Sending jobs to a specific printer

Sometimes, you want to make sure that RICOH ProcessDirector sends a job or a group of jobs to a specific printer. You can provide the name of a specific printer in the workflow or you can use the Schedule function to request a specific printer for a job.
Set the Requested printer property on the PrintJobs step in the workflow if all jobs that the workflow processes need a specific printer function, such as MICR. If the scheduling properties for the job match the scheduling properties for the requested printer when the job arrives in the PrintJobs step, the job can be sent to the printer.

The scheduling properties for jobs are:

  • Binding
  • Customer name
  • Fold options
  • Job size, in sheets

    RICOH ProcessDirector calculates the number of sheets that the job contains, and the user who defines the printer specifies the sheet count that a given printer supports. This property might not contain a value for jobs that are not in the AFP or PDF formats.

  • Media required, for the job including any media specified as page exceptions
  • Output bin
  • Output format
  • Preset name
    Note: For AFP jobs that request a specific preset, do not use Preset name as a scheduling property. If the Preset name printer property is set to any value, the preset is not sent to the printer with the job.
  • Punch
  • Requested location
  • Stapling required, for the job including any stapling specified as page exceptions

The AFP Support feature adds these job scheduling properties for AFP jobs:

  • Job class
  • Job destination
  • Job form

Scheduling properties are added or deleted from this list by editing a scheduling properties configuration file.

If you leave a printer scheduling property blank, it matches all values used for the corresponding job property. If you leave a job scheduling property blank, it matches all values used for the corresponding printer property.

If the scheduling properties do not match (or if the value of the Requested printer property is Not set), use the Schedule function to send the job to a specific printer. The Schedule function is an easy way to make the scheduling properties match.

To send a job to a specific printer:

  1. In the Jobs table, select the job or jobs that you want to schedule to a printer.
  2. Click Schedule.
    The Schedule Jobs dialog shows printers that you have defined, plus all their scheduling properties. If you see a colored star in the top row of the table, only your favorite printers are listed. Click the colored star to see all the printers in the list.
  3. To select a specific printer to print the job or jobs:
    1. Under Requested printer, select Printer selected in table.
    2. Select a printer in the Printers table.
      The printer you selected becomes the Requested printer for the jobs.
    3. Click OK.
  4. To change the values of the scheduling properties for the jobs that you selected and either send the jobs to a specific printer or send them to any printer that has the same values set for its scheduling properties:
    1. If the list of Jobs at the top of the page is closed, click Show jobs to open it.
    2. To change the values of the scheduling properties for the jobs so that they match those of the selected printer, click Make jobs match selected printer.
      RICOH ProcessDirector updates the values of the scheduling properties for the jobs to match those of the printer.
      Note: RICOH ProcessDirector does not update the values of the Media required or Preset name scheduling properties on the job with this action.
      • To resolve a Media required scheduling property conflict, you must change the media specified by the job or route the job to a printer that supports the media.
      • To change the Preset name property of a job to match the printer value, use the Edit Scheduling Properties function as described in the next steps.
    3. To change the values of individual job properties, click Edit scheduling properties.
    4. To change the value of a scheduling property, select the property and type or select a new value.
    5. Click OK.
      RICOH ProcessDirector assigns the new value to all the jobs that are listed in the Jobs table.

If you schedule two or more jobs to the same printer, RICOH ProcessDirector uses these criteria to determine the printing order of the jobs:

  • RICOH ProcessDirector processes jobs that are not members of process groups in this order:
    • Most recently promoted, as determined by the Promotion time property for the job
    • Highest priority, as determined by the Job priority property
    • Most recently received, as determined by the Time submitted property
  • RICOH ProcessDirector processes jobs that are members of a process group in this order:
    • Most recently promoted
    • Highest priority
    • Job order within the process group, as determined by the Process group order property

Related information:

Disabling objects
Tracking the progress of a job
Defining printer objects
Scheduling a job using Output format
Adding or removing scheduling properties
Making jobs process and print sooner
Promoting a job ahead of other jobs on the system
Finding jobs in the system
Parent topic: Starting and restarting jobs