Printing controls specified in copy groups

The printing controls that can be specified in a copy group include:

• Page position
• Paper source
• Duplex printing
• Duplex-page offsets
• N_UP printing
• Constant forms
• Page-presentation compatibility
• Finishing output
• Offset stacking
• Print quality level
• Horizontal-adjustment for the 3800 printer
• Subgroup modifications, including:
  • Overlays
  • Data suppression
  • Paper source
  • Output bin selection
  • Forms flash for 3800 printers

Page position

The copy group assigns horizontal and vertical offsets to position the top left corner of the logical page on the physical form (sheet). The page position is relative to the medium origin.

The medium origin is the top left corner of the physical piece of paper (or other medium) being printed on, as seen by the printer microcode. For cut-sheet printers, the medium origin is always the top left corner of a sheet viewed with the short side as the top. For continuous-forms printers that support page-presentation compatibility, such as the 3835 and 3900 printers, the medium origin is always the top left corner of the narrow edge of the form. For more information about medium origin your printer supports, see the documentation provided with the printer.

The page origin is the starting position of the logical page, which contains the user’s print data. The logical page is defined in the page definition for line data, or in structured fields for MO:DCA-P data. All the data in the print data set must fit within the boundaries of this logical page.

The form definition positions this logical page on the physical form. The page origin is specified as a horizontal offset and a vertical offset from the medium origin. The page could be positioned at the medium origin, but it is typically offset to avoid unprintable areas or areas too near the edges of forms. For information about printable areas for your printer, see the documentation provided with the printer.

Figure 22 shows the relationship between the medium origin and the page origin. The size of the logical page and its print direction are defined in the page definition for line data or in structured fields for MO:DCA-P data. The offset of the page origin is defined in the form definition. In the figure, the horizontal offset is labeled X, and the vertical offset is labeled Y.

Figure 22. Relationship between the medium origin and the page origin

Page origin is not affected by the print direction specified in the page. As Figure 22 shows, changing the page print direction from across to down does not change the position of the page origin.

You can specify different logical page offsets for the front and the back of a duplex printed page. For additional explanation, see Duplex-page offsets.

Paper source

To specify the paper source, insert a control in the copy group or a subgroup of it⁹ (see Subgroup modifications.) This control indicates whether paper is to be fed from the primary source or from an alternative source. Printers can have up to 255 alternative paper sources. To see what paper sources your printer supports, see the documentation provided with the printer.

For continuous-forms printers, PSF ignores copy controls for paper source, because these printers have only one paper source.

Duplex printing

Some printers can print on one side of the sheet (simplex printing) or on both sides (duplex printing). To see if your printer can print in duplex mode, see the documentation provided with the printer.

You specify duplex or simplex printing in a control in the copy group. These choices are available:

• To print on only one side, specify no duplex.
• If the sheets are to be bound on the long edge of the paper, as Document A and Document B are in Figure 23, specify normal duplex.
• If the sheets are to be bound on the short edge of the paper, as Document C and Document D are in Figure 24, specify tumble duplex.

Figure 23 shows Document A and Document B printed with normal duplex. Notice that the pages are printed in the portrait position for Document A and in the landscape position for Document B.

Figure 23. Duplex documents A and B specified as normal duplex

Figure 24 shows Document C and Document D printed with tumble duplex. Notice that the pages are printed in the portrait position for Document C and in the landscape position for Document D.

Figure 24. Duplex documents C and D specified as tumble duplex

Some printers can print despite a disabled duplex paper path; other printers are unable to print in duplex printing mode. PSF has the following disabled mechanism support for some PSF-supported printers (your installation might define print classes or destinations that do not have this support for disabled mechanisms):

• If duplex printing is disabled or is not supported for a specific printer, the printer prints in simplex.
• If the primary paper source is disabled, the printer selects paper from one of the alternate paper sources.
• If offset stacking is disabled, no offset stacking occurs.

If a mechanism is disabled, your output might not be as expected, and you might want to reassign output to another printer.

