UnForm produces PCL5 print streams by default. In addition, starting with version 7, it can produce PostScript print streams with the "-p ps" command line option. When looking for a compatible printer, look at the printer specifications for supported print languages. 

  • A specification of PCL5, PCL5e, or PCL5c, coupled with a mention of PCL fonts, is a good indication that the printer will be compatible with all versions of UnForm. Unfortunately, not all printers that support PCL5 include PCL fonts. Without such fonts, all text output produced by UnForm is rendered in Courier and is not scaled. Therefore, verify that the specifications mention PCL fonts, or at least verify the printer is returnable if it turns out not to handle PCL fonts. 


  • A mention of PostScript 2 or higher indicates compatibility with UnForm 7 or higher.


  • A specification of PCL6 does not indicate PCL5 support, as PCL6 is a poorly named, entirely different, print language that is not compatible with UnForm's PCL5 output. 


  • If no print languages are mentioned in the specification, the printer is probably a host-based (also called GDI) printer. This type of printer has no capability to render print streams, and is incompatible with any form of UnForm output. 


  • UnForm 8+ can utilize Ghostscript to produce output that is compatible with PCL6, using -p pcl6 or -p pcl6c. Note that when using this technique, there is no support for bin, tray, or duplex printing, as PDF is used as an interim format before Ghostscript processing. 


If you have any questions about the compatibility of a specific printer with UnForm, send us an email with the printer manufacturer and model, and the UnForm version, and we can review the printer specifications and respond.


In addition, if you have access to the printer, you can send it the unform_pcl5.pcl test file attached to this article, and see if the print appears correct, with proportional fonts and proper alignment. To send this file to a printer, use lp -dqueue unform_pcl5.pcl on Unix/Linux (you may need to add an operating-system specific raw or passthru option, such as -oraw), or copy unform_pcl5.pcl \\server\sharename on Windows.