Host print transform in raster mode

In raster mode, the host print transform builds a raster image for each page of the output. The raster image is then compressed. AFP Fonts must be installed on IBM i before using the raster mode. Both the SCS-to-ASCII and AFP-to-ASCII transforms support raster mode.

Reasons to use raster mode

Raster mode preserves the relative position of text, images, bar codes, and overlays if the output is positioned within the no print border of your ASCII printer. Use raster mode to:

  • Transform SCS or AFP output to formats other than printer data streams. The host print transform function can, for example, transform SCS or AFP output to TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) for viewing or archiving.
  • Support SCS or AFP functions not available on your ASCII printer. For example, the IBM® 4019 printer does not support multiple print orientations on the same page.
  • Support the printing of AFP output spooled with DBCS or Unicode encoded data.
  • Support printing of SCS output spooled with DBCS data on PCL printers

Enable raster mode

To enable raster mode:

  • Install IBM AFP Compatibility Fonts (option 8 of IBM i).
  • For better font support, install the licensed program AFP Font Collection V3.1.0 for IBM i (5733-B45).
  • For SCS or AFP output containing double byte characters (DBCS), install either the AFP Font Collection for IBM i or the older Advanced Function Presentation DBCS Fonts for IBM i (5769-FN1). For AFP output containing Unicode encoded data, install the AFP Unicode migration fonts or Additional Fonts (Option 43 of IBM i). For SCS output, you must also specify the system value QIGCCDEFNT (double byte coded font).
  • Configure the host print transform to use a workstation customization object with the following tag: 
    :RASTERMODE
  SCS=YES
  AFP=YES.

Raster mode does not support all printer data streams. Refer to Workstation Customization Programming PDF for detailed information about raster mode support.

Limitations of raster mode

The following are limitations of raster mode:

  • Raster mode requires more IBM i resources and is slower than the host print transform mapping mode.
  • Raster mode does not support dot-matrix printers.
  • The host print transform can only produce raster images with 240 or 300 dots per inch (dpi). It does not support ink jet printers that have a resolution of 360 or 720 dpi.
  • Raster mode does not support hardware justification of text.
  • For SCS output that contains double-byte characters, you can specify only one double-byte coded font. Select this font by setting the QIGCCDEFNT system value.