Freeware Descriptions:

PCLReader Views & Converts PCL & Text into PDF, PDF/A, XPS, TIFF, BMP, PNG, PCX and ASCII Text. Once viewed, a PCL or Text file can be printed to any Windows printer driver. This is useful in when you have a non-LaserJet PCL printer and need to print a Mortgage Loan, Insurance or other form-intensive legacy applications that requires PCL4/5/5e LaserJet printers.

Here is complete features (taken from authors site):

The ASCII text can be extracted from PCL files for data migration. PCLReader is the first commercial quality PCL viewer/converter to be released as FREEWARE.

Major Benefits:

  • Print PCL files to any Windows printer driver (DeskJets, GDI, PostScript or PCL XL only printers)
  • Convert PCL or Text into PDF, PDF/A, TIFF, PNG and other formats.
  • Saves paper by previewing PCL print files before you print them.
  • Split PCL files.
  • Optimize PCL files

PCLReader is a limited, subset of PageTech´s PCLWorks Program ($89) to showcase what the commercial product can do. PCLWorks program can convert PCL & Text into vector EMF, WMF and PMF formats. It can also convert to various levels of vector/text/raster PDF and PDF/A files. It´s only page volume limitation is a 50,000 pages per 30-day interval. PCLWorks includes the full suite of PCL application developer tools including: Img2PCL, Img2PDF, PCLSplit and PCLCodes.

However, most of PageTech´s business is derived from OEM´s other licensees of its various PCLTool SDK ($495-$5,195) options. SDK page volumes range from 50,000 pages per 30-days to unlimited pages. Options include writing you own .NET code using our API to using our PCLXForm program with it´s custom script programming language for rapid application development, maximum flexibility and extensibility. PageTech has been providing PCL transformation and typeface conversion tools to the software developer marketplace since 1993.

What’s New in version 8.87:

  • Just-In-Time PCL File Indexing.
  • Support for PCL3GUI emulation for medical, laboratory and other color ink jet applications.
  • Support for PCL6 JetReady Compression in HP’s newer laser printers.
  • Support for PCL file sizes in excess of 1 Terabyte.
  • PDF’s with raster graphic objects (ie. logos, signatures, etc.) in every document optimized into single global objects.
  • Increased speed of conversion to PDF and PDF/A formats with JBIG2 raster compression.
  • Increased speed of conversion of color PCL5c and PCL6.
  • Increased speed of normalization of PCL pages and minimized the resources needed to extract individual pages.
  • Improved the Modify PCL option to optimize bloated PCL files.
  • Text extraction from PJL comments.
  • Enhanced support for PCLXL/PCL6.
  • Enhanced support for custom color palette settings.

PCLReader 8.87 Screenshot

File Size / OS:

  • 8.11 MB / Windows 9x - ME - 2000 - NT - XP - 2003 - Vista

Download PCLReader 8.87: