Flags and Values

This section describes the flags and values for the pcl2afp transform:
-a {IO1_G4 | IM1 | IO1 | IO1_MMR | PSEG_IO1_G4 | PSEG_IM1 | PSEG_IO1 | PSEG_IO1_MMR | OVLY_IO1_G4 | OVLY_IM1 | OVLY_IO1 | OVLY_IO1_MMR | FS45 | FS45.ovly | FS45.pseg}
Determines the type of AFP data stream image to generate for each page in the PCL file.

Values are:

IO1_G4
Compressed Image Object Content Architecture (IOCA) image in Modified TSS (formerly CCITT) T.6 G4 Facsimile Coding Scheme (G4 MMR) format. This is the recommended output type because it takes up less space on the fixed disk, and it prints faster. It is the default specified in the pcl2afpd daemon and pcl2afp command configuration files.
Note: The InfoPrint 3816 printer does not support printing with an image type of IO1_G4. For this printer, specify an image type of IO1_MMR because it is the compressed image type supported by this printer, and it will result in faster printing than uncompressed image types.

PPDS, PCL, and TCP/IP-attached IPDS printers can print IOCA images

IM1
IM1 image. This type of image is not compressed.
IO1
IOCA image. This type of image is not compressed.
IO1_MMR
Compressed IOCA image in Modified Modified Read (MMR) format.
PSEG_IO1_G4 | PSEG_IM1 | PSEG_IO1 | PSEG_IO1_MMR
Page segment of the specified image type.
Note: When generating page segments from multiple-page documents, you might want to use the -p flag to select which page is to be made into a page segment; otherwise, multiple page segments will be created, one for each page of PCL.
OVLY_IO1_G4 | OVLY_IM1 | OVLY_IO1 | OVLY_IO1_MMR
Overlay of the specified image type.
Note: When generating overlays from multiple-page documents, you might want to use the -p flag to select which page is to be made into an overlay; otherwise, multiple overlays will be created, one for each page of PCL.
FS45
IOCA color format.
FS45.ovly
IOCA color format for overlays.
FS45.pseg
IOCA color format for page segments.

This flag is similar to the image-out-format document attribute on the pdpr command.

-C ConfigurationFile
Specifies the path and file name of the customized configuration file pcl2afp uses with the transform. If you specify the -C flag with an AIX print command (enq, lp, or qprt), or with the lprafp command. specify the fully qualified name of the file, including its path; for example:
For AIX or Linux
/usr/lpp/psf/pcl2afp/myfile.cfg
For Windows
d:\pcl\myfile.cfg
-c
Concatenates multiple input files without putting a Esc-E (end of job) characters between the files. The pcl2afp command interprets the input files as a continuous data stream, and processes them as if they were one PCL job. This flag can be useful when processing PCL files with inline resources.
Note: Do not use this flag when you perform the PCL-to-AFP data stream transform by submitting a print job with the pdpr command.
InputFile …
Specifies one or more input files to be transformed. If you specify more than one input file name, the pcl2afp command concatenates the files and separates them with the Esc-E (end of job) characters. The results of the transform are written to a single output file (if one is specified) or to standard output.

In addition, you can specify PCL inline resource files as input files to the pcl2afp command. The file name of the inline resource file must precede the file name of the PCL print file so that pcl2afp concatenates the files in the correct order. The pcl2afp command concatenates the resources in front of the print file when the -c flag is specified.

If you do not specify an input file, pcl2afp uses standard input. If the pcl2afp command cannot read from standard input, the command issues a message.

-cmp {jpeg-sub | jpeg | lzw}
Enables JPEG or LZW compression.

Values are:

-cmp jpeg-sub
This value is used for JPEG compression and subsampled files.
-cmp jpeg
This value is used for JPEG compression and unsubsampled files.
-cmp lzw
This value is used for LZW compression and unsubsampled files. This is the default value.
    Note:
  • The compression algorithm should be used when the output is IOCA objects and when the color path (FS45) is selected.

