Personal Printer Data Stream
Personal Printer Data Stream is a general name for a family of page description language used by IBM printers, which includes all Proprinter, Quietwriter, Quickwriter, LaserPrinter 4019, and LaserPrinter 4029 commands. PPDS was introduced to control printers in 1981 with the launch of IBM Graphics Printer 5152. Originally called IBM ASCII, Proprinter, Quickwriter, or Quietwriter data stream, the name was changed to PPDS when the IBM LaserPrinter was introduced in 1989. PPDS has different levels of functions that are all upward compatible. Although many laser or inkjet printers do not support PPDS, those that support binary  printer languages still use the ESC syntax, which include Printer Command Language versions 1 to 5 and the Epson ESC/P command set. PPDS levels. Level 1. Level 1 is the basic level of PPDS, providing the basic services needed by any printer. This level is represented by the 9- and 24-pin Proprinter family of printers. Within this level, the typical differences among the printers are as follows: Level 2. Level 2 incorporates enhancements in the font selection, print quality selection and paper handling. This level is represented by the Quietwriter and Quickwriter family of products. The following commands  enable you to use these enhancements: Level 3. Level 3 provides enhancements to the previous PPDS levels for page type printers, such as the IBM LaserPrinter 4019. The enhancements are: Level 4. Level 4 adds new features of the IBM LaserPrinter 4029 to the previous PPDS levels. These features include compression, scalable fonts, and enhanced orientations. PPDS vs. PCL 1-5. Both languages define different printable areas for a given physical medium. PCL and PPDS use different characteristics or orders when searching for a substitute font. PCL uses ASCII-encoded numerical values as command parameters, while PPDS uses binary encoded  parameters. Modern printer support. Several modern Lexmark printers (for example, the Lexmark MS510/610 series, or the MFP MX511/611 series) support PPDS Level 4 in order to provide a high level of support for legacy applications which were written specifically for IBM 4019 and 4029 laser printers.