How to convert print jobs to PDF, TIFF and PCL
Introduction
One of the chief benefits of a virtual printer is to convert your print jobs into a “locked” format such as PDF, TIFF or PCL. These formats are generally easier to view or print than they are to edit, although one can find specialized tools for editing PDF and PCL these days.
While we don’t guarantee that RPM Remote Print Manager® (RPM) can convert every print job, it can work with a number of formats.
Converting HP PCL print jobs
It’s been estimated that roughly half of the world’s print jobs are one form of PCL or another, compatible with an HP printer.
RPM Elite has built-in tools to convert PCL print jobs to:
- PDF This tool offers a full suite of conversion options; we can also add overlays. Follow the link for more information
- TIFF Creates a single TIFF file from your PCL input; also supports PostScript, JPEG, and BMP (the latter two are one file per page)
We can also archive the original print job [link] any place you’d like it.
Converting text format print jobs
RPM processes a number of text type formats into an intermediate format we use internally which we call Text Markup. With this, we can specify the line and page metrics, font and font size, gutter, and blank page handling among others.
Data we can process into text markup include:
- plain text (of course)
- PCL print jobs which are not heavy on the PCL layout
- SCS from IBM systems
- ASA and FCFC
- plain text with a carriage return or backspace denoting overstrike
- text in any Unicode or Microsoft-supported code page that we can convert to UTF-8
RPM can convert text markup into:
- PCL
- TIFF (by converting to PCL and using the RPM Elite tool to render that to TIFF)
Converting may take a village
If you have other requirements, please contact us. We partner with other software companies and have used a variety of third-party tools to convert print jobs. We may be able to help you with yours!