Re: Host Print Transform and printing graphics

Hello Rick,

I assume you are printing to some kind of HP PCL compatible Laser Printer.
So why not producing PCL-code for this kind of device and send it directly
from your application to that printer without further transformation ?
There has been a great source and discussion for this on (thanks again, Pete)

http://www.execpc.com/~pbhall/formoverlay.html

I used the examples myself at a customers site to print labels with barcodes
and logos and AS/400 data of some old RPG application.
This has been a high volume job there, too (some 5-15.000 labels a day)
and we even stored the logos in a flash eprom inside the printer, so we would
only send the PCL5-macro to call the logo, size it and place it on the label.
Unfortunately I cannot give you the sourcecode because this project has been
taken over by another softwarehouse - former partner :-( .
Okay, the alternative is:  to use IPDS, but not with 423x matrix-printers, like
you were thinking, there are IPDS solutions for lasers as well.
Even PC lasers (like the Lexmark Optra R , S and T, which I would prefer
for this job) can be upgraded with "IPDS-SIMMs" and can understand IPDS-
datastreams from an AS/400 system natively. This works over Ethernet or
Token-Ring (with the standard netwotk ports of those printers) as well as with
Twinax interfaces which are also avlaible for the Lexmarks. But this depends
on your cabling infrastructure. For "high volume" jobs I would certainly prefer
the LAN interfaces ...
The only argument against IPDS is the price and I remember there was some
kind of rather expensive licpgm needed to print on faster printers than 16 ppm.
(Was it PSF/400 ? It was about 6.500 DEM for a P10, this is about 3000 US$)

Regards from germany, Philipp Rusch


 -----------------------------------------------------------------
| EDV Beratung Rusch          EDP Consulting Rusch                |
| Philipp Rusch               Mailto: Philipp.Rusch@rusch-edv.de  |
| Am Errlich 9                WWW   : http://www.rusch-edv.de/    |
| D-61191 Rosbach,                                                |
| Germany                                                         |
| Phone: (+49) 6003 3972      Mobile : (+49) 172 89 86 230        |
| Fax  : (+49) 6003 3795                                          |
|                                                                 |
 -----------------------------------------------------------------

Rick DuVall schrieb:

> Hello Everyone
>
>         I have a client based application which generates data, based on a 
>graphic.
> This data then needs to be printed intermingled with said graphic.  The
> obvious way, using overlays and host print transform works, but sucks the
> life out of the as/400 (er iSeries) and takes forever.  This will likely be
> a fairly high volume job.
>
>         There has to be a better way of doing this.  Has anyone ever 
>generated a
> pdf stream file from the iSeries?  And I Don't mean from a spool file - I
> mean directly from data and graphics. Does this allow the overlay of print
> and graphics?  I have just begun to think of alternatives and I would much
> appreciate any ideas any of you might have.  I am going to examine the pdf
> specs next.
>
>         I don't think the standard host print transform is going to work fast
> enough even if I gave it it's own machine.  And I prefer to do the job
> natively if possible.  I have seen many pc products which claim to do the
> transform for you and prefer at this stage to continue looking for a native
> solution - which I don't mind writing myself if I can get an idea of how to
> go about it.
>
>         Anyway, thanks for listening.  And thanks in advance for any ideas you
> might have.
>
> Regards
> Rick
>
> +---
> | This is the Midrange System Mailing List!
> | To submit a new message, send your mail to MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com.
> | To subscribe to this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-SUB@midrange.com.
> | To unsubscribe from this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
> | Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator: david@midrange.com
> +---

+---
| This is the Midrange System Mailing List!
| To submit a new message, send your mail to MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com.
| To subscribe to this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-SUB@midrange.com.
| To unsubscribe from this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
| Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator: david@midrange.com
+---