The pcl2afp and pcl2afpd configuration files

Instead of typing flags on the command line with the pcl2afp command, you can use the -C flag to specify a configuration file that contains the flags. In this way, you can simply specify a configuration file name, rather than typing many flags. You might find it convenient to use a configuration file if you repeatedly use the same flags with the pcl2afp command, or if you are using different PCL processing values than the defaults defined by your system support group.

When your system support group installed the pcl2afp transform, a default pcl2afp command configuration file, pcl2afp.cfg, was installed as follows:

For AIX or Linux
/usr/lpp/psf/pcl2afp
For Windows
install_path\pcl2afp
To create your own files, copy the pcl2afp.cfg file and then use a system editor to modify the options in this ASCII file to suit your needs.

A default pcl2afpd daemon configuration file, pcl2afpd.cfg, was also installed as follows:

For AIX or Linux
/usr/lpp/psf/pcl2afp
For Windows
install_path\pcl2afp
The pcl2afpd daemon configuration file can contain most of the same keywords as the pcl2afp command configuration file, plus some keywords that control the operation of the pcl2afpd daemon. Values in the command configuration file override values in the daemon configuration file.

The next figure shows an example of a configuration file.

Sample pcl2afp configuration file

# pcl2afp configuration file


# KEYWORD            EQUIVALENT pcl2afp FLAG                   PURPOSE
######################################################################


port = 8253                 # -P              which TCP/IP port to use
server = localhost          # -S          which server to connect with

pcl_max_memory = 6000K      # -M         maximum amount of memory that
                            #             PCL uses; the 'K' is ignored

pcl_job_timeout = 20        # -j             maximum number of minutes
                            #                     to process a PCL job

pcl_width = 8.5i            # -w              width of generated image
pcl_length = 11i            # -l             length of generated image
pcl_x_offset = 0i           # -x                left and right margins
pcl_y_offset = 0i           # -y                top and bottom margins
pcl_resolution = 300        # -r          resolution of target printer
pcl_output_type = IO1_G4    # -a         type of AFP image to generate

#pcl_is = 1                 # -is           the is afp compliance flag
#pcl_compress_type = lzw    # -cmp                     lzw compression
                            #            other options: jpeg, jpeg-sub

######################################################################

# ENABLING THE PLEX COMMAND AND MAPPING BINS TO TRAYS
# NOTE: Uncomment only one of the options below.

######################################################################

# ENABLING THE PLEX COMMAND ONLY
# If you want your users to be able to choose between single-sided and 
# double-sided (duplexed) output, uncomment the following line.

# device_controls = plex

######################################################################

# ENABLING THE PLEX COMMAND AND MAPPING BINS TO TRAYS
# If you want your users to be able to both choose between single-
# sided and double-sided (duplexed) output AND specify which paper 
# tray to use, uncomment the line below and fill in the correct values:

# Replace the Xs with the number of the AFP tray (between 1 and 255).
# Replace the Zs with the PCL bin number (between 1 and 59).

# You can list up to 20 mappings.

# device_controls = plex,inputX=(pcl_bin=Z),inputX=(pcl_bin=Z)

The next table shows the pcl2afp flags and their equivalent configuration file keywords. To override the values in the default configuration file, pcl2afp.cfg, you can do one of the following:

  • Specify flags with the pcl2afp command at transform time.
  • Specify a configuration file with pcl2afp -C at transform time.
  • Specify pcl2afp flags with -o flags on an AIX print command, or with equivalent attributes with the -x flag or in an attributes file on the pdpr command, to transform a file and print it at the same time.

PCL printing and processing options

pcl2afp Flag Keyword in pcl2afp Configuration File Keyword in pcl2afpd Configuration File
Note: The valid values for configuration file keywords are the same as for the corresponding pcl2afp command flag. For keywords used only in the pcl2afpd daemon configuration file, which have no corresponding command flag, see pcl2afpd utility: starts the pcl2afpd daemon.
-a OutputType pcl_output_type=value pcl_output_type=value
-C ConfigurationFile None
-c None
-cmp pcl_compress_type=value
-device device_controls=[plex], [inputn=(pcl_bin=m)] [inputn=(pcl_bin=m) [inputn=…]]
InputFile … None
-is pcl_is=value pcl_is=value
-j nnnn pcl_job_timeout=nnnn
-l nnnn.nnnu pcl_length=nnnn.nnnu
-M nnnnn pcl_max_memory=nnnnn
-o OutputFile None
-P nnnnn port=PortNumber
-p PageRange None
-pragma 'pcl_x_origin=nnnn.nnnu' pragma = pcl_x_origin=nnnn.nnnu  
-pragma 'pcl_y_origin=nnnn.nnnu' pragma = pcl_y_origin=nnnn.nnnu  
-q None
-r nnn pcl_resolution=nnn
-S ServerName server=ServerName None
-w nnnn.nnnu pcl_width=nnnn.nnnu
-x nnnn.nnnu pcl_x_offset=nnnn.nnnu
-y nnnn.nnnu pcl_y_offset=nnnn.nnnu
None None log_file=PathName
None None log_size=Size
None None mail_command=PathName
None None notify=UserID
None None pcl_program=PathName
None None pcl_support_program=PathName
None None work_directory=PathName
None None pcl_fonts-path=PathName
Parent topic: pcl2afp command: transforms PCL data to AFP