-device "[plex,] [inputn=(pcl_bin=m)][inputn=(pcl_bin=m)][inputn=…]"
Specifies whether to recognize the plex command, and optionally, how to associate the AFP input tray (inputn, where n is a value between 1 to 255) with the pcl bin (pcl_bin=m, where m is a value between 0 to 59). When you do not specify inputn=(pcl_bin=n) with plex, InfoPrint recognizes the plex command with no tray mappings. If you do not specify plex and tray mappings, that is, the device-controls attribute is commented out in the pcl2afpd.cfg file, InfoPrint Manager uses the settings in the default formdef, which is duplex. In this case, any input file that is processed is printed duplex due to this default formdef from InfoPrint Manager.
Note: You can specify inputn=(pcl_bin=m) up to twenty times.
If the device_controls attribute is specified in the pcl2afpd.cfg file, an internal formdef is embedded in the pcl2afp output the transform generates and the plex command from the input file (simplex, duplex, or tumble) is recognized. The appropriate IMM (Invoked Medium Map) is used so the output of simplex, duplex, or tumble is specified in the input file.
-is {1 | 3}
Specifies the interchange set version.

Values are:

1
If you specify 1, the output is IS/1 compliant. This is the default value.
3
If you specify 3, the output is IS/3 compliant.
    Note:
  1. Any other value different than 1 or 3 is signaled as error.
  2. If you specify 3 as a value for the -is flag, make sure that the output type selected is one of the following: IO1, IO1_G4, IO1_MMR, PSEG_IO1, PSEG_IO1_G4, PSEG_IO1_MMR, OVLY_IO1, OVLY_IO1_G4, OVLY_IO1_MMR. Only these output types are compatible with the IS/3 flag.

-j {20 | 1to9998 | 9999}
Specifies the maximum amount of time, in minutes, to spend processing the job.

Values are:

20
20 minutes, the default
1 to 9998
The timer ranges from 1 to 9998 minutes, in one-minute increments
9999
No time limit

-lnnnn.nnnu
Specifies the length of the generated image; nnnn.nnn is a number that can optionally contain a decimal point, and u is the units in inches (i) or millimeters (m). If you do not specify a unit (i or m), pcl2afp uses pels as the unit type. You cannot specify fractional values (that is, you cannot use a decimal point) for pels.
Note: If a text margin is already built into the file, try -l11i to set the length to 11 inches.

For 240-pel resolution printers, values are:

11i
11 inches, the default
16 to 5280
The length can be from 16 pels to 5280 pels, 0.067i to 22.002i, or 1.701m to 558.852m. For example, these values are all valid: 
-l 40m
-l 200.5m
-l 13i
-l 4000

For 300-pel resolution printers, values are:

11i
11 inches, the default
16 to 6600
The length can be from 16 pels to 6600 pels, 0.053i to 22.001i, or 1.346m to 558.842m. For example, these values are all valid: 
-l 40m
-l 200.5m
-l 13i
-l 5000

For 480-pel resolution printers, values are:

11i
11 inches, the default
16 to 10560
The length can be from 16 pels to 10560 pels, 0.033i to 22.002i, or 0.838m to 558.852m. For example, these values are all valid: 
-l 40m
-l 200.5m
-l 13i
-l 8000

For 600-pel resolution printers, values are:

11i
11 inches, the default
16 to 20400
The length can be from 16 pels to 20400 pels, 0.0267i to 34.001i, or 0.678m to 863m. For example, these values are all valid: 
-l 40m
-l 200.5m
-l 13i
-l 10000

This flag is equivalent to the image-length document attribute on the pdpr command.

-M {6000 | 2000tonnnnn}
Determines the maximum amount of memory, in KB, that the transform can use. This flag can be useful if you are processing large PCL jobs that require a lot of memory.

Values are:

6000
6000KB (6MB), the default
2000 tonnnnn
The maximum memory ranges from 2000 to nnnnn (where nnnnn is the maximum upper limit allowed by AIX, Linux, or Windows) up to 64MB.

-oOutputFile
Specifies the output path and file into which the transformed PCL files are to be written. If more than one output file is specified, the last specified file name and path is the one used. If no output file is specified, the result is written to standard output.

You cannot use -oOutputFile on the command line with the enq, lp, qprt, or lprafp commands. You can only use -oOutputFile with the pcl2afp command, or with the other-transform-options attribute on the pdpr command.

This option is equivalent to the transform-output-file-name document attribute on the pdpr command.