For a printer that does not support printing in duplex or that has a disabled duplex path, PSF processes the duplex control in these ways:

• For no N_UP printing, PSF processes two consecutive pages of data as a pair. The first page is processed as the front of the sheet, and any controls specified in the form definition for the front are applied. The second page is processed as the back of the sheet, and any controls specified in the form definition for the back are applied. If you request multiple copies in the form definition, all the copies of front pages are printed first, and then all the copies of back pages are printed.
• For basic N_UP printing, PSF processes the first n consecutive pages of data as the front of the sheet, applying any controls specified in the form definition for the front. PSF processes the next n consecutive pages of data as the back of the sheet, applying any controls specified in the form definition for the back. If you request multiple copies in the form definition, all the copies of the front n pages are printed first, and then all the copies of the back n pages.
• For enhanced N_UP printing, PSF is unable to process the duplex control, because page buffering and page reordering might be required to simulate duplex printing. In this case, the data cannot be printed.

To see if your printer can support disabled mechanisms and print in duplex printing mode, see the documentation provided with the printer.

Duplex-page offsets

You can specify different logical page offsets for the front and back of a duplex sheet. You might want to specify different page positions when, for example, the printed pages will be bound or when you are printing on three-hole punched paper. In these cases, you might want to specify a smaller left margin for the back of the sheet to leave room on the right side of the sheet for the binding or the holes.

N_UP printing

PSF supports N_UP printing, a printer media-handling support that is specified in the form definition. With N_UP printing, you can place multiple pages in partitions on a sheet, enabling you to print much more data on a sheet, saving printer-use costs, paper, and storage space.

N_UP printing differs from multiple-up printing, in that N_UP printing is specified in the form definition and works with MO:DCA-P data (page data) and with line data. You can use N_UP printing to place multiple MO:DCA-P pages or line data on a sheet, and to format each of the N_UP pages differently. In contrast, multiple-up printing is activated in a page definition and works only with traditional line data. The entire multiple-up impression is formatted with a single page format and only appears to have multiple logical pages.

To use N_UP printing, you need a form definition that specifies N_UP. (IBM® enhanced Page Printer Formatting Aid (PPFA) so you can create form definitions that specify the N_UP subcommand.) These new form definitions specify the number of pages on a sheet in addition to the other form definition options, such as duplex and page offsets.

The form definition does not control the size of the pages on the sheet. The size of the pages on the sheet is controlled in the page definition for line data, or in the structured fields in a MO:DCA-P page.

PSF supports two levels of N_UP: basic N_UP and enhanced N_UP. To see if your printer can support N_UP, see the documentation provided with the printer.

With basic N_UP printing, using a form definition, you can print up to four pages on one side of a sheet of paper in simplex mode, and up to eight pages in duplex mode, by creating a new form definition that contains the PPFA N_UP subcommand. With basic N_UP, you accept the default placement of the pages in the partitions. The partitions are all the same size and are placed one to four per side, depending on the number specified in your N_UP subcommand. The page must be the correct size to fit within the partition area. For basic N_UP, the valid printable area (VPA) is the intersection of the partition and the current logical page. Figure 25 shows the equal partitions created on a side of a sheet by including the basic N_UP subcommand in a form definition. The figure shows continuous forms, and cut-sheet forms with both wide and narrow leading edges, feeding into the printer.

Figure 25. N_UP printing partitions for various media

With enhanced N_UP printing, you can place pages at any location on either side of the sheet. You can also:

• Place a page relative to any partition origin on either side of the sheet, in any orientation, and in any size that fits on the sheet. You can place multiple pages relative to the same origin, when the total number of pages does not exceed the N_UP limit for that sheet.
• Place overlays relative to any partition origin, with or without variable page data from the application program.
• Specify a different rotation for each page.
• Specify one or more different overlays for each page.
• Specify a different offset for each page.

Page Printer Formatting Aid: User’s Guide describes how to use N_UP printing.

Constant forms

You can use the constant-forms function to print medium overlays or a forms flash (3800 printer only) on blank pages without adding blank pages to your print data set; PSF generates the blank pages on which to print the overlays or the forms flash. These pages generated by PSF are called constant forms because no variable data from the print data set is printed on the page.

For example, you can print an overlay containing constant text on the back of each page of a print data set without modifying the data set; you simply specify the constant-forms function in the form definition. You specify the constant-forms function for an entire copy group; you identify the overlays and form flashes in the subgroups of a copy group. See Subgroup modifications.

Using the constant-forms function, you can request that PSF generate and print the constant form as the front and/or back side of each sheet in the copy group, as follows:

• For the front side of each sheet:

  PSF prints the constant form as the front side of each sheet.

