COPIES

Specifies the number of copies you want to print, up to 255 copies.

Specify the COPIES parameter in a DD statement or in an OUTPUT statement. If you specify the parameter in both a DD statement and an OUTPUT statement, PSF uses the parameter in the DD statement. If you do not specify the COPIES parameter (or you specify COPIES=0), and the COPYCNT parameter is not specified, the default is one copy printed.

COPIES=(nnn,(groupvalue,groupvalue...))

The values are:

nnn

Specifies the one- to three-digit decimal number from 1 to 255 that indicates the total number of collated copies you want to print. The data set is sent to the printer nnn times, and each copy is printed in page-number sequence. This parameter applies only to the user’s data set. Only one transmission is processed for separator pages and for the PSF message data set.

See the COPYCNT parameter if you want to print more than 255 copies. If you specify a number value on both the COPIES and COPYCNT parameters, the value specified on COPYCNT is used. If a group value is specified on the COPIES parameter, PSF ignores the number value that is specified on the COPIES and COPYCNT parameters.

groupvalue

Specifies the one- to three-digit decimal number from 1 to 255 that indicates the number of copies of each page of the data set to be printed consecutively before the next page is printed. You can specify up to eight copy groups (group values), and the data set is sent to the printer one time for each group. The total number of copies equals the sum of the group values. No single group value can be more than 255.

If you specify one or more group values, PSF ignores the number value that is specified on the COPIES and COPYCNT parameters.

If a FORMDEF parameter is specified for the print data set, the number of group values specified determines the number of times the user’s print data set is transmitted. Only one transmission is processed for separator pages and for the PSF message data set. In this case, group values following the first group value are ignored. However, the number of copies of each page is determined by information in the form definition. The effects of specifying FORMDEF and COPIES are described in Using FORMDEF with COPIES or FLASH parameters in JCL.

For more information about printing multiple copies of the job header or the job trailer pages, see PSF for z/OS: Customization.

See Printing more than one copy for examples of using the COPIES parameter.