I never went though the pains of printing from DOS so forgive me if there's a more obvious solution but the circa mid 90s Laserjet 5 (non L/P/MP versions) were solidly built and DOS support drivers/software is still available directly:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfserv … er-series/25479

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_LaserJet_5

I think you'll struggle to find DOS support on anything in the last 10 years, maybe there's a straightforward intermediary layer like PDF.

The easier route would probably to fire the data over to a Linux box (maybe using lpr over a network, or with a bit more difficulty over a serial port) and then let the Linux box translate to whatever the printer speaks (via CUPS). A more intelligent filter would be able to detect and handle PostScript, PDF or plain text files automatically.

Laser printers suitable for dos.

HP Laser Jet series ?

As far as I know, these supported the extremely popular HPGL printer/plotter language.
The predecessor of the PCL, I believe. HP Deskjet 500 and alikes also supported it, I believe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-GL

This page may be of some use to you
http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/6xprinters.html
Looks like WordPerfect drivers stretched all the way to 2016 in some cases.

For example, Kyocera printers have broad support.

PCL 6, PCL5em KPDL3 (Postscript 3 compatible) with Automatic Emulation Sensing (AES), PDF Direct print, KC GL (HP-7550A), Line Printer, IBM Proprinter X24, EPSON LQ 850, DIABLO 630

So, you see you can use them even with ancient WordStar.

Connecting is simple, too: just use PC/TCP by FTP Software, Inc.
It includes LPR protocol, so you can print directly from your DOS PC.

Setup a network printer.
Attach a parallel printer to a Novell print server.( v3.12 on a Pentium based computer ).
Install Novel Client 32 on your DOS based computer.
Setup your default printer.

Or use tools to add port and configure with printer MAC address.
http://ftp.kmu.edu.tw/Win/driver/printer/Kyoc … rinting_lpr.htm

You can’t go wrong with an HP laser jet printer.
But any NEW laser printer with built in networking will work fine too.
Hp Jetadmin and Webadmin.

There are dedicated print server devices, too..
It's notable though, that these are a good target for all kinds of malware.
http://wahlnetwork.com/2017/01/30/printers-mo … re-and-malware/

A Raspberry Pi might also be usable to work as a printserver.
On DOS, you can redirect the PRN device to serial ports, I believe.
Maybe it's thus possible to use a serial to USB adapter on the Pi.

If not, a hardware-based parallel-serial converter could be used (using some converter chips).
(Problem is, there's no real USB Centronics port out there that the Pi couild use to accept incoming printer data.
Except for some DIY stuff or academic protypes.)

To be really retro. Setup a Novell 3.12 server on a 486 computer.

Hardware Requirements

Server

386-based PC or above (ISA, EISA, or MCA)
6MB of RAM (minimum)

More memory may be required, depending on the number of users, the load they put on the server, the number of NLMs loaded, and the size of the network hard disks. (More than 70MB of free disk space requires additional memory.) The dynamic resource configuration feature of the NetWare NOS notifies you when more memory will improve server performance.
CD-ROM drive or 3.5-inch diskette drive
Network adapter

The type of network adapter used depends on the type of computer used as a server or workstation. In 32-bit Micro Channel servers on Ethernet networks, Novell recommends using the NE/2-32. The 32-bit bus of the NE/2-32 enables you to gain the full performance potential of the NetWare NOS by increasing the amount of data that can be moved on and off the network and into server memory. For EISA servers on Ethernet networks, Novell recommends the NE3200, a 32-bit bus master adapter.
Network cabling or other transmission medium
Client

8086-based PC or above
68000-based Macintosh or above
Network adapter

The NetWare NOS supports a large variety of both Novell and third-party LAN and disk adapters. For a complete list, contact your local Novell partner.
Software Requirements

The NetWare NOS includes all the software necessary to install and operate the network server and to connect as many as 250 Windows, OS/2, or DOS clients to the network, depending on the configuration you purchase. NetWare also includes software for connecting five Macintosh clients. The NetWare NOS supports the following client software:
Windows Clients

Windows 3.x, Windows NT, or Windows 95
UnixWare Clients

UnixWare Personal Edition 1.0 or above
UnixWare Application Server 1.0 or above
UNIX NFS Clients

All UNIX NFS
NetWare NFS 1
OS/2 Clients

OS/2 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.0, or 2.1, Standard or Extended Editions
Mac OS Clients

Mac OS System 6 or 7
DOS Clients

MS-DOS 2.x, 3.x, 4.x, 5.x, or 6.x, DR DOS 6.0, or Novell DOS 7

You're going to be hard-pressed to find ANY printer less than 10 years old that has a parallel port as a standard feature. Many business & industrial laser printers do have the ability to add on a parallel port using a special card, but these are often proprietary to each individual model and hard to find...not to mention the cost of both the printer and add-on card. Also, business-class laser printers are enormous, likely much larger than what you want.

