OpenPCL Viewer

OpenPCL Viewer is a free and open-source tool that enables end users to open and view documents created with PCL (Printer Control Language), the command code which allows programs to control various types of printers, such as HP DeskJet and LaserJet. It supports PCL Level 5.

Meanwhile, open-source developers can integrate OpenPCL Viewer as a component into their Java-based applications, or as a Java applet into their websites.

Before proceeding any further, you should know that this application hasn't been updated for a long time, and you may experience compatibility issues on newer Windows editions.

The setup procedure is speedy and the only notable aspect is that you need Java installed to run this app. It's packed in a user-friendly interface with a PCL file explorer, where you can open PCLs with the PCL, PRN, TEM or TXT format to view and examine content.

It's possible to open up to 9 PCL files in MDI frames, view all containing pages, toggle the tree view pane, zoom in and out of the document, cycle through different UI themes, as well as print information using any installed printer after tinkering with the page setup, such as paper size, form names, or duplex mode. Moreover, you can enable image anti-aliasing mode to obtain the highest quality.

The utility didn't put a strain on the overall performance of the computer in our tests, thanks to the fact that it needed low CPU and RAM to work properly. No error dialogs popped up and it didn't hang or crash.

To sum it up, OpenPCL Viewer comes loaded with the necessary and suffice features for opening and printing PCL files, and it's accessible to end users and software developers alike. Too bad that it hasn't been recently updated.