Enhanced N_UP Example 2: Using CONSTANT and OVERLAY

Enhanced N_UP Example 2: Using CONSTANT and OVERLAY

Enhanced N_UP Example 2: Using CONSTANT and OVERLAY

Form Definition for Enhanced N_UP Example 2

   FORMDEF STATMT DUPLEX NORMAL ;
 
   COPYGROUP PAGE1
     INVOKE BACK
     N_UP 2
     PLACE 2 BACK      CONSTANT OVERLAY C
     PLACE 1 FRONT     OVERLAY A
     PLACE 1 BACK      CONSTANT OVERLAY C
     PLACE 2 FRONT     OVERLAY A  ;
 
   COPYGROUP PAGON
     INVOKE NEXT
     N_UP 2
     PLACE 1 FRONT     OVERLAY B
     PLACE 2 BACK      OVERLAY B
     PLACE 2 FRONT     OVERLAY B
     PLACE 1 BACK      OVERLAY B  ;

The previous figure introduces the CONSTANT subcommand of enhanced N_UP and shows the functions of the PLACE subcommand, which was described in Enhanced N_UP Example 1: Using PLACE and the INVOKE subcommand, which was described in Basic N_UP Example 1: Using INVOKE and OVERLAY. This figure represents a user application that is printing customer statements using the values N_UP 2 duplex. The PLACE subcommand places the pages in the correct order for post-processing equipment to cut the sheets into individual pages and interleave them to produce sequential pages. The INVOKE subcommand guarantees that one customer's statement is never printed on the back side of another customer's statement. The N_UP 2 subcommand, combined with the default PORTRAIT ACROSS presentation, divides the sheet into the two partitions illustrated in Enhanced N_UP Example 2: Using CONSTANT and OVERLAY.

In the previous figure, page 1 of each customer's statement is printed with overlay A. The back side of page 1 is a constant overlay, with no user's data. The remaining pages of each customer's statement are printed with overlay B.

The copy groups place the required overlays on both the right and left halves of the sheet, so that a new customer statement can begin on either half of the sheet. COPYGROUP PAGON assigns overlay B to all partitions on the sheet. COPYGROUP PAGE1 assigns overlay A to all front partitions and overlay C to all back partitions. The CONSTANT parameter used with OVERLAY C means that no user's data is printed in the partition with the overlay. To guarantee that the constant overlay prints whenever page 1 is printed, the PLACE subcommand for the constant overlay is specified before the PLACE subcommand for page 1 print data. The INVOKE subcommand specifies BACK to ensure that the overlay is printed on the back of the partition.

In the application shown in Figure Enhanced N_UP Example 2: Using CONSTANT and OVERLAY, the copy group is changed to PAGON after page 1 is printed. Because the constant overlay and page 1 were printed with the first two PLACE commands of copy group PAGE1, the third PLACE command in new copy group is used for the next page. Page 2 of statement 1 is placed in partition 2 front, as specified in the third PLACE subcommand of copy group PAGON.

After the fourth and last page of statement 1, the copy group is changed back to PAGE1 to print page 1 of statement 2. Page 4 of statement 1 printed in front partition 1 using the first PLACE subcommand of copy group PAGON. N_UP selects the second PLACE subcommand of copy group PAGE1: PLACE 1 FRONT. But the INVOKE subcommand for copy group PAGE1 specifies BACK. N_UP continues sequentially through the PLACE subcommands of copy group PAGE1 until it finds a BACK partition. This is the third PLACE subcommand: PLACE 1 BACK CONSTANT OVERLAY C. The constant overlay is placed in partition 1 on the back of the sheet, then page 1 of the new customer's statement is printed using the next PLACE subcommand: PLACE 2 FRONT on the front side of the constant overlay.

Note: You can use NEXT, FRONT, or BACK on the INVOKE subcommand only when switching between copy groups that have identical medium modifications. This includes identical N_UP values and an identical number of PLACE subcommands. If the copy groups have different values, the INVOKE command causes an eject to a new physical sheet.
Parent topic: Enhanced N_UP Printing