Printers |
Updated: 21.07.2005
Following discussion on the ql-users email mailing list, I decided to create this page to list printers that are known to work with QDOS or SMSQ systems. Many recent printers have not had programmable control code sets in the sense that we have been used to in the QL scene - many printers are now marketed as Windows GDI printers and are in essence driven by direct graphics printing, as far as we are concerned that makes them Windows-only printers. Somewhat ironically, the original ZX Printer (the original "tin foil" ZX81 printer) may have been one of those as it wasn't really programmable in the control code sense, you could only print text to it or do a screen hardcopy). At one point, I became quite concerned about the ever decreasing number of printers which can be used with non-Windoze systems, but it also became clear that there are still plenty of printers out there capable of being used with QDOS or SMSQ, as long as you know what questions to ask and where to ask (the Web is a good source of information as long as you can track down the right information).
The table below lists some printers which are known to be useable with the QL. I say "useable" rather than "work" as it will often prove necessary to reprogram printer drivers or tinker with control codes in some ways, but then that's half the fun of using a QL isn't it?
If you know of other printers which could be added to this list, or want to inform me of a correction, please send me an email with the relevant information. Equally, if you know of printers that definitely won't work with QL systems, ones we should avoid, please let me know about those, I could create an extra table for those. It appears that there are still plenty of printers out there with HP-PCL control code sets for example.
Simon Goodwin kindly sent me this handy bit of information: "A good source of information about which printers have brains (and therefore print text as fast as they can shifft the paper, unlike the Windoze GDI ones that only accept bitmaps) is the guide at http://www.linuxprinting.org/ "
Inkjet Printers | Laser Printers | Dot Matrix | Daisywheel | Thermal/Other type |
Canon BJ10ex Canon BJ10sx Canon BJC-70 Canon BJ-130e Canon BJ-200, BJ200ex Canon BJ-230 Canon BJC-600, 600e Canon BJC-4300 Epson Stylus Color (original version) Epson Stylus 600, 640,660,740,850,880,900 (but not Photo 900) HP Deskjet 300,310,320,400, 500, 500 Plus,510, 560C HP PSC 1500 All-in-1 |
Brother HL-1050, HL-1030, HL-1040, HL-1070, HL-1240,
HL-1250, HL-1270N Epson GQ-3500 Epson EPL 6100 (esc/p2 emulation, N.B. EPL6100L model does not, though) HP Laserjet 2 HP 1150 (PCL3) HP PSC750 (PCL6) Kyocera FS1010 Samsung ML-4600 JP Laserjet III |
Epson FX80 (9-pin) Epson LX80, LX850 (9-pin) Epson LQ100 (esc/p2) Epson LQ-510 Epson LQ-850 Epson LQ-1050 (24-pin) Epson LQ-1500 Epson LQ-2550 IBM Proprinter X24e Star NX1000,1001 (9-pin) Star FR10,SR10 (9-pin) Star Gemini 10-X (9-pin) Star LC10 (9-pin) Star LC24-10 (24-pin) Star LC24-200 (24-pin)(24-pin) Centronics GLP, GLP2 (9-pin) IDS model 480 (9-pin) Mannesman Tally MT80, MT85, MT86 (9-pin) Brother M1009,M1109, M1709 (9-pin) Seikosha GP100A, 100X, GP250, SP1000 (9-pin) Panasonic KX-P1124 (24-pin) Panasonic KXP-1080 (9-pin) Smith Corono D100 (9-pin) Citizen Swift 24 (24-pin) Kaga Taxan 810P |
Juki 6100 Diablo 630 NEC P3 Qume LP20 LTR1 OK Writer |
Serial 8056 Brother HR5, HR15 Brother EP44 typewriter/printer DPL24C Plus CGP-115 (pen printer) CGP 220 |
The following list off printers is taken from the Epson ESC/P2 documentation manuals and lists examples of printers having ESC/P2, ESC/P and 9-pin ESC/P control code sets:
ESC/P 2: ActionPrinter 3250, ActionPrinter 3260, ActionPrinter 5000, ActionPrinter 5000+, ActionPrinter 5500, DLQ-3000, DLQ-3000 (96 ~), LQ-100, LQ-150, LQ-300, LQ-570, LQ-570+, LQ-670, LQ-870, LQ-1070, LQ-1070+, LQ-1170, LQ-2070, LQ-2170, Stylus 300, Stylus 400, Stylus 800, Stylus 800+, Stylus 1000, Stylus COLOR SQ-870, SQ-1170
ESC/P: ActionPrinter 3000, ActionPrinter 4000, ActionPrinter L-750, ActionPrinter 4500, ActionPrinter L-1000, DLQ-2000, LQ-200, LQ-400, LQ-450, LQ-500, LQ-510, LQ-550, LQ-850, LQ-850+, LQ-860, LQ-860+, LQ-950, LQ-1010, LQ-1050, LQ-1050+, LQ-1060, LQ-1060+, LQ-2550, SQ-850, SQ-2550, TLQ-4800, TSQ-4800
9-Pin ESC/P: ActionPrinter T-750, ActionPrinter T-1000, ActionPrinter Apex 80, ActionPrinter 2000, ActionPrinter 2250, ActionPrinter 2500, DFX-5000, DFX-5000+, DFX-8000, FX-850, FX-870, FX-1050, FX-1170, FX-2170, LX-100, LX-300, LX-400, LX-800, LX-810, LX-850, LX-1050, LX-1050+