Sending print codes to a printer

[John Wendel]

Kanwar Ranbir Sandhu wrote:
> Hello Everyone,
> 
> I've posted a similar request to the Okidata mail list at
> linuxprinting.org, but have not received a reply.  I'm hoping someone
> here can give me a little insight.
> 
> Has anyone here ever tried sending printer codes (i.e. ESC/P and/or
> ESC/P2) directly to a printer?  I'm having problems with one code.
> 
> I have an Okidata ML395 attached to a Fedora Core 4 CUPS server, via the
> parallel port.  I'm trying to tell the printer to switch fonts from
> Roman (default) to Gothic.  This is the ASCII format of the command:
> 
> ESC k n
> 
> where 'n' equals the number of the font selection.  The choices are 0,
> 1, 2, 3, 7, 122, 124 and 126.  Gothic is 124, so this is what I'm
> trying:
> 
> echo -e '\ek124' > /dev/lp0
> 
> The menu panel on the printer should show that the font has changed.
> Instead, the printer interprets the first three characters as the whole
> command, which in this case means select the Swiss font, and then prints
> out '24' using that font.  That is, the print accepts '\ek1' as the
> print code instead of '\ek124'.
> 
> Other print codes have worked, but they've been at most 5 characters
> (backslash included).  As soon as a sixth ASCII character is added, it
> isn't interpreted, and causes the entire print code to be mangled.
> 
> I could avoid all of this if I used a driver, but the software that
> prints to the Okidata doesn't let you choose the font, paper size, etc.,
> for the document you're printing (can't change it...it's proprietary,
> and is mission critical).  So, a simple custom filter script and a RAW
> print queue is necessary.
> 
> I assume I'm not specifying the print code properly.  I've tried double
> quotes instead of the single quotes, but they don't change anything.  Is
> there a way to specify the print code such that the printer will
> interpret the entire ASCII command?
> 
> This obviously is completely off-topic, though I do have a FC4 server
> involved. :)
> 
> Any tips appreciated.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Ranbir

Since it seems to only want 3 characters for the command, try '\ek|' 
ASCII 124 is a "|" character.

Regards,

John