Virtual printers and print queues

A virtual printer is associated with a print queue.

You can define a print queue for each data stream the printer supports. Multiple print queues can use the same real printer.

To add print queues, use the SMIT Add a Print Queue option, or the mkque, mkquedev, and mkvirprt commands.

When you submit a print job, a print queue must be directly or indirectly specified. To specify a specific printer for a print job, add a colon and the printer device name to the print queue name. If a printer is not specified for the print job, the spooler selects the first available printer associated with the print queue. If there are several printers associated with a print queue, any printer is used.

IBM® Proprinters, for example, need only one print queue to be defined for each real printer. This is because Proprinters support only one data stream: IBM extended ASCII. The IBM 4216 Model 031 Personal Pageprinter needs multiple print queues defined. A print queue can be defined for each data stream the printer supports. A print queue can be defined for PostScript, Proprinter, HP LaserJet, and Diablo 630 emulations. All four print queues output to the same real printer, the 4216 Model 031.