-P {8253 | 924 tonnnnn}
Specifies the TCP/IP port number pcl2afp uses to make a connection with the workstation on which the pcl2afpd daemon is running (set by the -S flag). If your InfoPrint installation uses more than one PCL daemon, use this flag to select the daemon.

This port should not be the same port used by the TCP/IP-attached IPDS printer or by the PostScript transform. On AIX or Linux, to find out which ports are already being used on your system (although they might or might not be active), look in the /etc/services file.

Values are:

8253
The default port number.
924 tonnnnn
Any valid port number greater than or equal to 924. With AIX or Linux, the maximum value nnnnn must be equal to or less than 65535.

Note: You can only access secure ports, 924 to 1023, with root user authority.
-pPageRange
Specifies that the output should only contain selected pages. When you specify multiple -p flags, the pcl2afp command accumulates them and prints the identified pages in normal numerical order, regardless of the order you specify. Examples of values include:
-p even
Output even pages.
-p odd
Output odd pages.
-p 1-10
Output pages 1 through 10.
-p 10-
Output pages from page 10 until the end of the job.
-p 1 -p 3 -p 6
Output pages 1, 3, and 6, in that order.
-p1 -p6 -p3
Output pages 1, 3, and 6, in that order.

This flag is equivalent to the page-select document attribute on the pdpr command.

-pragma 'pcl_x_origin=nnnn.nnnu'
Specifies an X presentation page origin of the generated image; nnnn.nnnu is a number that can optionally contain a decimal point, and u is the units in inches (i) or millimeters (m). If you do not specify a unit (i or m), pcl2afp uses pels as the unit type. You cannot specify fractional values, that is, you cannot use a decimal point, for pels. If this value is unspecified, zerio is presumed.

Allowed Values

You can enter a value from -577.99 to 577.97.

-pragma 'pcl_y_origin=nnnn.nnnu'
Specifies an Y presentation page origin of the generated image; nnnn.nnnu is a number that can optionally contain a decimal point, and u is the units in inches (i) or millimeters (m). If you do not specify a unit (i or m), pcl2afp uses pels as the unit type. You cannot specify fractional values, that is, you cannot use a decimal point, for pels. If this value is unspecified, zerio is presumed.

Allowed Values

You can enter a value from -577.99 to 577.97.

-q
Quiets (suppresses) the echoing of the pcl2afp command to the display.
-r {240 | 300 | 360 | 480 | 600 | 720 | 1200}
Specifies the resolution of the output image. Select the resolution based on the printer on which you will be printing the image.

Values are:

240
240 pels-per-inch
300
300 pels-per-inch the default
360
360 pels-per-inch (for example, InfoPrint 5000 printers)
480
480 pels-per-inch
600
600 pels-per-inch (for example, InfoPrint 4100 printers)
720
720 pels-per-inch (for example, InfoPrint 5000 printers)
1200
1200 pels-per-inch (for example, InfoPrint Pro C900AFP printers)

Note: If you specify a resolution that the printer does not support, InfoPrint will print the image under most conditions, but with degraded results. Specify the correct resolution for the printer on which you will print the PCL job.

This flag is equivalent to the default-printer-resolution document attribute on the pdpr command.

-S ServerName
Specifies the name of the AIX or Linux system on which the pcl2afpd daemon is running. If you do not specify this flag, the ServerName defaults to the effective name of the workstation on which you issued the pcl2afp command. The value is:
ServerName
A hostname, IPv4 or IPv6 address for any valid AIX or Linux system where the pcl2afpd daemon is running.
-s {20 | 1to9998 | 9999}
Specifies the maximum amount of time, in minutes, that the PCL interpreter remains idle between jobs before it goes down. When the PCL interpreter is running, it uses some of the workstation memory. If the PCL interpreter goes down, you do not need to bring it back up; the interpreter automatically starts when you submit another PCL job as long as the pcl2afpd daemon is running.

Values are:

20
The default time is 20 minutes.
1to9998
The time is the number of minutes specified in one-minute increments.
9999
There is no time limit.

-w nnnn.nnnu
Specifies the width of the generated image; nnnn.nnn is a number that can optionally contain a decimal point, and u is the units in inches (i) or millimeters (m). If you do not specify a unit (i or m), pcl2afp uses pels as the unit type. You cannot specify fractional values (that is, you cannot use a decimal point) for pels.
Note: If a text margin is already built into the file, try -w8.5i to set the width to 8.5 inches.

