Defining printer objects
- AFP printer
- Use the Print Services Facility (PSF) printer driver to convert AFP print jobs into the Intelligent Printer Data Stream (IPDS) format.
- Available if the AFP Support feature is installed.
- Custom PDF printer
- Converts PDF to PostScript.
- Kodak PDF printer
- Prints PDF files, including jobs that have been converted to PDF format.
- Available if the Cut Sheet Support for Kodak feature is installed.
- Passthrough printer
- Usually prints data streams such as PostScript, PDF, and PCL without doing any file conversion.
- PCLOut printer
- Use the PSF printer driver to convert AFP print jobs into the IPDS format. Then they convert the IPDS format into Printer Command Language (PCL) format.
- Available if the AFP Support feature is installed.
- Ricoh PDF printer
- Prints PDF data with JDF job tickets or PostScript data.
- Ricoh TotalFlow printer
- Prints PDF data streams without doing any file conversions. Produces a MIME package containing the PDF data and JDF job ticket.
- Xerox PDF printer
- Prints PDF files, including jobs that have been converted to PDF format.
- Available if the Cut Sheet Support for Xerox feature is installed.
Optional features add more types of printer objects.
RICOH ProcessDirector can get status on the job while it is printing by communicating directly with AFP printers and Ricoh PDF printers.
For Passthrough and PCLOut printers, RICOH ProcessDirector runs a command that is defined for the printer and monitors the response to the command. RICOH ProcessDirector cannot report status of the job that it sent.
Jobs are assigned to the printers using scheduling properties. Scheduling properties are job and printer properties that RICOH ProcessDirector compares to determine whether a job can be sent to a printer. The table shows the default job scheduling properties and their corresponding printer properties. If all the scheduling properties match, the job can be scheduled to the printer. Scheduling properties are added or deleted from this list by editing a scheduling properties configuration file.
- Note:
- A blank value for a job scheduling property matches all values for the corresponding printer property. A blank value for a printer scheduling property matches all values for the corresponding job scheduling property.
Scheduling properties
| Job property | Printer property |
|---|---|
| Binding, with Perfect selected | Perfect binding capable |
| Binding, with Ring or Ring and punch selected | Ring binding capable |
| Customer name | Customer name |
| Fold options | Folding capable |
| Job size (sheets) | Printer job size (sheets) supported |
| Media | Media supported |
| PLE Media | Media supported |
| Output bin | Output bins available |
| Output format | Output format |
| Preset name | Preset name |
| Punch | Punch capable |
| Requested location | Printer location |
| Staple | Staple capable |
| PLE Staple | Staple capable |
- Note:
- AFP jobs can request that the printer use a specific preset. When an AFP job arrives at a printer that supports this function, the printer switches to use that preset automatically. If your printer supports this function, do not use Preset name as a scheduling property; leave the printer property blank. If the Preset name printer property is set to any value, the preset is not sent to the printer with the job.
The AFP Support feature provides these additional scheduling properties:
AFP scheduling properties
| Job property | Printer property |
|---|---|
| Job class | Printer class |
| Job destination | Printer destination |
| Job form | Printer form |
Another way to print is to define a workflow that copies the print file to a directory defined as a hot folder for a printer. You do not need to define a printer object in this case because the workflow does not usually contain a PrintJobs step. Jobs that are processed with that kind of workflow do not use scheduling properties because scheduling applies only to the PrintJobs step.