Re: Forms printing

[Charles Wilt <charles.wilt@xxxxxxxxx>]

Let me reiterate my warning...

Word and the AFP driver are not the most accurate combination...

Real life example: I had a invoice overlay I was designing, text was
at 8 lpi.  I wanted the overlay to include a shaded box for every
other line in the detail section.  I wasn't able to get an overlay
created in Word, Excel, and a couple of other Widnows programs and
printer via teh AFP driver to contain 1/8 inch high shaded boxes every
1/8 inch.

I ended up using the green screen Overlay utility included in the AFP
Utilities product I mentioned before.

This was back in 1996 or so....perhaps accuracy has improved.

HTH,
Charles


On Thu, Mar 3, 2011 at 2:45 PM, jmmckee <jmmckee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 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
> > > > --
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