For 240-pel resolution printers, values are:

8.5i
8.5 inches, the default
16 to 4080
The width can be from 16 pels to 4080 pels, 0.065i to 17.002i, or 1.641m to 431.852m. For example, these values are all valid: 
-w 40m
-w 200.5m
-w 13i
-w 3300

For 300-pel resolution printers, values are:

8.5i
8.5 inches, the default
16 to 5100
The width can be from 16 pels to 5100 pels, 0.052i to 17.001i, or 1.313m to 431.842m. For example, these values are all valid: 
-w 40m
-w 200.5m
-w 13i
-w 5000

For 480-pel resolution printers, values are:

8.5i
8.5 inches, the default
16 to 8160
The width can be from 16 pels to 8160 pels, 0.065i to 17.002i, or 1.641m to 431.852m. For example, these values are all valid: 
-w 40m
-w 200.5m
-w 13i
-w 6600

For 600-pel resolution printers, values are:

8.5i
8.5 inches, the default
16 to 10200
The width can be from 16 pels to 10200 pels, 0.052i to 17.001i, or 1.313m to 431.842m. For example, these values are all valid: 
-w 40m
-w 200.5m
-w 13i
-w 10000

This flag is equivalent to the image-width document attribute on the pdpr command.

-x nnnn.nnnu
Specifies an X offset (horizontal offset) of the generated image; nnnn.nnn is a number that can optionally contain a decimal point, and u is the units in inches (i) or millimeters (m). If you do not specify a unit (i or m), pcl2afp uses pels as the unit type. You cannot specify fractional values (that is, you cannot use a decimal point) for pels.

An offset value specifies a border or margin around the generated image to avoid the non-printable areas of some printers. An X-offset value specifies the left and right margins of the generated image.

For all printers, values are:

0.167i
0.167 inches, the default
0 to 8.5i
The X offset must be less than half of the width (-w) of the generated image. For example, if you specify a width of 13i, the X offset can be no larger than 6.5i.

This flag is equivalent to the x-image-shift document attribute on the pdpr command.

    Note:
  1. The X offset specified with -x must be less than half the width specified with -w. If the -x value is greater than or equal to the -w value, a blank page is printed.
  2. The X-offset value specifies margins on both the left and right sides of the page. If you have a width of 8.5 inches and specify an X offset of 5 inches, a blank page will also result because the margins on the left and right sides of the paper exceed the width of the paper.
  3. PCL processing is slower when you use the -x flag, because the pcl2afpd daemon must stop and re-start the PCL interpreter. You can improve performance by changing the pcl_x_offset value in the pcl2afpd daemon configuration file rather than using -x on a regular basis.

-y nnnn.nnnu
Specifies a Y offset (vertical offset) of the generated image; nnnn.nnn is a number that can optionally contain a decimal point, and u is the units in inches (i) or millimeters (m). If you do not specify a unit (i or m), pcl2afp uses pels as the unit type. You cannot specify fractional values (that is, you cannot use a decimal point) for pels.

An offset value specifies a border or margin around the generated image to avoid the non-printable areas of some printers. A Y-offset value specifies the top and bottom margins of the generated image.

For all printers, values are:

0.167i
0.167 inches, the default
0 to 8.5i
The Y offset must be less than half of the length (-l) of the generated image. For example, if you specify a length of 14i, the Y offset can be no larger than 7.0i.

This flag is equivalent to the y-image-shift document attribute on the pdpr command.

    Note:
  1. The Y offset specified with -y must be less than the half of the length specified with -l. If the -y value is greater than or equal to the -l value, a blank page is printed.
  2. The Y-offset value specifies margins on both the top and bottom edges of the page. If you have a length of 11 inches and specify an Y offset of 6 inches, a blank page will also result because the margins on the top and bottom of the paper exceed the length of the paper.
  3. PCL processing is slower when you use the -y flag, because the pcl2afpd daemon must stop and re-start the PCL interpreter. You can improve performance by changing the pcl_y_offset value in the pcl2afpd daemon configuration file rather than using -y on a regular basis.

-h | -?
Displays the pcl2afp help file.
Parent topic: pcl2afp command: transforms PCL data to AFP