ZjStream - Zenographics SuperPrint Zj Stream

The Zj-RCA controller for the Minolta 3001 color laser printer was the first of its kind. While other host-based printing systems with very simple engine interfaces have been built, the Zj-RCA controller was the first to solve the problem with a standard parallel interface, with high performance and while maintaining a low controller cost. Other host-based printers have at least one significant drawback. The Minolta 3001 Zj was the first truly practical host-based color printing system.

ZjStream printers are often erroneously referred to as win-printers or GDI-printers. However, Microsoft GDI only mandates the API between an application and the printer driver, not the protocol on the wire between the printer driver and the printer. In fact, ZjStream printers are raster printers which happen to use a very efficient wire protocol.

ZjStream is licensed by most major printer manufacturers for at least some of their product lines. ZjStream is just one of many wire protocols that are in use today, such as Postscript, PCL, Epson, etc.

The Zenographics SuperPrint/SuperRip drivers typically use IMF - Zenographics SuperPrint/SuperRip spool file format on Windows, for spooling prior to converting into ZjStream.

$ foo2zjs-wrapper testpage.ps | zjsdecode
ZJS_MAGIC, 0x5a4a5a4a (JZJZ)
ZJT_START_DOC, 4 items
        ZJI_DMCOLLATE, 0 (0x0)
        ZJI_DMDUPLEX, 1 (0x1)
        ZJI_PAGECOUNT, 0 (0x0)
        ZJI_QUANTITY, 1 (0x1)
ZJT_START_PAGE, 19 items [Page 1]
        ZJI_ECONOMODE, 0 (0x0)
        ZJI_0x16, 1 (0x1)
        ZJI_VIDEO_X, 9792 (0x2640)
        ZJI_VIDEO_Y, 6392 (0x18f8)
        ZJI_VIDEO_BPP, 1 (0x1)
        ZJI_RASTER_X, 9792 (0x2640)
        ZJI_RASTER_Y, 6392 (0x18f8)
        ZJI_OFFSET_X, 204 (0xcc)
        ZJI_OFFSET_Y, 102 (0x66)
        ZJI_MINOLTA_CUSTOM_X, 0 (0x0)
        ZJI_MINOLTA_CUSTOM_Y, 0 (0x0)
        ZJI_NBIE, 1 (0x1)
        ZJI_RESOLUTION_X, 1200 (0x4b0)
        ZJI_RESOLUTION_Y, 600 (0x258)
        ZJI_DMDEFAULTSOURCE, 7 (0x7)
        ZJI_DMCOPIES, 1 (0x1)
        ZJI_DMPAPER, 1 (0x1)
        ZJI_DMMEDIATYPE, 1 (0x1)
        ZJI_MINOLTA_PAGE_NUMBER, 1 (0x1)
ZJT_START_PLANE, 1 items
        ZJI_PLANE, 4 (0x4) [black]
ZJT_JBIG_BIH, 0 items
        Data: 20 bytes
                DL = 0, D = 0, P = 1, - = 0, XY = 9792 x 6392
                L0 = 128, MX = 16, MY = 0
                Order   = 3  ILEAVE SMID
                Options = 92  LRLTWO TPDON TPBON DPON
                50 stripes, 0 layers, 1 planes
ZJT_JBIG_BID, 0 items
        Data: 65536 bytes
ZJT_JBIG_BID, 0 items
        Data: 65536 bytes
ZJT_JBIG_BID, 0 items
        Data: 39260 bytes
ZJT_END_JBIG, 0 items
ZJT_END_PLANE, 0 items
ZJT_END_PAGE, 0 items
ZJT_END_DOC, 0 items
Total size: 170352 bytes

Reference information can be found on the public part of the Zenographics Developer Site
http://web.archive.org/web/20020830075425/http://ddk.zeno.com/Reference/ZjStream/Default.htm

Open Source Driver
http://foo2zjs.rkkda.com