How page definitions, form definitions, and printer files interact

Page definition and the printer file

When you specify a page definition on the printer file, some printer file parameters might be ignored when the spooled file is printed through Print Services Facility™ (PSF). For example, if you specify a page definition and also specify line data or mixed data, an inline page definition is not built. In this case, the following happens:

• If you send line data with a printer file to an Advanced Function Presentation™ (AFP™) printer, PSF ignores these printer file parameters:
  • CDEFNT
  • CHRID
  • CPI
  • FNTCHRSET
  • FOLD
  • FONT
  • LPI
  • MULTIUP
  • PAGESIZE
  • PAGRTT
  • REDUCE
• If you send the line data with a page definition to a non-AFP printer with a device type of *LINE, the page definition parameter is ignored and the printer file parameters are used. The line data is converted to SNA character string (SCS) or Intelligent Printer Data Stream™ (IPDS™).

Form definition and the printer file

When using a form definition, depending on the specifications given, some printer file parameters might be ignored when output is printed through PSF. For example, if you specify a form definition, an inline form definition is not built. In this case, if you send the line data with a form definition to an AFP device, PSF ignores these printer file parameters:

• BACKMGN
• CORNERSTPL
• EDGESTITCH
• FORMFEED
• FRONTMGN
• MULTIUP (N_UP)
• PAGRTT
• PRTQLTY
• REDUCE (N_UP)
• SADLSTITCH

However, if you send the line data with a form definition to a non-AFP printer with a device type of *IPDS or *SCS in this example, the form definition parameter is ignored and the printer file parameters are used.

When specifying a form definition, the values you specify on the printer file's DRAWER and DUPLEX parameters override those values specified in the form definition. To use the drawer and duplex values specified in the form definition, specify DRAWER(*FORMDF) and DUPLEX(*FORMDF) on the printer file.