× The internal search function is temporarily non-functional. The current search engine is no longer viable and we are researching alternatives.
As a stop gap measure, we are using Google's custom search engine service.
If you know of an easy to use, open source, search engine ... please contact support@midrange.com.



Thank you so much. This has got to be on of the craziest days I have had in years. Was just now able to read your email. I had not thought about creating the document in Word. Had been fixated on trying to use the original with many font and spacing changes. But, I was told that the form did not have to be an exact match, just had to have the infor in roughly the same place. Only issue with designing a new saner form with Word is getting the letterhead there, and that might not be an issue, either.

John McKee

-----Original message-----
From: Michael Ryan michaelrtr@xxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 03 Mar 2011 07:42:40 -0600
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Forms printing

Here are the steps I use:

1. Create/modify MS Word document.
C:\RTR\somedir\somedoc.doc

2. Print individual pages as different overlays using the AFP 300 driver.
Use naming convention of YYMMDDn, where n is the page number.

3. Upload .prn files to \\youri\Overlays IFS directory
Mapped drive or binary FTP

4. Copy from IFS directory to OVERLAYS file.
CPYFRMSTMF FROMSTMF('/overlays/t0805151.prn')

TOMBR('/qsys.lib/mylib.lib/overlays.file/t0805151.mbr')
CVTDTA(*NONE)
ENDLINFMT(*FIXED)
TABEXPN(*NO)

5. Create overlay.
CRTOVL OVL(mylib/T0805151) FILE(OVERLAYS)

On Thu, Mar 3, 2011 at 7:24 AM, jmmckee <jmmckee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Fortunately, this is not a high volume form.  Maybe a few hundred a day, but spread out over maybe 60 printers, none are IPDS.

Bad news is I finally got an opportunity to examine the form.  Around 120 fields, many boxes with labels.  Spacing, both vertical and horizontal, seems to vary.  Looked like 5 lines/inch at one point and something between 8 and 12 cpi.  I had hoped to use an overlay of the original Lexmark form for both sides.  Back side is still likely, as it has two fields and no boxes - just lots of canned text.

I'm not clear on the initial steps of overlay generation.  The Redbook says to load the AFP printer driver from Client Access.  When I try, I get a message stating it is already loaded, but I don't see the same drivers as listed in the Redbook.  That might be because there was a glitch and I installed from the web the Infoprint driver.  The CA install share was mysteriously unavailable.  Maybe I need to uninstall the Infoprint driver and try installing from the CA share again.  We are on v5r4, and stalled, pending removal of the system in a few years (master planning of a corporate office - trash everything).

So, I san the original document into a JPEG file, then print it using any Windows application to a file using AFP driver.  Upload file to IBM i, CRTOVL.  Is this correct?

John McKee
-----Original message-----
From: Charles Wilt charles.wilt@xxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:40:46 -0600
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Forms printing

Note that there are some benefits to using an AFP capable IPDS printer...

With HPT, the overlay (and fonts) are sent as part of the spool data
stream for each spool file.

With IPDS, the overlay (and fonts) are sent as needed and can be
cached on the printer.

Also, my impression is the IPDS data stream is overall a bit more
reliable and easier to configure than HPT.

My preference and IBM's recommendation, is for IPDS printers for
critical and/or high volume printing such as invoices.

Charles

On Wed, Mar 2, 2011 at 7:22 AM, Michael Ryan <michaelrtr@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I usually use the AFP 300 printer driver.

I generate the forms using an overlay, and HPT to a laser printer.
Need to specify *AFPDS for the printer file, but just a regular laser
printer.

On Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 10:44 PM, jmmckee <jmmckee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The redbook, http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redbooks/pdfs/sg242160.pdf is easy enough to read.  But, I have a couple of questions:

1) I have an existing blank form.  I am assuming that the form would need to be scanned and then printed to a file using the AFP printer.  Which one would I use?

2) Is an IPDS printer required, or would an AFPDS printer file work when directed to a laser printer.  The form has boxes and text with different fonts.


Currently, forms are being generated by a forms chip inside a Lexmark printer.  Would really be nice to not be tied to a specific printer model, which is no longer manufactured.


John McKee


--
This is the Midrange Systems Technical Discussion (MIDRANGE-L) mailing list
To post a message email: MIDRANGE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/midrange-l
or email: MIDRANGE-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.


--
This is the Midrange Systems Technical Discussion (MIDRANGE-L) mailing list
To post a message email: MIDRANGE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/midrange-l
or email: MIDRANGE-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.


--
This is the Midrange Systems Technical Discussion (MIDRANGE-L) mailing list
To post a message email: MIDRANGE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/midrange-l
or email: MIDRANGE-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.



As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

This thread ...

Follow-Ups:

Follow On AppleNews
Return to Archive home page | Return to MIDRANGE.COM home page

This mailing list archive is Copyright 1997-2024 by midrange.com and David Gibbs as a compilation work. Use of the archive is restricted to research of a business or technical nature. Any other uses are prohibited. Full details are available on our policy page. If you have questions about this, please contact [javascript protected email address].

Operating expenses for this site are earned using the Amazon Associate program and Google Adsense.