Summary of a Form Definition

A PPFA command stream can contain form-definition commands. A form definition specifies how the printer controls the processing of the physical sheets of paper. In a form definition, you can specify modifications that distinguish formatting one print job from another when both are derived from the same data. Form definitions are used for all print server print files regardless of data type.

Form definitions can specify the following functions:

• Position of a logical page on a physical page
• Duplex printing
• Inclusion of overlays, which substitute for preprinted forms
• Flash (the use of a forms flash, on 3800 printers only)
• Selection of the number of copies for any page of data
• Suppression (the exclusion of selected fields of data in one printed version of a page of data but not in another)
• Jog (the offset stacking of cut-sheet output or copy marking on continuous-forms output)
• Selection among paper sources in a cut-sheet printer
• Adjustment of the horizontal position of the print area on the sheet (only on 3800 printers)
• Quality (selection among print quality levels)
• Constant (allows front or back printing of a page without variable data)
• Printing one, two, three, or four logical pages on a single side of a page
• Postprocessing controls, such as:
  • Selecting device-dependent functions defined by the postprocessing device
• Finishing operations:
  • Center Fold In
  • Corner Staple
  • Edge Staple
  • Saddle Stitch (In and Out)
  • Separation Cut
  • Perforation Cut
  • Fold
  • Z-Fold
  • Punch
  • UP3i Finishing