The last time I saw a desktop-size consumer-grade laser printer with a parallel port on it was around 2006 or so on a computer repair call, and IIRC it was already several years old then. It was an HP LaserJet 10-something, I don't remember the exact model though. Only reason I remember this printer is because it is virtually identical to the HP LaserJet 1012, which I do own (the 1012 doesn't have a parallel port though).

Printing from DOS depends 100% on what app you are using and how it is set up. In the old days pretty much every laser printer used line printer emulation since the apps pretty much expected an dot matrix printer. There were different drivers for 9 pin and 24 pin emulated Epson printers for example. Once you got into high end printing you had postscript for graphics and font layout.

So even if you can find a newish laser with a Parallel port you still need to look into what input it expects to get and what it can emulate. My most compatible printer (with respect to my collectable computers) is probably my HP4Si. This unit has 24MB RAM, serial (PC and Mac), Parallel, Tokenring, and Ethernet ports and Postscript options installed and will emulate the oldest dot matrix printers too.

I still have all of my old laser printers since they still work and I have toner for them. generally I upgraded when I needed faster printing with higher resolution and eventually I needed newer Windows drivers as well which is why I have a cheap Pantum USB+Wireless P2500 series laser now.

Unknown_K wrote:

Printing from DOS depends 100% on what app you are using and how it is set up.

It is called a program and not app. App is smartphone-world-language.

No... Just press "print screen" and you can print directly from MS-Dos 6.22 and earlier.
Pressing Ctrl+PrtSc it will print out everything that are on the monitor.

We actually needed some printers with a parallel interface at my work. While we had been buying older refurbished HP laser printers up to this point I recently discovered that Brother has a modern model with LPT - the HL-L5000D. https://www.brother-usa.com/products/HLL5000D We ordered a single unit for testing which hasn't arrived yet so I can't speak to compatibility or quality just that it is a product that exists. Amazon has them for about $160 each.

brostenen wrote:

It is called a program and not app. App is smartphone-world-language. […]
Show full quote

Unknown_K wrote:

Printing from DOS depends 100% on what app you are using and how it is set up.

It is called a program and not app. App is smartphone-world-language.

No... Just press "print screen" and you can print directly from MS-Dos 6.22 and earlier.
Pressing Ctrl+PrtSc it will print out everything that are on the monitor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_software

The word application has been around since the before the 1980's with respect to computer programs.

MS-DOS printscreen will just print the visible ACSII characters visible on the screen without any special formatting or colors. No graphics.

Unknown_K wrote:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_software […]
Show full quote

brostenen wrote:

It is called a program and not app. App is smartphone-world-language. […]
Show full quote

Unknown_K wrote:

Printing from DOS depends 100% on what app you are using and how it is set up.

It is called a program and not app. App is smartphone-world-language.

No... Just press "print screen" and you can print directly from MS-Dos 6.22 and earlier.
Pressing Ctrl+PrtSc it will print out everything that are on the monitor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_software

The word application has been around since the before the 1980's with respect to computer programs.

MS-DOS printscreen will just print the visible ACSII characters visible on the screen without any special formatting or colors. No graphics.

Yeah.... Application, and not app. Application covers anything non gaming software. Tools, productivity and so on. App, is still smartphone-touchscreen-tablet world. And if you are in Win3.11 then you are not in Dos anymore.

Well "killer app" was used to describe Visicalc in 1979 so the term "app" was commonly used before cell phones existed let alone smart phones. I suppose if you know jack shit about history you should not be correcting people about it.

knifethrower wrote:

We actually needed some printers with a parallel interface at my work. While we had been buying older refurbished HP laser printers up to this point I recently discovered that Brother has a modern model with LPT - the HL-L5000D. https://www.brother-usa.com/products/HLL5000D We ordered a single unit for testing which hasn't arrived yet so I can't speak to compatibility or quality just that it is a product that exists. Amazon has them for about $160 each.

Looks like it'll do the job alright. Might be able to pick up an older used model, Brother has a habit if changing model no.s. Also came across a local outfit the sell cartridges for my DeskJet printers at a reasonable price. Half the cost of OEM.

Thanks every one for their feedback.

HP LaserJet 4 Plus -- the most legendary laser printer ever. Works in DOS through Windows 10. Built like a tank, beige in color, and gives you the PC LOAD LETTER error when out of paper. (Office Space, 🤣) I had one at work that we used for at least 15 years, if not longer. It printed hundreds of reams of paper and rarely ever needed fixing.

wiretap wrote:

HP LaserJet 4 Plus -- the most legendary laser printer ever. Works in DOS through Windows 10. Built like a tank, beige in color, and gives you the PC LOAD LETTER error when out of paper. (Office Space, 🤣) I had one at work that we used for at least 15 years, if not longer. It printed hundreds of reams of paper and rarely ever needed fixing.

We finally retired our LJ4 and LJ5 printers when they had around a 300,000 page count on them. They were starting to have issues and were also really slow.

I imagine a newer HP like the Laserjet 4000 series will likely work with the drivers from the older machines. I say newer, mine is still 20 years old!

I've got an 4050n but never tried it on Dos. It has an ethernet board in it so never actually used the parallel port!

I was considering selling it, but given its age maybe i just keep it?