  If duplex printing is specified for the copy group, PSF prints the pages from the print data set on the back side of each sheet. The print data set must contain at least one page that is printed by use of this copy group; otherwise, PSF does not generate any constant forms for this copy group.

  If simplex printing is specified for the copy group, the print data set must not contain any pages to be printed by use of this copy group; for subsequent pages in the print data set, a different copy group must be used.

• For the back side of each sheet (duplex printing only):

  PSF prints the constant form as the back of each sheet, and the pages from the print data set on the front of each sheet.

  The print data set must contain at least one page printed by use of this copy group; otherwise, PSF does not generate any constant forms for this copy group.

• For both the front and back side of each sheet (duplex printing):

  PSF prints the constant form as both the front and back sides of each sheet.

  The print data set must not contain any pages to be printed by use of this copy group; a different copy group must be used for subsequent pages in the print data set.

Figure 26 shows two pages printed by use of a copy group that specifies the constant-forms function for the back side of each sheet. A subgroup in that copy group specified overlay O1CODES for the back side of the sheet. Note that the print data set contains only two pages; PSF generates the pages that are printed as the back sides of the sheets.

Figure 26. Copy group printed using the constant-form function

If the constant-forms function is specified in a copy group, but no overlays or forms flashes are specified in the subgroups of that copy group, PSF generates a blank page. In the example shown in Figure 26, the back side of each sheet would be blank.

Page-presentation compatibility

PSF-supported printers can have different hardware (default media) origins. As a result, for compatibility across PSF-supported printers, you might need to use form definitions that contain page-presentation controls. For a description of the default medium origins for your printer, see the documentation provided with the printer.

You can also build other form definitions for page-presentation compatibility by using a tool such as PPFA. For more information about using PPFA, see Page Printer Formatting Aid: User’s Guide.

Finishing output

Finishing refers to an operation you can perform with a finisher, such as the InfoPrint 60 finisher. The capabilities of your finisher determine the available types of finishing. Some examples of finishing types include:

• corner stapling
• edge stitching
• saddle stitching
• z-folding

Specify the finishing request to PSF in a MO:DCA-P Medium Finishing Control (MFC) structured field in the form definition. By specifying the finishing request in an MFC structured field in a copy group, you can control finishing on a collection of pages. For example, you can staple a collection of pages without the requirement that subsequent pages are collected for stapling.

For more information about how to code finishing in a form definition, see Page Printer Formatting Aid: User’s Guide. For an example of how to request finishing, see Finishing your output. For sample form definitions, see Table 23.

Offset stacking

In offset stacking, the sheets printed according to one copy group are stacked offset to the sheets printed according to the preceding copy group. If you want your printed output to be offset-stacked, specify offset stacking in the copy group.

If you want the printed output from a continuous-forms printer to be offset-stacked, the printer must be equipped with a burster-trimmer-stacker (BTS) feature or an equivalent post-processing device (see Bursting and stacking continuous-forms paper). If your continuous-forms printer does not have a BTS feature but supports edge-marking, the printer changes the edge-markings on the sheets that you specify to be offset-stacked.

The following steps show how to specify offset stacking. Assume that you have a five-sheet data set to be printed with the same set of printing controls, but that you want sheet 3 offset from sheets 1 and 2, and you want sheets 4 and 5 offset from sheet 3.

1. Create a form definition containing two copy groups that are identical except that copy group A does not specify offset, and copy group B does.
   Notes:

   1. The printer offsets a copy group relative to the previous copy group. If you specify copy group A (which does not specify offset) for sheets 4 and 5, those sheets will not be offset from sheet 3.
   2. Because the same offset is used for all the sheets in a group, they are in one stack.
2. Copy group A is the default copy group. PSF selects it for sheets 1 and 2, which will not be offset from any sheets preceding them.
3. For page 3, offset stacking is specified by either:
   • An Invoke Medium Map (IMM) structured field specifying copy group B, inserted at this point in the data set
   • Conditional processing, specified in the page definition
   Whichever method is used, sheet 3 will be offset from sheets 1 and 2.
4. At the start of sheet 4, copy group B (the copy group that specifies offset stacking) is selected again, by either of the methods just described. Sheets 4 and 5 will be offset from sheet 3, and will be stacked together.

