Printer utilities

Printer Utilities are options for customers using PlanetPress Design documents.
These commands were made for PostScript printers, so the printer on which they are used needs to be able to interpret PostScript.

To get to these options, open the Tools ribbon and click Printer Utilities.

Set Printer’s Advanced Options

This allows to set some of the PostScript printer’s options from Workflow.

  • Printer Password: If the printer requires a password, enter it here.
  • Max form cache: Set the size, in bytes, of the PostScript printer form cache. This sets the cache size for all documents that execute on the printer. You base the setting for this option on the number of images in your documents, their sizes, and how frequently each image repeats in a document.
  • Manual Feed Time-Out: Enter the maximum amount of time, in seconds, you want the printer to wait for paper from a manual feed before terminating the current job.
  • Wait Time-Out: Enter the maximum amount of time, in seconds, you want the printer to wait for input before terminating the current job.
  • Do Sys/Start: Select to have the printer execute its Sys/Start file at boot time.
  • Print PostScript Errors: If the printer encounters a PostScript error during execution of a job, it terminates the job. Select this option to have the printer print an error page that reports the offending PostScript command and the status of the print stack. This can be useful in debugging a document.
  • Force postscript mode: Check to force the printer to expect, and print, in PostScript mode. This is useful if the printer supports multiple printing languages.

Delete Files from Printer’s File System

The Delete Files from Printer’s File System option allows to send a command to the printer so that it deletes a file contained on its hard drive, RAM or Flash drive. It is possible to delete multiple files by pressing enter at the file path just entered. A confirmation page will be printed out after the command is sent. The syntax is the following:

Path syntax: Deletes a file:
%<DISKNAME>%<DOC_OR_FILE_NAME>

On the hard disk. If the printer has more than one hard disk, you must specify the one on which the document or file you want to delete resides. For example:
%sales%sale_flyer
deletes the document or file “sale_flyer” on the hard disk named “sales”.
%FLASH%<DOC_OR_FILE_NAME>

In Flash memory. For example:
%flash%tax_bill
deletes the document or file “tax_bill” from the flash memory of the printer.
<DOC_OR_FILE_NAME> On a printer that has either only Flash memory or only a single hard disk.

Print Status Page

The Print Status Page option sends a command to print information to the selected printer(s), notably:

  • The serial number and the full version number of the copy of Workflow making the request.
  • Printer information (printer name, firmware version, etc.).
  • Information on the current job (paper type, paper tray used, etc.).
  • Information on the installed devices (printer hard disk, flash drive, etc.).
  • Memory size information.
  • Input and output tray information (all trays and their settings on the printer).
  • Paper handling and finishing information.
  • System settings (various internal info on the printer).

A Status Page is required when a PlanetPress Suite printer license needs to be "reactivated", for example after a change of printer or printer hardware.
Email the Status Page(s) and Reactivation Request form to activations@ca.objectiflune.com and you will receive a .pac file in return, with which you can reactivate your printer(s).

Print Intelligent Form Listing

It is possible to send PlanetPress Design documents to a printer's hard drive to be executed there in pure PostScript for efficient printing. This can be done through the Workflow plugin Download to Printer.

The Print Intelligent Forms Listing option prints out the list of any such PlanetPress Design documents on the printer, and their location (hard drive, RAM or Flash memory). The information contained in the Notes box of the PlanetPress Design interface for that document will also be displayed.

Print File Listing

The Print File Listing command makes the selected printer(s) print out a list of all files contained on its hard drive, RAM of Flash memory, of any file type (images, text, PlanetPress Forms, etc).

Send to File

If the Send to File option is checked, a prompt for each of the selected Printer Utilities options will appear in Workflow so the PostScript commands can be saved to disk. This makes it possible to send the commands to the printer at another time and independent from Workflow.