Understanding Print Labeling

You can place identification labels on each page of printed output with the PSF function called print labeling. An identification label can be composed of text, graphics, or a combination of both. Identification labels can be used for security information, such as a TOP SECRET security level, or for other installation-defined purposes. Identification labels can be placed on the top, bottom, or sides of all pages within a job. Up to eight labels can be defined to print on every page of the job.

An identification label is positioned on the page by using a resource called a security overlay. The overlays, as well as the resources used by the overlays, such as fonts and page segments, are stored in special security libraries.

Print labeling can be applied to data pages, as well as to separator pages. Figure 1 shows labeling applied to a data page from one job and a separator page from another job.

Figure 1. Print Labeling. Identification labels can be placed on the top, bottom, or sides of all pages within a job. This example shows a page from two different jobs.

The two types of print labeling are guaranteed print labeling and nonguaranteed print labeling. Guaranteed print labeling works with a subset of Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) printers and ensures the integrity of the identification label by preventing the user from changing the label. Nonguaranteed print labeling works on most AFP printers, but the integrity of the identification labels cannot be guaranteed. For a list of printers that support print labeling, see Printer Support in PSF.

Print labeling works like this:

1. The user submits a print request that uses data and resources from host libraries. The print request has a security label associated with it. The label is a combination of both the security level and the security class.
2. Resource Access Control Facility (RACF®), a component of z/OS® Security Server, checks to ensure that the user’s security label matches the security labels of all requested user data or user resources. If the labels match, the data is placed on the spool.
3. PSF formats the data and resources by using the security label of the print job to apply the appropriate security overlays to all pages of the printed output.

The integrity of the identification label is ensured by the positioning of the label in an area of the page where user data cannot be placed. To enforce this, the valid printable area of a form for user data is reduced by the definition of a user-printable area.