Your application spits out print jobs as PCL or PXL files, and someone downstream wants searchable PDFs or TIFF images. Writing your own PCL interpreter would take months. VeryPDF PCL Converter SDK (listed here as PCL to PDF SDK, DLL Library) gives you a ready-made conversion engine to call from your own code.
Quick facts
- Product: VeryPDF PCL Converter SDK, a DLL (pcltoolsdk.dll)
- Input: PCL, PXL and PX3 print files
- Output: PDF, PS, TIF/TIFF, JPG/JPEG, BMP, PCX, PXL
- Platforms: Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 10, 11 and Server 2003, 2008, 2008 R2 and later, 32-bit and 64-bit
- License and price: Developer License, $2495.00
- Languages: C#, VB .NET, Visual Basic, Delphi, VBA, and C++ via COM, plus C and C++ via native C
Key features
Turn PCL, PXL and PX3 files into PDF, PS or images
One call converts LaserJet PCL (PCL5e, PCL5c and HP-PCL) into PDF. The same engine writes PS, TIF/TIFF, JPG/JPEG, BMP, PCX and PXL. For bitmap formats you can set resolution and color depth, and the JPEG and JPEG 2000 compression methods are both supported.
Get searchable PDFs, not pictures of pages
The conversion is not raster-based. The output PDFs are fully searchable and can be indexed in Acrobat Catalog. Adobe Acrobat and Reader are not required on the machine doing the conversion. The vendor also says it produces the smallest PDF file size in the conversion.
Control how output PDFs are assembled
You can merge several source files into one PDF, split a multipage PDF into single pages, or convert each source file separately. Other options are setting title, subject, author and keywords, 40-bit or 128-bit encryption with owner and user passwords, replacing or embedding fonts, and keeping full PCL color.
Process whole folders in batch
Batch conversion supports single files, single directories and multi-level directories. Input files can be sorted by name, and wildcards like *.pcl work. The engine also supports finding and replacing characters with barcodes using an ini file.
Call it from the language you already use
The DLL exports a single function that takes a command-line style string, VeryPDFPCLConverter. The vendor's manual shows samples in Visual C++ and Visual Basic. You pass the input file, the output file and your options in that one string.
Who it's for
This is for software developers who need PCL conversion inside their own product. Typical cases are an electronic forms application that relies on HP PCL form overlays, or a workflow that archives printer output. The Developer License lets you integrate the engine into your application and redistribute it royalty free. If you only want to convert files yourself, the vendor sells a GUI edition and a command-line edition separately.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Vector-based conversion gives searchable PDF output.
- Broad output list, including PS and several image formats.
- Works with many languages through COM or native C.
- Royalty-free redistribution under the Developer License.
- No Acrobat dependency.
Cons
- The $2495.00 price is high compared with the GUI edition at $299.00.
- No user interface: it supports the features of the GUI edition except having one, so you build your own front end.
- Windows only. The vendor offers separate shell products for Mac and Linux.
- The interface is a command string passed to one function, not an object model.
FAQs
What is the difference between the SDK, the command-line edition and the GUI edition?
The GUI edition is for end users. The command-line edition has Server and Developer licenses for calling from web languages such as ASP, PHP and C#. The SDK has a Developer License for embedding in your own applications.
Which input formats does it read?
It reads PCL, PXL and PX3 print files, including PCL5e, PCL5c and HP-PCL.
Can I convert many files at once?
Yes. It handles batch conversion across directories and multi-level directories, with name sorting and wildcard support.
Can I protect the PDFs it creates?
Yes. You can set owner and user passwords with 40-bit or 128-bit encryption and fill in document properties.
Which Windows versions does it run on?
It runs on Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 10 and 11, and on Windows Server 2003, 2008 and 2008 R2 and later, in 32-bit and 64-bit.
System requirements
- Operating systems: Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 10, 11, Windows Server 2003, 2008, 2008 R2 and later, 32-bit and 64-bit
- Development environments: C#, VB .NET, MS Visual Basic, Borland Delphi, VBA, C++ via COM, and C or C++ via native C
- Other software: Adobe Acrobat and Reader are not needed