IGP / PGL

Printronix was one of the first suppliers of printers to create its own command language for designing forms and labels for its matrix printers: Intelligent Graphics Processor (IGP). By printing simple texts, it was possible to print not only poster fonts and barcodes, but even graphics and entire forms.

The IGP/PGL converter is an emulation based on the Intelligent Graphics Processor IGP-100/200/400 board from Printronix. This emulation is compatible with the Printronix Graphics Language (PGL) supported by the IGP board.

IGP/PGL defines a large number of commands for:

  • On-line form and label generation
  • Barcodes (EAN 8, EAN 13, Interleaved 2/5, Code 39, Code 128, Codabar, Matrix, PDF417, MaxiCode etc.)
  • Alphanumeric character strings with different fonts and character sets
  • Boxes, Lines, Corners
  • Logos
  • Automatic incrementing / decrementing of variables
  • Automatic repetition of objects

An IGP/PGL program consists of a series of powerful graphics commands for generating boxes, vertical and horizontal lines with selectable thicknesses and logos. Special effects, such as reverse printing (white on black), rotating strings or duplicating IGP/PGL objects, complement the command set of this printer language, which considerably reduces the programming effort and processing time on the printing host system.

      
 ~CREATE;IGPFORM;864
 SCALE;CHAR;6;10
 LFORM6;72
 BOX
 2;35;16;53;61
 STOP
 CORNER
 3;30;13;57;64;5;7
 STOP
 HORZ
 1;40;16;61
 1;45;16;61
 1;49;16;61
 STOP
 VERT
 1;49;40;45
 1;49;49;53
 STOP
 ALPHA
 31;22;0;0;*SPE Systemhaus GmbH*
 32;22;0;0;*Waldstr. 7*
 33;22;0;0;*63150 Heusenstamm*
 35.9;17;0;0;*SERIAL NUMBER*
 40.3;17;0;0;*PART NUMBER*
 40.3;50;0;0;*MFG. DATE*
 45.3;17;0;0;*DESCRIPTION*
 49.3;17;0;0;*INTERFACE*
 49.3;50;0;0;*VERSION*
 C12;31;16;0;0;*FROM:*
 C15;54;26;0;0;*Call SPE Systemhaus GmbH for ... 
 C15;55;34;0;0;*06106 860563*
 AF1;7;38.7;19.3;3;3
 AF2;11;43;20;2;2
 AF3;31;47.3;20;2;1
 AF4;33;51.3;20;2;1
 STOP
 BARCODE
 C3/9;H8;BF1;5;DARK;35.7;39
 STOP
 END
 ~EXECUTE;IGPFORM
 ~AF1;*49114*
 ~AF2;*106772-902*
 ~AF3;*INTELLIGENT GRAPHICS PROCESSOR*
 ~AF4;*PARALLEL-CENTRONICS*
 ~BF1;*49114*
 ~NORMAL

The following example shows the structure of an IGP/PGL program and the use of some IGP commands.

If the text shown on the left is printed via the convert4print IGP converter, the label shown below is generated. To enlarge the view, click into the image.



IGP/PGL emulators for laser printers, matrix printers and label printers with ZPL2 are available in the convert4print system.

Despite the considerable differences between these printer types, for example in terms of resolution, convert4print generates largely identical outputs.


The IGP/PGL converter can be tested online for free. Just visit the convert4print-Studio.





SPE