topic Re: Getting a printer to staple from VMS in Operating System - OpenVMS

Getting a printer to staple from VMS

The Brit — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:54:46 GMT

We recently upgraded our old laser printer to a brand, spanking new HP LaserJet Model M4345 MFP.

As a printer it is working wonderfully, using a VMS Print Queue defined as

show queue/full tab_71
Printer queue TAB_71, idle, on BUD::"10.30.6.71:9100", mounted form DEFAULT

/BASE_PRIORITY=4 /DEFAULT=(FORM=DEFAULT) /LIBRARY=HP_DEVCTL Lowercase /OWNER=[SYSTEM] /PROCESSOR=TCPIP$TELNETSYM
/PROTECTION=(S:M,O:D,G:R,W:S) /SCHEDULE=(NOSIZE) /SEPARATE=(RESET=(RESET))

Queue is also used as a network printer.

It has been noted that if a multipage document is submitted from windows, the printer always staples the output. Whereas, if the multipage job comes from OpenVMS, it doesnt.

Is there a way to tell the printer to staple ALL multipage jobs??? or even better allow stapling to be designated at submit time???

I spent some time rooting through the PCL sequences, however I cant find anything that refers to stapling

Dave.

Re: Getting a printer to staple from VMS

Hoff — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:24:45 GMT

DCPS is the usual path for advanced printer control.

If the particular printer isn't supported by DCPS, then you'll be reading the technical manual for this printer and using device control libraries.

Here's an intro to that approach:

http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/622

Based on the DCPS DECprint documentation:

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/82final/dcps/dcps026_release_notes.pdf

This printer does appear to be supported.

Which means instead of those manuals, you'll be reading the DPCS manual for how you can establish queues for your needs.

DCPS manuals (interestingly, down-revision) are here:

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/dcps24.html

Re: Getting a printer to staple from VMS

Paul Anderson_7 — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:10:52 GMT

Your jobs can be told to be stapled from the application or operating system, or from the printer. There's nothing in TELNETSYM that controls stapling, so it sounds like the Windows queue on the PC or the server (if any) is set up to staple jobs by default.

You can set the printer to staple all jobs, too, but then your OpenVMS jobs would be stapled and they're not.

Stapling commands can be done in PostScript and they are often different for each printer model. Such code is included in the DCPS device control modules sent with each DCPS job.

Using DCPS as Hoff suggested would be the easiest way to get your OpenVMS jobs stapled, since you would use a command like:

$ PRINT /PARAMETERS=STAPLE=TOP_LEFT

Paul

Re: Getting a printer to staple from VMS

Hoff — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:54:35 GMT

addendum to Paul's note: you can also set queue default parameters via logical name.

Re: Getting a printer to staple from VMS

Paul Anderson_7 — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:19:32 GMT

Addendum to Hoff's addendum to my addendum:

The supported way to get a DCPS queue to staple by default is to put "STAPLE=position" in the appropriate parameter value in DCPS$STARTUP.COM, for either a generic or execution queue.

The result is that DCPS defines a logical name indicating stapling should be used for that queue. It's best to let DCPS define the logical name than to define it yourself, although either technique will work.

Paul