On CPC, the printer is operated as follows: to send a byte, use port &EF00 by sending the value 3 times (1st: Bit7=0; 2nd: Bit7=1; 3rd: Bit7=0), with bit7 used to validate the byte. For this reason, only the 7 least significant bits were taken into account. This is still the case on this port for compatibility reasons.
On Plus machines, the 8th bit of the printer port is on bit3 of register 12 of the emulated CRTC. This bit must have "seemed" unused to Amstrad engineers. Unfortunately, they didn't know about the Overscan Bits.