Sending a preset request with a job

If you print AFP jobs, you can send a requested preset for the printer to use when the job is printed. This function is only available for AFP jobs sent to AFP printer objects.
Before you begin:
  • Verify that your printer supports this function.

    Ricoh ProVC printers with RICOH TotalFlow Print server DFE support this function at code level v8.32.018 and BOS v153.09.123 and above.

  • Make sure that the AFP printer object does not have a value set for its Preset name property.

    The Preset name has two possible uses: as a scheduling property and as a request sent to the printer with a job. These functions are mutually exclusive; a single AFP printer object cannot support both uses. If the printer has a value set for Preset name, RICOH ProcessDirector assumes that the property is used as a scheduling property and does not send the preset request to the printer with the job.

  • Understand how you are informed of the correct preset to use for a job.

    Do you receive a list of available presets and what jobs should use them? Is the preset to use included in the job name or in a job values file submitted with the job?

To request a preset when you send an AFP job to a printer, you must set the Preset name property for the job to the correct value. Various methods are available to set this property.

To send a preset request with a job, use the method appropriate for your environment:

  • Update the Preset name property for an individual job.
    1. On the Main page, find the job in the Jobs table.
    2. Right-click the job and select Properties to open the Job property notebook.
    3. On the Scheduling tab, find Preset name and enter the name of the preset to use.
    4. Click OK.
  • Update the default job values for the workflows that process AFP jobs.
    This option is useful when all jobs processed by a workflow use the same preset.
    1. Click the Workflow tab.
    2. On the Workflows page, find and open the workflow to update.
    3. In the upper right corner, click the menu and select Manage job defaults.
    4. Find the Preset name property and enter the default value to use for jobs that use this workflow.
    5. Click OK and approve the change.
  • Add an AssignJobValues step to the workflows the process AFP jobs.
    This option is useful if the preset is submitted in a job values file or for conditional workflows, when jobs that follow different processing paths require different presets.
    1. Click the Workflow tab.
    2. On the Workflows page, find and open the workflow to update.
    3. In the upper-left corner, click Step Templates.
    4. Find the AssignJobValues step template and drag it into the workflow in the correct position.
    5. Double-click the AssignJobValues step to open the properties notebook.
    6. On the Assigned Job Values tab:
      • Set the Job values file if the preset name is included in a configuration file.
      • Add Preset name to the Values to set list and enter the value for the name.
    7. Click OK.

Related information:

Defining AFP printer devices
Setting up a RICOH TotalFlow Print server to connect with RICOH ProcessDirector
Defining an AFP Printer to send jobs to RICOH TotalFlow Print server
Printer does not use requested preset
Printer does not use requested preset
Parent topic: Starting and restarting jobs