Pscript-supported escapes

Important

We recommend that you use Microsoft's IPP inbox class driver, along with Print Support Apps (PSA), to customize the print experience in Windows 10 and 11 for printer device development.

For more information, see the Print support app design guide.

The PScript5 printer driver supports the following escapes.

Escape	Description
BEGIN_PATH	Open a path.
CHECKJPEGFORMAT	Determine whether a printer can handle a JPEG image. For more information about this escape, see CHECKJPEGFORMAT. This escape produces a call to the DrvQueryDeviceSupport function.
CHECKPNGFORMAT	Determine whether a printer can handle a PNG image. For more information about this escape, see CHECKPNGFORMAT. This escape produces a call to the DrvQueryDeviceSupport function.
CLIP_TO_PATH	Define a clip region that is bounded by a path.
DOWNLOADHEADER	Download all of the procsets (that is, sets of PostScript procedures).
DRAWPATTERNRECT	Create a white, grayscale, or solid black rectangle by using the pattern and rule capabilities of Page Control Language (PCL) on Hewlett Packard LaserJet or LaserJet-compatible printers. A grayscale is a gray pattern that contains a specific mixture of black and white pixels. For more information about this escape, see DRAWPATTERNRECT. This escape is associated with the driver's DrvEscape function.
ENCAPSULATED_POSTSCRIPT	Send Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) data to the printer. This escape is associated with the driver's DrvDrawEscape function.
END_PATH	End a path.
EPSPRINTING	Indicate the start or end of EPS printing. The graphics device interface (GDI) intercepts this escape and translates it to a DDI call other than DrvEscape. The printer driver does not receive this escape.
GET_PS_FEATURESETTING	Get information about a specified feature setting for a PostScript driver. For more information about this escape, see GET_PS_FEATURESETTING.
GETTECHNOLOGY	Get the general technology type for a printer. Printer drivers that are written for versions of the Windows operating system after Windows 3.0 might not support this escape.
PASSTHROUGH	Send data directly to a PostScript printer driver in compatibility mode or GDI-centric mode. PostScript printer drivers in PostScript-centric mode do not support this escape. For more information about this escape, see PASSTHROUGH.
POSTSCRIPT_DATA	Send data directly to a printer driver. This escape is identical to the PASSTHROUGH escape except that PostScript printer drivers support this escape in Windows NT 4.0 compatibility mode only. For more information about this escape, see POSTSCRIPT_DATA.
POSTSCRIPT_IDENTIFY	Set a PostScript printer driver to GDI-centric or PostScript-centric mode. For more information about this escape, see POSTSCRIPT_IDENTIFY.
POSTSCRIPT_IGNORE	Suppress output.
POSTSCRIPT_INJECTION	Insert a block of raw data in a PostScript job stream.
POSTSCRIPT_PASSTHROUGH	Send data directly to a PostScript printer driver in Windows NT 4.0 compatibility mode or PostScript-centric mode. PostScript printer drivers in GDI-centric mode do not support this escape.
QUERYESCSUPPORT	Determine whether the device driver implements a particular escape.
SETCOPYCOUNT	Set the number of copies to be printed. This escape has been superseded by the DocumentProperties and PrinterProperties functions.
SPCLPASSTHROUGH2	Enable applications to include private procedures and other resources at the document level-save context. For more information about this escape, see SPCLPASSTHROUGH2.