer Data Stream (IBM) - IGP/PGL, [Printronix](/source/Printronix) Graphics Language - IPL, Intermec Printer Language, a programming language for [Intermec](/source/Intermec) printers (now a subsidiary of [Honeywell](/source/Honeywell#Acquisitions)) - KPDL, [Kyocera](/source/Kyocera) Page Description Language - LCDS/Metacode, a print stream format used in older high-speed printers ([Xerox](/source/Xerox)) - [MODCA](/source/MODCA), Mixed Object Document Content Architecture (IBM) - MTPL, Mannesmann Tally Printer Language - [PCL](/source/Printer_Command_Language), Printer Command Language ([Hewlett-Packard](/source/Hewlett-Packard)) - [PDF](/source/Portable_Document_Format), Portable Document Format ([Adobe Systems](/source/Adobe_Systems)), now ISO 32000[4] - [PostScript](/source/PostScript) ([Adobe Systems](/source/Adobe_Systems)) - [PPDS](/source/IBM_Personal_Printer_Data_Stream), Personal Printer Data Stream - [RPCS](/source/Refined_Printing_Command_Stream), Refined Printing Command Stream ([Ricoh](/source/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](/source/Star_Micronics) printers - SPL, Samsung Printer Language[5] - [SVG](/source/Scalable_Vector_Graphics), an XML-based graphics description language primarily developed for the [World Wide Web](/source/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 ([TSMC](/source/TSMC)) - TTP, print language by Swecoin for kiosk printers (now Zebra) - UFR (Ultra Fast Rendering), a proprietary language (Canon) - XES, [Xerox Escape Sequence](/source/Xerox_Escape_Sequence) - [XPS](/source/Open_XML_Paper_Specification), Open XML Paper Specification introduced in Windows Vista ([Microsoft](/source/Microsoft)) - ZJS, ZjStream Page Description Language (Zenographics) - ZPL, [Zebra Programming Language](/source/Zebra_(programming_language)) ([Zebra Technologies](/source/Zebra_Technologies)) ## See also - [List of vector graphics markup languages](/source/List_of_vector_graphics_markup_languages) - [Markup language](/source/Markup_language) - [Printer Job Language](/source/Printer_Job_Language) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Driverless Printing Standards And their PDLS"](https://openprinting.github.io/driverless/01-standards-and-their-pdls/). *OpenPrinting*. 29 April 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["White Paper - Canon imagePROGRAF PAGE DESCRIPTION LANGUAGES (PDLS)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20131228134307/http://www.cmrepro.com/documents/CanonUnderstandingPDLs.pdf) (PDF). Canon. Archived from [the original](http://www.cmrepro.com/documents/CanonUnderstandingPDLs.pdf) (PDF) on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Honeywell, Inc. (2021). [*DPL command Reference*](https://prod-edam.honeywell.com/content/dam/honeywell-edam/sps/ppr/ja/public/products/printers/common/documents/sps-ppr-dpl-88-2360-01-b.pdf) (PDF). Retrieved August 7, 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["PDF format becomes ISO standard"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160303234754/http://www.iso.org/iso/news.htm?refid=Ref1141). Archived from [the original](http://www.iso.org/iso/news.htm?refid=Ref1141) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-02-02. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Croc, Aurélien. ["SPL Specifications"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180407050923/http://splix.sourceforge.net/specs.html). *SpliX Drivers for your printer*. Archived from [the original](https://splix.sourceforge.net/specs.html) on April 7, 2018. Retrieved Feb 26, 2018. ## External links - [Undocumented Printing](https://web.archive.org/web/20070104033902/http://www.undocprint.org/formats/page_description_languages) - [Ultimate Printer Manual](https://web.archive.org/web/20200218185432/http://www2.nefec.org/UPM/ilang.htm) - [Printer MIB Interpreters Language Families](https://web.archive.org/web/20060603084839/http://www.iana.org/assignments/printer-language-numbers) - [Host Printing Reference](https://web.archive.org/web/20131228152246/http://www-01.ibm.com/software/webservers/hostondemand/library/infocentergafinal/hod/en/doc/hostprint/hostprintref.html) — contains example for PPDS - [PPDS Escape codes](http://knowledgebase.lexmark.com/pubfiles/files/PATTLNK_2182005_1515-PPDS%20Escape%20Codes.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20090909133822/http://knowledgebase.lexmark.com/pubfiles/files/PATTLNK_2182005_1515-PPDS%20Escape%20Codes.pdf) 2009-09-09 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) - [ZjStream Reference](https://web.archive.org/web/20020830075425/http://ddk.zeno.com/Reference/ZjStream/Default.htm) v t e Programming paradigms Imperative Structured Jackson structures Block-structured Modular Non-structured Procedural Programming in the large and in the small Design by contract Invariant-based Nested function Object-oriented Class-based, Prototype-based, Object-based Agent Immutable object Persistent Uniform function call syntax Declarative Functional Recursive Anonymous function (Partial application) Higher-order Purely functional Total Strict GADTs Dependent types Functional logic Point-free style Expression-oriented Applicative, Concatenative Function-level, Value-level Monad Dataflow Flow-based Reactive (Functional reactive) Signals Streams Synchronous Logic Abductive logic Answer set Constraint (Constraint logic) Inductive logic Nondeterministic Ontology Probabilistic logic Query Domain- specific language (DSL) Algebraic modeling Array Automata-based (Action) Command (Spacecraft) Differentiable End-user Grammar-oriented Interface description Language-oriented List comprehension Low-code Modeling Natural language Non-English-based Page description Pipes and filters Probabilistic Quantum Scientific Scripting Set-theoretic Simulation Stack-based System Tactile Templating Transformation (Graph rewriting, Production, Pattern) Visual Concurrent, parallel Actor-based Automatic mutual exclusion Choreographic programming Concurrent logic (Concurrent constraint logic) Concurrent OO Macroprogramming Multitier programming Organic computing Parallel programming models Partitioned global address space Process-oriented Relativistic programming Service-oriented Structured concurrency Metaprogramming Attribute-oriented Automatic (Inductive) Dynamic Extensible Generic Homoiconicity Interactive Macro (Hygienic) Metalinguistic abstraction Multi-stage Program synthesis (Bayesian, by demonstration, by example, vibe coding) Reflective Self-modifying code Symbolic Template Separation of concerns Aspects Components Data-driven Data-oriented Event-driven Features Literate Roles Subjects Comparisons/Lists Comparison (multi-paradigm, object-oriented, functional), List (OO, by type) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Page description language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Page_description_language) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Page_description_language?action=history)). 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