Job prints on incorrect media using an AFP printer

If AFP support is installed and your job was sent to an AFP printer, where it printed on the wrong paper (for example green instead of blue paper), you might need to update some job or printer properties.
AFP jobs have two ways of specifying the media to use: the form definition resource and the Media property set in the workflow. The form definition resource specifies the bin number to use to print each page of the job. Setting a value for the Media property for the job overrides the form definition and all pages are printed using the Media value set for the job. When the media specified in the Media property for the job is loaded in a tray in the printer and that tray is enabled, RICOH ProcessDirector sends the bin number that is defined for that tray to the printer driver component and all pages of the job will print from the stock loaded in that tray. If you specify a value for the Media property of the job, it must match a value for the Media supported on the printer before RICOH ProcessDirector can schedule the job to the printer.
To view and update the appropriate properties:
  1. Right-click the job and select Properties.
    1. Find the Media property on the Scheduling tab and make sure it lists the correct media name.
    2. If the media value is blank, look at the Form definition property on the AFP tab. If that value is blank, the form definition is contained in the print job. If a form definition was specified, you may need an AFP data analysis tool to tell you if the form definition specified a bin to pull paper from and, if so, what bin number was specified for the job.
  2. If there was a Media value for the job, check in the job log for any evidence that the value of the Media property for the job changed since you submitted it.
    1. Right-click the job and select View Log.
    2. Set the log to show Property changes and search for Media.
    3. Look for evidence that someone used the Correct media action to change the job media value after you submitted the job.
  3. Look at the banner page or the job log to find the name of the printer that printed the job. If you look in the job log, sort the Issued by column until you see the name of the printer.
  4. In the Printers portlet on the Main page, select the printer that printed the job, and click Properties. On the Media tab, look for the list of Media supported for the printer.
    • If the value for Media supported is Ready media objects, use the Show Trays action on the selected printer to see what media is loaded in each tray. The values displayed might have changed after you printed the job. If the media named by your job is shown as loaded in a tray, note the bin number associated with that tray.
    • If the value for Media supported is Custom, look for the name of the media you requested in the list. Then, check to see whether that system media is mapped to the correct printer media. Click Administration ⇒ Media ⇒ Media Mapping. Select the printer from the list and look for the system media in the table.

      If the system media is mapped incorrectly, delete it and add a new mapping.

  5. On the printer or printer controller console, check the bin mapping information. See if the bin with the number listed on the Tray information page is loaded with the correct paper or has any indications about the media that is usually loaded in it. It is possible that the operator did not have the correct media loaded in the tray.
  6. If the values in the Media required property for the job are all matched by the values set in the Media supported for the printer used to print the job, it is likely that the operator forgot to update the media loaded in the printer to match the requested media before the job was printed.
Parent topic: Printing jobs