Format and print complex document with no program changes

Save the time and expense of changing application programs in order to enhance formatting of application output intended for printing on AFP™ and Intelligent Printer Data Stream™ (IPDS™) printers. Simple EBCDIC or ASCII line data can be flexibly reformatted using the capabilities of Page Printer Formatting Aid (PPFA).

When more flexible, dynamic documents are required, use advanced PPFA formatting capabilities, which include floating record formats; unformatted records with identifying headers; invocation of images, overlays and graphics using variable names in the application; and special page layout functions for XML data.

Highlights

  • Helps to solve the challenge of formatting and printing complex documents such as utility invoices, financial statements and manufacturing bills of material without making program changes.

  • Enables creation of AFP printing resources called page definitions and form definitions.

  • Supports a wide variety of finishing options with form definitions, which include standard interfaces to post-processing equipment. They also provide a way to dynamically change the layout and imposition of your output

  • Enables printing of multiple "logical" pages on a single physical printer form with page definitions.

  • Supports a variety of formatting capabilities for line data, unformatted print records, unformatted records with identifying headers, native AFP (MO:DCA) documents and application output containing XML data.

  • Supports many barcode types, including two dimensional (2D) barcodes such as PDF417, Data Matrix, Maxicode and QR Code.

Features

Page definitions (PAGEDEFS) and form definitions (FORMDEFS)
Achieve superior control and flexibility over the arrangement of variable data on the page and how the printer should handle the physical sheets of paper.

Ability to create professional-looking documents with no modification of source data applications
Improve productivity and save time with functionality such as dynamic imposition and layout, specification of highlight or full process colour, selection of outline fonts in a variety of styles and sizes, inclusion of barcodes in many symbologies, selection of finishing options for ready-to-deliver documents and more.

Formatting of output from Web applications that output XML for printing on your AFP™ production printers
Save time and lower output costs because you do not need to convert data before processing it for production printing. AFP page layouts support formatting of applications that generate output in the standard XML format for business application data interchange.

Support for AFP and industry-standard font technologies
Gain freedom of choice by selecting either traditional AFP fonts or fonts in the standard TrueType and OpenType font technologies commonly used by document composition and graphics programs.

Specification
PPFA is intended to run on AIX and Windows and is an optional feature of InfoPrint Manager for AIX and Infoprint Manager for Windows®. PPFA runs as a command line program in the AIX and Windows environments and produces page definitions or form definitions for dynamically formatting data at print time using:

 

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Testimonials

Graham Sutton
Financial Director, Trent Barton Buses
2014-10-16, 09:59
"Sterling have supplied our group of companies with photocopiers and printers for over 11 years. Throughout those years, the level of service and … read more
Martin Mansell
Financial Director, Tex Industrial Plastics
2014-10-16, 09:58
“Tex have used Sterling Business Systems to provide and maintain our photocopiers and office printers for over twenty years. The service has been … read more
Beverly Bunting
Senior Admin Officer, NORSACA
2014-10-16, 09:57
"It was important for us to seek the services of a local established company.

We selected Sterling as NORSACA amongst other things, believes in … read more
Sally Blanchard
Office Manager, NRA Roofing & Flooring Services Ltd
2014-10-16, 09:55
"As a long standing customer of Sterling Business Systems, we did not hesitate to approach them when we needed to upgrade our copier / printer / … read more