Configuring Printers to Use Papers

This topic explains how to configure TotalFlow Production Manager printers and papers so that jobs print on the required paper. The process is the same for printers that use the Ricoh and EFI Fiery controller options.

These instructions apply to jobs submitted from TotalFlow Prep or other external applications. By default, jobs submitted to hot folders or by the lpr command do not specify any paper properties, so they are automatically received and scheduled.

To configure the TotalFlow Production Manager printer and print a job:

  1. Make sure that the TotalFlow Production Manager papers are defined correctly.
    For information, see Papers in TotalFlow Production Manager and in Other Programs.
  2. Map the input trays for each Job Ticket printer or Passthrough printer to show the papers loaded in the printer device.
    1. Use default papers wherever possible.
      The names of the default papers do not have to match the names in the printer paper catalog. For example, the paper loaded in Tray 1 of the printer device might be called Standard in the printer paper catalog. TotalFlow Production Manager has no default paper called Standard, but it does have one called A4. Both Standard and A4 are white, A4 in size, and 80 grams per square meter in weight; and neither is preprinted, prepunched, textured, or coated. Specify A4 paper in Tray 1 of the TotalFlow Production Manager printer.
    2. If you cannot use a default paper, create a custom paper.
      1. Copy the closest matching default paper, then change the properties that you want to customize. This ensures that all the properties needed to match job submissions from TotalFlow Prep or other external applications have values.
      2. If you use a custom supported paper list, add the paper to the list of Paper types for each applicable printer.
  3. Before you submit a job to TotalFlow Production Manager, compare the paper properties requested in the external applications job ticket to the properties of the papers in the TotalFlow Production Manager paper library. For every paper that the job ticket requests, there must be a TotalFlow Production Manager paper with the equivalent property values. If you submit a job that is to use a custom paper, make sure that you specify the non-default properties of the custom paper in the job ticket.
  4. To schedule a job to a TotalFlow Production Manager printer, make sure that the name of each paper requested in the job ticket matches the name of a paper that is either already mapped in a printer input tray or specified in a paper change that is scheduled for the printer.
  5. If the job is not scheduled to print:
    1. Select the job and click More, then select Move.... Look at the Move Job dialog to see which property is preventing the job from being scheduled to the desired printer.
    2. If the problem is a paper property, make sure that every paper name requested by the job is listed in the input paper tray setting for the printer.

Related information:

Papers in TotalFlow Production Manager and in Other Programs
Mapping Trays and Paper for a Printer
Creating a Paper Change for a Printer
Parent topic: Creating Printers