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Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a *LCL or *RMT Device Description

Troubleshooting


Problem

This document provides information about using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a *LCL or *RMT printer device description.

Resolving The Problem

This document provides information about using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a *LCL and *RMT device description. For instructions on using Host Print Transform (HPT) with other types of device descriptions or Remote Output Queues (RMTOUTQs), refer to one of the following documents:

N1010288: Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a *LAN Device Description
N1019713: Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a Remote Output Queue (RMTOUTQ)
N1019470: Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a PC5250 Printer Session
N1019670: Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a Third Party Emulation Package

This document was last updated on 11 March 2014.


General Information About Host Print Transform (HPT)

ASCII printers can be attached to IBM OS/400 or IBM i5/OS through a PC (using WSF, RUMBA/400, PC5250, or a third-party emulation package) or through hardware (for example, a 3179 or 3477 display, an ASCII Workstation Controller, a Lexmark MarkNet XLE, or an HP JetDirect card).

Host Print Transform is an OS/400 or i5/OS function that converts an OS/400 or i5/OS spooled file (in the *SCS or *AFPDS data stream) into an ASCII printer data stream. This can be used in conjunction with most printer emulation software and hardware. One of its benefits is that it can create the same look and feel when printing through a variety of printer emulation software and hardware. For instance, if you have printers connected to some PCs running WSF under Client Access/400 Extended DOS, others running RUMBA/400 under Client Access/400 for Windows 3.1, others running PC5250 under Client Access/400 for Windows 95/NT and still others connected to the LAN with a TCP/IP address, you can use Host Print Transform with all of these and the output will look very similar across all of your ASCII printers.

Some printer emulation software (such as WSF and PC5250) require you to specify to use Host Print Transform (HPT) in the printer session profile. Then when the printer session connects to OS/400 or i5/OS, the emulation software automatically changes the OS/400 or i5/OS printer device description to reflect the settings you made in the printer session profile.

Other printer emulation software (such as RUMBA/400), and all non-PC hardware connections require you to manually change the OS/400 or i5/OS printer device description yourself.

Notes:

1.If the printer emulation software you are using requires you to change the printer session profile, but you change the OS/400 or i5/OS printer device description instead, your changes will automatically be removed the next time you connect the printer session.
2.Not all printers are supported with Host Print Transform. This includes all PostScript-only printers and any Host-based or Microsoft® Windows®-only printers such as the HP DeskJet 820 Series printers, the Lexmark 2070 printer or the Lexmark WinWriter 150 printer. If OS/400 or i5/OS spooled files do not print when configured to use HPT, verify that the printer and the application both support using HPT. One place to start looking is in the following document:

N1019605: Information on Printers from Various Manufacturers

Using a Modified Workstation Customizing Object (WSCST) with Host Print Transform

Host Print Transform provides a way to change the way it converts OS/400 or i5/OS spooled files into the ASCII printer data stream. This is done by retrieving a workstation customization table, editing the source file member, creating a new workstation customizing object and then using that modified workstation customizing object (WSCST) with your OS/400 or i5/OS printer device description.

Using modified workstation customizing object with Host Print Transform allows you to change things like:
oPrint 198 character spooled files on a letter sized (8.5" x 11.0") sheet of paper in landscape
oForce all output to print in draft quality for dot matrix line printers
oPrint 132 character spooled files on a letter sized (8.5" x 11.0") sheet of paper in Portrait
oForce all output to print from drawer 2 on a laser printer

Instructions for Using Host Print Transform with a *LCL or *RMT Device Description

This document explains how to manually change a *LCL or *RMT device description to use Host Print Transform. These instructions also include the steps needed to use a modified workstation customizing object (WSCST) with Host Print Transform.
1.From the OS/400 or i5/OS command line, type the following:

WRKWTR WTR(*PRT) ASTLVL(*INTERMED)

From the Work with All Printers panel, scroll down the list of printers until you find the name of the printer device description that you wish to change.
2.If you find the printer writer and the status is not END, type option 4 (End) next to the name of the printer device description and press the F4 key. Position to the When to end writer (OPTION) parameter, type *IMMED and then press the Enter key.
3.From the OS/400 or i5/OS command line, type the following:

WRKCFGSTS CFGTYPE(*DEV) CFGD(printer-devd)

and then press the Enter key.
4.From the Work with Configuration Status panel, verify that the printer device description is in VARY ON PENDING status (you may need to refresh the screen a few times by pressing the F5 key). Vary off the printer device by typing a 2 next to the printer device description name and then pressing the Enter key.
5.Verify that the printer is now in VARIED OFF status (you may need to refresh the screen a few times by pressing the F5 key). Work with the printer device by typing 8 next to the printer device description name, and then press the Enter key.
6.From the Work with Device Descriptions panel, change the printer device by typing 2 next to the printer device description name, and then press the Enter key. Position down to the Host print transform parameter, and type *YES.
7.Position to the Manufacturer type and model parameter and press the F4 key to display a list of possible values. Choose a value that either corresponds to your type of printer or choose a value for a type of printer that your printer emulates.

For example, if you have an HP LaserJet 4 printer, or a printer that is compatible with the HP LaserJet 4, you should type in *HP4. If you have an HP LaserJet 5 or 5si printer you might, depending on your operating system release, be able to type in *HP5 or *HP5SI.
8.Position to the Paper source 1 parameter and press the F4 key to display a list of possible values. Choose a value that corresponds to the type of paper that is loaded in your printer. Possible choices include *LETTER (8.5 x 11 inches), *LEGAL (8.5 x 14 inches), *A4 (210mm x 297mm), *CONT80 (continuous form 8.0 inches) and *CONT132 (continuous form 13.2 inches).
9.Position to the Paper source 2 parameter. If your printer has a second drawer, press the F4 key to display a list of possible values and choose a value that either corresponds to the type of paper that is loaded in your printer. If your printer does NOT have a second drawer, set it to *NONE.
10.Position to the Envelope source parameter. If your printer has an envelope feeder, press the F4 key to display a list of possible values and choose a value that either corresponds to the type of paper that is loaded in your printer. Possible choices include *NUMBER9 (3.875 x 8.875 inches), *NUMBER10 (4.125 x 9.5 inches) and *B5 (176mm x 250mm). If your printer does NOT have an envelope feeder, set it to *NONE.
11.Position to the ASCII code page 899 support parameter (you will probably have to press the roll down key to get to all of these options). If your printer supports ASCII code page 899, which is used for IBM OfficeVision/400 (OV/400) symbols, set it to *YES. If your printer does NOT support ASCII code page 899 or you do not use OV/400 then set it to *NO.
12.If you need to use a modified workstation customizing object (WSCST) with this printer device description, press the F10 key and then position to the Workstation customizing object parameter. Type the name of your modified WSCST and the name of the library containing your modified WSCST.
13.Press the Enter key to change the OS/400 or i5/OS printer device description.
14.Press F12 to exit the Work with Device Descriptions panel.
15.From the Work with Configuration Status panel, vary on the printer device by typing a 1 next to the printer device description name and then pressing the Enter key. Verify that the printer is now in VARY ON status (you may need to refresh the screen a few times by pressing the F5 key). If the printer will not go to VARY ON status, make sure that the printer has been turned on.
16.From the OS/400 or i5/OS command line, type the following:

STRPRTWTR DEV(printer-devd)

This will start the printer writer for the *LCL or *RMT printer device description.

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Historical Number

11402020

Document Information

Modified date:
18 December 2019

UID

nas8N1019712