Printer

The Printer window lets you choose the printer to be used with several related options.

Print To
Print-to-File

Separate Files
File Path and Name

Lock

Print To
Select to print to a local Windows printer (Windows platforms only), to another type of printer (for example, LPT1), or to a file.

On Windows platforms, the default is Windows Printer. On non-Windows platforms, the default is Printer. On Mac OS X, the default is File.

Print-to-File

This group box lists the options that are used for printing to a file instead of a printer.

Separate Files

When the print destination is a file, you can choose whether you want to save each print job to a unique file or to have jobs appended to each other in one file. When the Use Adobe PDF option is set to Yes, this option is not available and each print job is saved to a unique file.

File Path and Name

When the print destination is a file, type the path and name of the file. If the file path and name already exist on the client, Host On-Demand will print the file to that destination and will overwrite any files that already exist there. If the file path and name do not exist on the client, they are automatically created and the files will be printed to that destination. You can then view or print the file using the appropriate viewer on the client.

On Mac OS X, the default is:

| lpr -l -r $<

where -l preformats the file and -r deletes the file after printing.

Note: If you do not type the path of the file, Host On-Demand will write the file to your browser's default directory. Your browser's default directory depends on your operating system. Refer to the Host Printing Reference for more information.

If you choose Separate = Yes in the Separate Files field, you have a choice:

• You can specify a unique name for each file.
  Put an asterisk in the file name. The file name is numerically incremented for each print job. For example, if you name the file prt*.file and the Use Adobe PDF option is set to No, the first file will be named prt000.file, the next will be named prt001.file, and so on.
  
  When the Use Adobe PDF option is set to Yes, the file extension will always set to be equal to ".pdf" and one asterisk is converted into an eight-figure counter. For example, if you name the file prt*.file and the Use Adobe PDF option is set to Yes, the first file will be named prt00000001.file.pdf, the next will be named prt00000002.file.pdf, and so on.
  
  
• You can let Host On-Demand generate the name.
  Do not use the asterisk in the file name. For example, type the name as prt.file. As long as the Use Adobe PDF option is set to No, Host On-Demand appends numbers to the file name, starting at prt.file.000, prt.file.001, and so on.
  
  When the Use Adobe PDF option is set to Yes, Host On-Demand generates a file name by adding an eight-figure counter value and ".pdf" file extension. For example, when you type the name as prt.file and the Use Adobe PDF option is set to Yes, the first file will be named prt.file00000001.pdf, the next will be named prt.file00000002.pdf, and so on.

If you choose Separate = No and the Use Adobe PDF option is set to No, a single file is created and each job is appended to this file. A system-generated print-job name is added to the start of each job so that jobs can be identified. If the file already exists, the system will continue to append to it.

You can also specify an external command to run after host print jobs using this field. Refer to Running external commands after host print jobs in the Online Help.

Refer to the Host Printing Reference for more information about Adobe PDF files, file paths, and file names.

Printer Definition Table
A printer definition table (PDT) formats print data sent by the host application so it can be printed on a workstation printer.

The PDT you select must be suitable for the printer and for the printer-emulation mode that the printer will use (PCL, PPDS etc; note that PostScript is not supported). You can create your own PDTs, which are automatically added to the pull-down list.

Select a name from the pull-down list.

If you are not sure which printer emulation modes are supported by your printer, you must refer to the printer's technical documentation, which usually lists the supported modes.

In some cases, it may be necessary to change the settings on the printer itself so that they match the mode intended for the PDT that you want to use. Some printers can switch between modes automatically or supply software that enables you to change the mode. It is important to refer to the printer documentation to decide which PDT to use and how to set the correct mode on the printer.

You might find it useful to go to the printer manufacturer's Web site for information.

Most laser printers can use HP PCL Level 3. Level 3 commands are understood by later levels. Basic ASCII text mode may work if your printer does not support one of the other modes supported by Host On-Demand; however, if you use this mode, the commands that are unique to your printer will not be available. Host On-Demand does not support PostScript mode with a PDT. If you are using Host On-Demand on a Windows platform, you can use your PostScript printers as a Windows printer without a PDT. VT sessions do not use a PDT when non-Bidi code page is being selected. Printer data from the VT application is sent as-is to the printer device. You must insure that your VT application supports the printer you want to use.

Printer Name
Type the name of the port for the printer you want to use. On Windows workstations, you can also type the UNC (Universal Naming Convention) name of a network printer in either of two formats:

\\server_name\printer name

\\server's_host_name_or_IP_address\printer name

For example, if you are configuring a printer on Windows 95 or NT, you can type a port name such as LPT1, or a network printer name such as \\myhost\printer. If you are configuring a printer on UNIX, type a device name such as /dev/lp0.

Lock
Select Lock to prevent users from changing the associated startup value for a session. You cannot change values for most fields because the fields are unavailable. However, functions accessed from the session menu bar or tool bar can be changed.