Generating print data is often the most time-consuming stage of the printing process. In the simplest situations, such as printing directly from DOS, data generation is essentially instantaneous. However, word processors may take from several seconds to several minutes per page to generate data, with delays increasing with the addition of graphics and complex fonts or formatting. Generating graphical data using AutoCAD software or other types of visualization applications may take from several seconds to many hours per page.
Using different drivers can result in dramatic differences in both the speed at which data is generated and the quality of the data generated. While sometimes these differences are a trade-off between speed and quality, there are other cases where one driver will supply both better quality and faster performance than another.
For example, AutoCAD output using an HPGL driver is usually several times faster than output using a PCL driver. If the target printer can use either driver, using the HPGL driver will increase data generation speed while providing output of equal or superior quality.
Be sure to match application and driver for best performance. When possible, choose application software and print drivers that are efficient for the tasks to be performed.