Additional printing considerations
You also need to consider direct print jobs, print fonts, and output fields.
- Direct print considerations
When output data is written directly to the printer instead of the output queue, the job is called a direct print job. When you print a direct print job on an SCS printer, the IBM® i operating system changes the file device type to *SCS. When you print on an IPDS printer that is configured with AFP(*NO), the operating system changes the file device type to *IPDS. If the print job has the file device type *AFPDS, *USERASCII, *LINE, or *AFPDSLINE, the direct print job is not supported. - Open considerations
These considerations apply to opening printer files for spooled output. - Output considerations
These considerations apply to output operations performed on spooled files. - Close considerations
When the schedule value is *FILEEND, the output file is made available to the printer writer. The file resources used by the program are deallocated. - First-character forms-control data considerations
For program-described printer files, you can also specify the print control information in the data by including an American National Standard first-character forms-control code in position 1 of each data record in the printer file. (You cannot use first-character forms control and data description specifications on the same file.) - Printer font considerations
You might want to take these into consideration when deciding which font to use for printing. - Alternative character sets and code pages for printer output considerations
Character sets are used with code pages to determine how each character shows in the printed output. - Output field considerations
The system provides editing support that makes fields more readable when they are printed. - Externally described printer-file record-format considerations
When a program using externally described printer files is compiled, the compiler extracts the file descriptions for the files referred to in the program and makes these file descriptions part of the compiled program. - Redirecting output considerations
Spooled or nonspooled output intended for a printer can be redirected to another printer. However, each file is checked to ensure that the file attributes (device type, number of lines per inch, number of characters per inch, page length, and page width) and any advanced functions used by the file (such as variable LPI, variable font, or defined characters) are valid on the new printer. - 3812 and 3816 SCS printer considerations
When automatic configuration is run for 3812 and 3816 printers, the printers report as a 5219 printer. The first time the printer is used, the IBM i operating system sends some commands to the printer that allow the system to distinguish between a 5219 printer and a 3812 or 3816 SCS printer. - 3835 printer considerations
The 3835 Model 1 printer has a no-print border. In this area, about 1/6 inch from all edges of the page, data is not printed. - 3912, 3916, and 4028 printer considerations
The 3912, 3916, and 4028 printers have a no-print border. In this area, about 1/6 inch from all edges of the page, data is not printed. - Special printer file considerations for AFP data stream
If the device type (DEVTYPE) parameter for the printer file is *AFPDS, certain considerations apply to some printer file parameters and to the sending of spooled files to other systems. - Special data description specifications considerations for AFP data stream
To use Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) support on the IBM i operating system to print on IPDS printers, you must install Print Services Facility™ (PSF). - Performance considerations
These are printer file performance considerations.
Parent topic: Printing concepts