Print quality level

With some printers, you can select different levels of print quality, such as draft or near-letter quality. For higher print quality, printing speed is slower.

To specify the print-quality level, insert a control in the copy group of the form definition.

If you specify a quality level for a printer that supports only one quality level, and if the quality level you specify is not that level, PSF sends an error message and ignores that specification. For information about the levels of print quality that your printer supports, see the documentation provided with the printer.

Horizontal-adjustment for the 3800 printer

Specify the horizontal-adjustment value as a control in the copy group. This value indicates both the starting print position and the amount of space by which the 3800 printer operator can adjust the position of the printed data to the left or right. Specify the adjustment value as a number of picture elements (pels). For information about the adjustment values for the 3800 printer, see the documentation provided with your printer.

Subgroup modifications

A copy group contains one or more subgroups, each of which can contain specifications for different versions of a page. In a subgroup, you can specify what modifications are to be made to a page and how many copies of each version are to be printed. The sum of the number of copies specified in the subgroups is the total number of copies of each page to be printed.

For simplex printing, you can code a subgroup to specify the modifications for a single page in that subgroup. For duplex printing, you can code a subgroup to specify one set of modifications for both sides of the sheet, or you can code two subgroups to specify a different set of modifications for each of the two sides.

In a subgroup, you can specify these modifications:

• Overlay identification
• Data suppression
• Paper source
• Output bins for paper destination
• Forms flash for the 3800 printer

Overlay identification

You can identify the names of up to eight medium overlays and one medium preprinted form overlay, a total of nine medium overlays, for each side of a sheet. In Figure 27, the INVOICE overlay was printed for the first subgroup, and the PACKLIST overlay was printed for the second subgroup.

Data suppression

You can identify up to eight suppression names (names identifying fields that are not to be printed), provided they are defined in the page definition. In Figure 27, no suppression names were specified for the first subgroup, and three suppression names were identified for the second subgroup: Salesperson, PRICE, and AMOUNT.

Paper source

In a form definition created by using the PPFA program, you can include the BIN subcommand in the subgroup to specify the paper source. Use this subgroup subcommand only for printers with more than one media source and that support bin selection in a subgroup. You can also select the paper source by specifying a component ID (such as 50 for letter-size paper), media name (such as LETTER for letter-size paper), or both. Selecting the paper source frees you from knowing which bin has the paper you want to use. For more information, see Page Printer Formatting Aid: User’s Guide.

PSF uses information specified in the form definition to determine which paper source to use, according to this hierarchy:

1. Component ID
2. Media name
3. Bin number
4. Default paper source

For example, if a component ID is specified in the form definition, PSF uses it to select the paper source. If no component ID is specified or it is not found in the printer, PSF uses the media name.

Some printers only support bin numbers, some support bin numbers and media names, some support bin numbers and component IDs, and some support bin numbers, media names and component IDs. By specifying the paper source all ways, you can free yourself from knowing which bin a paper type is loaded in on those printers with media name or component ID support. Specifying the paper source also lets you use a bin number to print on those printers that only support bin numbers.

Output bins for paper destination

You can use a form definition to include the OUTBIN subcommand in the subgroup to specify the paper destination. Use the OUTBIN subcommand only for printers that have more than one media destination and support output bin selection in a subgroup.

If you specify the OUTBIN parameter in the OUTPUT JCL statement (see OUTBIN), it takes precedent over any OUTBIN specifications in the form definition for the job. If the bin specified in the JCL OUTBIN keyword is not available, or bin selection is not supported by the printer, the printer default bin is used, even if the bin selection was specified in the form definition.

Forms flash for the 3800 printer

You can specify whether the 3800 printer forms-flash unit prints its negative on each sheet in a subgroup. For the other page printers, PSF ignores this control.

You can also specify that PSF is to print overlays or forms flashes without printing any variable data on certain pages of your output. For example, you can specify that a constant overlay is to be printed on the back of each page of a duplex print job. See Constant forms.

As an example, Figure 27 shows a page in a data set that is printed by using a copy group containing two subgroups. In the first subgroup, three duplicate sheets were printed with a set of modifications; in the second subgroup, two duplicate sheets were printed with a different set of modifications. The two sets of sheets were generated from the same page of information in the data set but were modified differently.

Figure 27. Subgroups printed from one page of the data set

For more information, see Using FORMDEF with COPIES or FLASH parameters in JCL.