Field placement with *AFPDS

[Jeff Gunter at SMI]

I have an old report that has been always been printed to *IPDS printers
(8.5 x 11 portrait). While experimenting with printing to *AFPDS
(Laser) printers, I can't get fields to print in the proper relative
position. I have recreated the printer file as *AFPDS and recreated the
program using it.

This is a pretty simple report. For example, the second field is
suppose to print in position 12, but actually begins around position 10
on the laser. The third field should be in position 28 but actually
prints around position 26. When I direct the same spool file to a *IPDS
printer (with AFP(*YES)) it prints fine.

It wouldn't be a big deal, but I want to have the option of printing to
either type of printer, so changing field positions to accommodate
*AFPDS will screw up alignment on *IPDS

Any ideas?
____________________________________

Jeff Gunter
IBM Certified Specialist
AS/400 RPG Programmer
www.AS400Guy.com
____________________________________

[Charles Wilt]

For the laser printers, are you using Host-Print-Transform with the
AS/400's PJL driver?

I would guess that for what you want to do to be successful, you would
have to have an IPDS laser printer, shouldn't cost too much too add an
IPDS chip to your printer.

Charles

In article <3948E973...@siimi.com>, jgu...@siimi.com says...

[Rodney Johnson]

Jeff, This problem sounds like a relative positioning setup in DDS and a
font substitution occurs uses a proportionally spaced font. The font
substitution done by Host Print Transform is more than likely going to be
different than the font substitution done by PSF/400. You can control font
subsitution (some what) with a workstation customizing object via the
HPT path. For PSF/400 there are font substitution tables that you can
create and use (unfortunately documentation on this is sparce).

Jeff Gunter at SMI wrote:

> I have an old report that has been always been printed to *IPDS printers
> (8.5 x 11 portrait). While experimenting with printing to *AFPDS
> (Laser) printers, I can't get fields to print in the proper relative
> position. I have recreated the printer file as *AFPDS and recreated the
> program using it.
>
> This is a pretty simple report. For example, the second field is
> suppose to print in position 12, but actually begins around position 10
> on the laser. The third field should be in position 28 but actually
> prints around position 26. When I direct the same spool file to a *IPDS
> printer (with AFP(*YES)) it prints fine.
>
> It wouldn't be a big deal, but I want to have the option of printing to
> either type of printer, so changing field positions to accommodate
> *AFPDS will screw up alignment on *IPDS
>
> Any ideas?
> ____________________________________
>
> Jeff Gunter
> IBM Certified Specialist
> AS/400 RPG Programmer
> www.AS400Guy.com
> ____________________________________

--
Rodney A Johnson
Technical Team Lead for AS/400 Spool
Dept GJC
IBM Rochester, Minnesota

The contents of this message express only the sender's opinion.
This message does not necessarily reflect the policy or views of
my employer, IBM. All responsibility for the statements
made in this Usenet posting resides solely and completely with the
sender.

[Kevin Vette]

Jeff Gunter at SMI wrote:

> I have an old report that has been always been printed to *IPDS printers
> (8.5 x 11 portrait). While experimenting with printing to *AFPDS
> (Laser) printers, I can't get fields to print in the proper relative
> position. I have recreated the printer file as *AFPDS and recreated the
> program using it.
>
> This is a pretty simple report. For example, the second field is
> suppose to print in position 12, but actually begins around position 10
> on the laser. The third field should be in position 28 but actually
> prints around position 26. When I direct the same spool file to a *IPDS
> printer (with AFP(*YES)) it prints fine.
>
> It wouldn't be a big deal, but I want to have the option of printing to
> either type of printer, so changing field positions to accommodate
> *AFPDS will screw up alignment on *IPDS
>
> Any ideas?
> ____________________________________
>
> Jeff Gunter
> IBM Certified Specialist
> AS/400 RPG Programmer
> www.AS400Guy.com
> ____________________________________

Jeff: Are you specifying anything for the margins parameter on the printer
file? If not, and you aren't printing right at the edge of the paper, you
might want to specify margins of 0 instead of letting it default to *DEVD.
This may make the two outputs more compatible.

--
Kevin Vette
AS/400 Spool/Print
IBM Rochester, Minnesota
Comments provided "as is" - no warranties provided

[Jeff Gunter at SMI]

Kevin, Thanks for the suggestion.

I did try FRONTMGN(0 0) but it made no difference. The fields on a line
overlap even if I use "+1" rather than an absolute value for the field
position in the DDS specs. The actual character spacing of the content of
fields appears to be 10 cpi, but if a field is supposed to print in position
12, it shows up around position 10, hence the overlap.

And, everything prints fine sending the *AFPDS spool file to the *IPDS
printer (the printer is configured with AFP(*YES)), the problem is only with
the *AFPDS printers. Go figger!

[pascal....@gmail.com]

Op donderdag 15 juni 2000 09:00:00 UTC+2 schreef Jeff Gunter at SMI:

> I have an old report that has been always been printed to *IPDS printers
> (8.5 x 11 portrait). While experimenting with printing to *AFPDS
> (Laser) printers, I can't get fields to print in the proper relative
> position. I have recreated the printer file as *AFPDS and recreated the
> program using it.
>
> This is a pretty simple report. For example, the second field is
> suppose to print in position 12, but actually begins around position 10
> on the laser. The third field should be in position 28 but actually
> prints around position 26. When I direct the same spool file to a *IPDS
> printer (with AFP(*YES)) it prints fine.
>
> It wouldn't be a big deal, but I want to have the option of printing to
> either type of printer, so changing field positions to accommodate
> *AFPDS will screw up alignment on *IPDS
>
> Any ideas?
> ____________________________________
>
> Jeff Gunter
> IBM Certified Specialist
> AS/400 RPG Programmer
> www.AS400Guy.com
> ____________________________________

Hello Jeff,

I am experiencing the same problem: I want to print barcodes on a document, using the BARCODE DDS keyword. But that only works if the printer files has DEVTYPE(*AFPDS).
But when I change teh printer file to AFPDS, I have exactly the same problem as you describe.
Did you find a solution to this problem? And if so, I would be very interested to know what you did to solve this issue.
Thank you in advance for your reply.
Pascal Desmet
Iseries RPG programmer
Belgium