Institutional Computing Services

Printers and Form Codes on the
HP "jade" server

For users on the HP jade server, output is normally printed on the system printer (in the machine room) on standard greenbar paper and available for pickup at the control area in Computing Services. However, there may be times when one may want output to be directed to a different printer; or one may need to have output printed on different paper or on a special form. This document is intended to acquaint users with how output is directed via printers and forms codes.

Printers

As a UNIX machine, the HP directs output to different print queues, which are then assigned to specific physical printers for the actual printing. Each print queue has one (and only one) physical printer associated with it. To use a different printer, a different code would need to be defined and used.

For example, the default queue is lp1, which is directed to the system printer in the machine room of Computing Services.

The print queue may be changed by choosing a different printer code which would direct the output to a different physical printer. (See list of printer codes below.)

For example, a printer code of tc2 would direct the output to be printed on the Printronix in the Registrar's Office.

Note that output from the HP cannot be directed to just any printer. The printer must have been defined for use with the HP, and a printer code created, by Technical Support.

If there are other printers which users desire to have defined for use with the HP, the users should submit their request to their ICS BANNER coordinator, who will then review it and forward it to Technical Support.

One can reset the printer code for the duration of the login session by issuing the following UNIX commands. (One needs to be logged in to a jade user-ID and at a UNIX prompt.)

LPDEST=printercode
export LPDEST

where printercode is the code for the desired physical printer.

This printer destination would then be in effect until either another printer destination is selected during the session (by repeating the set of commands above, using a different printercode); or until logout, at which time the destination printer returns to the default of lp1 (system printer in the machine room).

One may also select a different printer for an individual print job by using the "destination" option -d in the lp command.

For example, to print the file report1.wp on the Printronix in the Registrar's Office, one would issue the following UNIX command:   lp -dtc2 report1.wp

Note that the lp command has a number of other options available, including -n for number of copies. (Technical Support advises using this option for multiple copies, instead of submitting the same print job several times, because it uses less disk space for processing the print job.)

For example, to print 2 copies of the file purchord.wp to the line printer in the Purchasing Office, one would issue the following UNIX command:

lp -dtc9 -n2 purchord.wp

where tc9 (in the -d option) is the printer code for the line printer in Purchasing, and 2 (in the -n option) is the number of copies requested.

To view the available options and proper usage, see the manual pages for the lp command by entering the UNIX command:

Special Forms

As explained above, printer codes direct output from the HP to different print queues, which are then assigned to specific physical printers for the actual printing. Similarly, output that requires printing on special forms (i.e., other than standard greenbar paper) may also be directed to special print queues via forms codes. Each forms code has one (and only one) physical printer associated with it. In addition, it alerts the operator that a particular form (type of paper, card stock, pre-formatted template, etc.) must be loaded; that specific setup parameters (margins, lines per inch, page length, etc.) be put in place; and that alignment be checked before the entire output for the job is actually printed.

In other words, a forms code indicates a combination of both the physical printer to which the print queue is directed and the form or paper type on which the output is to be printed. REMEMBER: UNIX treats these as print queues; it is the code definitions that indicate the physical printer and form which are used for the actual printing of the output.

For example, mailing labels that are formatted via the AppWorx system have a forms code of l4m. This print queue is directed to the system printer in the machine room; the code also alerts the operator to load 4-across self-stick labels, to reset horizontal margins and vertical page length, and to check alignment at the beginning of the actual printing to be sure the output fits correctly on the form (labels) before releasing the entire job to print.

CAUTION: The usual practice is that once the special forms are loaded into the appropriate printer, all jobs in that print queue (that is, with that forms code) are printed. In the event that one job is not formatted correctly, any or all subsequent jobs in that print queue may also be affected, even if they were submitted correctly.

For example, if user-formatted labels (which should have a forms code of l4) are erroneously submitted with a forms code of l4m and they cause the last line to print off the bottom of the label, it is possible (even likely) that any l4m mailing label jobs following in the print queue will also lose a line off the bottom of the label, even though those jobs were submitted properly with a correct format.

Just as with printers and printer codes, special forms must be defined for use with the HP, and a forms code created, by Technical Support. Most special forms currently in use at ISU have already had a forms code defined and created; with the conversion from IA administrative software to the BANNER system, we anticipate there may be a need for new forms codes.

If there are other special forms which users desire to have defined for use with the HP, the users should submit their request to their ICS BANNER coordinator, who will then review it and forward it to Technical Support.

Also, if a forms code has been defined for a particular combination of form and physical printer, and a user wants to print the same form (or paper type) on a different printer, a new forms code must be defined and created for that combination of form and printer.

Jobs that require special forms are normally not run interactively; therefore one rarely would want to reset the forms code for the duration of a login session.

If a job that requires printing on a special form is run interactively, one may select the appropriate forms code for that individual print job by using the "destination" option -d in the lp command.

For example, to print the file report3.wp on 3-ply paper (greenbar paper with two carbon copies), one would issue the following UNIX command:

lp -da3 report3.wp

where a3 (in the -d option) is the forms code for 3-ply paper.

The same options for the lp command apply to forms codes as well as printer codes, including the -n option for multiple copies.

For example, to print the file letter4.wp on 8.5 x 11 plain paper, 4 copies each, one would issue the following UNIX command:

lp -db4 -n4 letter4.wp

where b4 (in the -d option) is the forms code for 8.5 x 11 plain paper and 4 (in the -n option) is the number of copies requested.

Tests for the printing of special forms may be done on plain or greenbar paper. Because the special form may have different dimensions, it is essential that form feeds be included in the output file at the appropriate places.

Printer Codes

Here are the printer codes for some common printers defined to the HP jade machine (as of October 24, 1997):

(This list is not intended to be exhaustive: There are other printers also defined to the HP for use by specific departments, but not intended for general use by other departments campus-wide.)

Forms Codes

Here are the forms codes for some common special forms defined to the HP jade machine (as of October 24, 1997):

(This list is not intended to be exhaustive: There are other special forms also defined to the HP for use by specific departments, but not intended for general use by other departments campus-wide.)

- John Gallagher, with contributions from Mike Barnes and Champe Edwards of Technical Support.