PCL File

What are PCL files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a PCL file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your PCL files.

What is a PCL file?

PCL files have multiple uses, and HP Printer Command Language is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

HP Printer Command Language

HP Printer Command Language (PCL) files are created by printer drivers or printing systems to tell HP or HP-compatible printers exactly how to render pages. They describe text, images, font styles, scaling, layout, and print jobs rather than only representing a finished image. Printers read these files directly and produce hard copy output.

The files are generated typically by operating system print drivers or software that supports printing via PCL. After the printing system builds the document layout, it encodes control sequences - such as page size, orientation, fonts, graphics and job‐management commands - into a PCL stream. The printer then interprets these commands in the order received, with later commands modifying earlier settings until a new command or a reset intervenes.

Internal format consists of commands beginning with the ASCII Escape character (decimal 27) followed by one or more text‐mode parameters (numbers, letters) to specify control, font, page, or graphic behavior. For example, commands like "Esc &l#A" set page size; vector graphics use HP-GL/HP-GL/2; job control and printer switching are handled via PJL (Printer Job Language) commands which wrap or intersperse with the PCL stream.

How to open PCL files

We have identified one PCL opener that is compatible with this specific type of PCL file.

Programs that open HP Printer Command Language files

Last updated: August 10, 2026

All known file formats using extension .PCL

While HP Printer Command Language is a popular type of PCL-file, we know of 2 different uses of the .PCL file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

Pencil Project

We know that one PCL format is Pencil Project. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested ten different PCL openers which you will find listed below.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of PCL files. Remember, different programs may use PCL files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about PCL file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.