Bar Codes Print without Human Readable Information (HRI) when Using Host Print Transform (HPT)

Resolving The Problem

*AFPDS spooled files printed on an ASCII laser printer using Host Print Transform (HPT) are able to print bar codes successfully; however, they are printing without the Human Readable Information (HRI). The *AFPDS spooled files are generated using an externally described printer file and the BARCODE (Bar code) DDS keyword is specified with *HRI.

*AFPDS spooled files always print Human Readable Information (HRI) in an OCR font. IPDS laser printers generally comes with OCR fonts resident in the printer hardware. ASCII laser printers (for example, the HP LaserJet printers) rarely have OCR fonts resident.

Host Print Transform (HPT) uses its AFPDS-to-ASCII Transform code to convert *AFPDS spooled files to an ASCII printer data stream. HPT is aware that the ASCII laser printers do not have an OCR font to use for the HRI, so it rasterizes a host-resident OCR font and sends the HRI down to the printer as a bitmap.

A host-resident OCR font must be installed for HPT to print the Human Readable Information (HRI) with a bar code.

Product 57xxSS1 Option 8 (AFP Compatibility Fonts) provides many fonts, including the OCR fonts used for printing the HRI with a bar code. Therefore, installing product 57xxSS1 Option 8 through "GO LICPGM" Option 11 (Install licensed programs) will resolve this issue.

For additional information, refer to the following documents:

N1019437: Using OCR A and OCR B Fonts For ASCII Printers
N1012504: Standard and Keyed Media Set - Master List