PSF/AIX: Printing AFPDS on PCL printers
ITEM: RTA000096136
Q:
ABSTRACT: PSF/AIX: Printing AFPDS on PCL printers
How are outline fonts and BCOCA resolved?
SEARCH ARG: psf aix pcl afpds
TOPIC THREAD: PRINT
PSF/AIX
..
Customer(NYT&F) is interested in implementing MVS applications that
use outline fonts and the recently announced BCOCA support. These
applications will be printed via MVS download to a mix of AIX printers.
This mix includes IBM 240 pel printers and PCL5 printers.
Our concern is how MVS applications will be rendered when printed to
PCL5 printers. In particular since the datastream is using resolution
independent outline fonts and BCOCA we would like to know how PSF/AIX
builds the bitmap image to send to the PCL printer.
Does PSF/AIX look at the print queue backend process to see that the
final print destination is a 300 pel printer? In this case, the image
built would match the printer's resolution, no scaling would be
required, and it seems reasonable to assume the barcode would be
readable.
Alternatively, PSF/AIX may default to building a page image assuming
a 240 pel printer. In this scenario the image would need to be
rescaled to match a 300 pel printer, and we believe this rescaling would
render the barcode unreadable.
Are either of these scenarios correct or does PSF/AIX use a completely
different method of rendering?
Can you comment on the ability to read the bar code after printing on a
pcl printer?
Is PSF/AIX aware of the resolution of the target printer? If so, how?
If not, how will PSF handle future printers that have resolutions other
than 240 and 300?
Q:
PCL5 300 dpi printers are treated by PSF/AIX as essentially 300 pel
IPDS printers (like the IBM 4028).
Input data received by PSF/AIX is transformed into AFPDS, and then
handed to the output side. It is then transformed to device-specific
IPDS for the target printer (a relatively minor exercise). In the case
of a PCL5 printer, one additional transform is required to convert
300-pel IPDS to a PCL5 print datastream the printer can handle.
Please note that the only printers which support either resident
or downloadable outline fonts are AFCCU printers. So in the case
of a PCL5 printer, you won't be able to use outline fonts - you'll
need instead 300 pel raster fonts.
BCOCA however, is indeed supported on our low end 300-pel printers,
so you'll be OK sending BCOCA data to a PCL5 printer. It also should
be imaged well and be readable via scanner.
Covering the questions one more time:
1) Yes, PSF/AIX knows the resolution of the target printer, and
builds the IPDS datastream accordingly. This information is
given to PSF/AIX by the printer in response to a Sense Type
and Model - Obtain Printer Characteristics command. This is
standard practice on ALL PSFs and ALL IPDS printers.
2) BCOCA bar codes should work well on both 240 and 300 pel printers
- either IPDS or PCL5 (but we always say test them...)
3) Be careful with outline fonts - they are only supported on
IPDS AFCCU printers.
S e a r c h - k e y w o r d s:
AIX
WWQA: ITEM: RTA000096136 ITEM: RTA000096136
Dated: 04/1996 Category: XPSF6000
This HTML file was generated 99/06/24~12:43:32
Comments or suggestions?
Contact us