HP 2400 LaserJet printers. Default '4099T' font not working.

[Peter McBride]

HP Tru64 4.0d Unix, running on an AlphaServer
Jbase 3.3.10 ( Major 3.3, Minor 10, Patch 30316 )

Any fancy printing ( fonts, pitch, graphics ) are handled via PCL
escape sequences. I work in the non GUI world of text based Green
Screen technology.

I have used dozens of different models of HP LaserJet printers under
Jbase in the past 10 years. The HP-2430 is the first printer to cause
me any problems.

In Short.
Can anyone suggest any changes that can be made on the control panel of
the printer, so that the HP-2430 will behave like all other HP laser
printers ? An explanation as to what is going wrong, would really
help.

In Full.
Currently the 2430 printers have the following setting.
Printing Menu > Courier Font = Regular
Printing Menu > PCL > Orientation = Landscape
Printing Menu > PCL > Font Source = Internal
Printing Menu > PCL > Font Number = 0
Printing Menu > PCL > Font Pitch = 13.0
Printing Menu > PCL > Symbol Set = PC-8

The "default" 4099T internal font, and PC-8 Symbol Sets ("12U" = PC-8
Multilingual) are no longer working as intended. The problem occurs
when I return to PCL mode, after being in HP-GL/2 mode. I get special
symbols instead of alphabetic characters. e.g. "C" = "HOS". "a" = a
skull and cross bones. "b" = "STET". "k" = bar magnet. etc,.. I think
it might be "Symbole Stethos", "10400T" internal font.

I have thought of adding a FORM inside the Jbase spooler, for any print
queue that is attached to a HP-2430. I don't think it will be work.
The problem only occurs when I change fonts or printer modes inside
print jobs.

My best solution, so far, has involved selecting the font "25093T" (
Times Roman ). This confuses me because it prints and looks like the
"Courier" font. I would prefer not to change every program to use
"25093T" font ; because all other HP printers are still functioning as
intended.

Peter "MO" McBride

[Peter McBride]

I have just been comparing the configuration sheets and fonts of a
HP-4100 to the HP-2430.

Both are setup to use Internal font "0", which is "4099T - Courier".

Tomorrow, while at The Geelong Hospital, I will change the internal
font on the HP-2430 to be "74", which is "25093T - Times Roman".

No idea what this will do, but it is a simple experiment, that can be
easily reversed.

[Peter McBride]

My experiment of changing the 'default font' to 25093T did not help.

The news is not all bad. It turns out that 3 other HP lasers ( 4000,
4100, 2200 ) handle the 25093T font perfectly.

I will now modify a dozen or more report type programs, to use the
'25093T - Times Roman' font. All printers should now print as
intended, via just one program per report.

I would still like to know what is 'Different' in the PCL emulation
installed inside the HP 2400 laserjet series of printers. The printer
uses PCL -6 ; which is backward compatible with PCL-5 ( or older ).

BTW. The 2430 is a nice little SOHO medium volume printer. The
control panel is easy to use. Small platfrom, 21 kgs ( 46lbs ), 33
ppm, 1200dpi. New modern dark grey / little grey colour scheme.