Determining whether PSF is required

You must install PSF if you use certain printers, use IBM® i to print line or mixed-mode data, or use certain printer file parameters or DDS keywords.

The Print Services Facility (PSF) feature is required if your printer falls into one of these categories:
  • Any TCP/IP attached IPDS printer.
  • Any Twinax attached IPDS printer that uses PSF functions. See the lists of printer file parameters and data description specifications (DDS) keywords that require PSF.
PSF is also required in these situations:
  • IBM i is used to print any line or mixed-mode data.
  • You use any of the parameters listed below.

Printer file parameters that require PSF

  • AFP characters (AFPCHARS)
  • Back overlay (BACKOVL) (requires PSF when printing to a device with type *SCS)
  • Corner staple (CORNERSTPL)
  • Device type (DEVTYPE= *LINE, or *AFPDSLINE)
  • Edge stitch (EDGESTITCH)
  • Font resolution for formatting (FNTRSL)
  • Front overlay (FRONTOVL) (requires PSF when printing to a device with type *SCS)
  • IPDS pass-through (IPDSPASTHR)
  • Multi-up (MULTIUP REDUCE(*NONE))
  • Page definition (PAGEDEF)
  • Saddle stitch (SADLSTITCH)
  • Table reference characters (TBLREFCHR)
  • User-defined data (USRDFNDTA (‘AFPRESPOOL(*PRINT|*NOPRINT)'))
  • User-defined data (USRDFNDTA (‘IPDSPASTHR(*YES|*NO)'))
  • User-defined data (USRDFNDTA (‘MAILSENDER(mail-sender-name)'))
  • User-defined data (USRDFNDTA (‘MAILTAG(mail-tag | e-mail address)'))
  • User-defined data (USRDFNDTA (‘PDFENCRYPT(*STMF | *SPLF | *NOMAIL)'))
  • User-defined object (USRDFNOBJ (*PSFCFG))
  • User resource library list (USRRSCLIBL(*DEVD))

DDS keywords that require PSF

  • Document Index Tag (DOCIDXTAG)
  • End page group (ENDPAGGRP)
  • Graphic data file (GDF)
  • Invoke data map (INVDTAMAP)
  • Start page group (STRPAGGRP)
  • Staple (STAPLE)
  • Z-fold (ZFOLD)