---
name: "hpset"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "djtools"
version: "1.2.8"
release: "Debian 11 (Bullseye)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/hpset"
---

# hpset(1)

printer commands

## NAME

**hpset** – printer commands

## SYNOPSIS

**hpset** \[**-hco**\] \[*commands* *...*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**hpset** is used to send commands to a printer. These commands are synonyms for ESC Codes based on the PCL standard from Hewlet Packard.

## Options

- **-c**

  redirect output to stdout

- **-o***name*

  redirect output into the specified file or device redirect

- **-h**

  prints a help message

## Commands

- back

  Puts every setting back to the printer defaults.

- test

  Starts the self test.

- out

  If paper is inside the printer it will be thrown out.

- cr

  activates the linefeed

- lbon

  acivates the linebreak.

- leftright

  forces the printer to print only from left to right.

- rightleft

  forces the printer to print only from right to left.

- bidirect

  forces the printer in both ways.

- execoff

  The following commands are not executed but printed.

- execon

  The following commands are executed.

- nice

  High quality printing.

- econo

  Enables fast and economic printing.

- landscape

  Printing in landscape format.

- portrait

  Printing in portrait format.

- lpi*num*

  Sets the lines per inch. For num use 6 or 8.

The following commands must be sent in the given order and sequence. The sequence looks like,

```
hpset [characterset] [characterdistance] [character density]
[point size] [type position] [line strength] [type]
english		ISO 4
ansi		ANSI ASCII ISO 6
sweden 		ISO 10
italian		ISO 15
spain		ISO 17
german		ISO 21
france		ISO 69
prop	Proportional
fix	Fixed
If you've chosen proportional you don't have to set the character density.
cpi# 	# is one of 5,6,10,12,16,16.67,20,24
point# 	# is one of 4.75,5,6,7,8,9.5,10,12,14,19,24
italic
upright
bold
normal
courier
times
gothic
univers
Notice that not every combination of the commands above is possible. Refer
to the manual of HPSET where you can find a table with allowed combinations.
```

- **-Characterset**

  - **-Characterdistance**

  - **-Characterdensity**

  - **-Pointsize**

  - **-Typeposition**

  - **-Linestrength**

  - **-Type**

  ## SEE ALSO

[lpr(1)](/lpr/1.md), lpd(1),

## BUGS

report them to michael.janson@stud.uni-karlsruhe.de