Hi,

I'm currently working on something that you might call a Wireless Facsimile.
The problem is that I'm an absolute newbie when it comes to printers and I was thinking if you people could help me out.
I need to learn how printers work and the first thing I need to do is simply print a page. The problem is that wherever I search printer related info, there are simply commands and no straightforward way to send data to a printer specified.

Important: I have to print a page WITHOUT using a computer.
I plan to interface it later on with a microcontroller and will have to
Write drivers to make it all work.

Hi,

I'm currently working on something that you might call a Wireless Facsimile.
The problem is that I'm an absolute newbie when it comes to printers and I was thinking if you people could help me out.
I need to learn how printers work and the first thing i need to do is simply print a page. The problem is that wherever i search printer related info, there are simply commands and no straightforward way to send data to a printer specified.

Important: I have to print a page WITHOUT using a computer.
I plan to interface it later on with a microcontroller and will have to
write drivers to make it all work.

You need to start with what TYPE of printer... Laser, inkjet, thermal, dot matrix... all work by VERY different principles.

Im using a laser printer.
I don't have much problem with the interfacing. I intend to use a serial one using a microcontroller.
Actually, I need to know what I have to give the printer(the commands etc). If u could specify the format of a pcl 5 file, it would be really helpful.

Laser printers are computers they have processors, Memory and an operating system ad applications that communicate on a network and format the output. With the abundance of services offering fax to email the need for a wireless fax or limited I have shot a photo of a document and emailed it out as a fax from a phone.
Seems like the faxing problem to solve is a good low cost web based email to Fax service
To get an image out of a laser printer you will need an OS and applications to run the network and printer as well as some ways of running Post Script to render the page. Hacking the hardware, writing the code to run the machine and manufacturing the unit makes putting a low end PC with a internet connection and fax card next to a HP 4000 series printer a verry cost effective option.
Ut if it were not for trying man would never have flown let us know what comes out of this and I hope you have greate success and that it works and is succesfull

Have you seen this: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/bpl13210/bpl13210.pdf