How do I?

  Access Print Drivers

  Change an administrative group name

  Add or remove a user from the administrative group

  Create virtual device

  Create a printer queue

  Change the printer queue status

  Work with Printer Aliases

  Work with printer classes

  Change the printer queue properties

  Print from the command line

  Manage printer groups

  Create a printer group

  Print a file from IBM Print Drivers

  Print a test page

  Print a job on both sides of the paper

  Print a multipage document

  Print multiple copies of a job

  Change the orientation of my print job

  Change my Lines Per Page setting

  Define the printable area when printing text files

  Send a fax through the printer

  Use the Print and Hold setting

  Create custom banner pages

  Find space to install IBM Print Drivers

  NFS mount Print Drivers


Access Print Drivers

IBM Print Drivers are available from a Windows Menu Item, or from the command line by typing ibmprint.

The application has two modes: User and Administrative. If a IBM Print Drivers administrator starts the program, it opens in administrative mode by default. However, if an administrator wants to start the program in user mode, they can type ibmprint -n. This lets administrators start a session with their own personal settings.

Note: User mode is not supported when running the application as a "root" user.


Change an administrative group name

IBM Print Drivers use UNIX groups to separate those who have permission to add and remove queues from those who do not.

When you install IBM Print Drivers, you are prompted to provide an administrative group name. The default administrative group on all systems except AIX is bin. The default administrative group on AIX is printq.

To change the administrative group name, run the following script.

# /opt/ibm/setup.ibmprint

or

# /usr/local/ibm/setup.ibmprint


Add or remove a user from the administrative group

Users who are part of the administrative group can open IBM Print Drivers with permissions and perform administrative tasks. Users who are not part of this group can only change their personal settings and maintain their printer groups. User settings are stored in the user's home directory.

Add users to the administrative group by adding the user's name to the Administrative group located in the /etc/group file. To change the Administrative UNIX group name, see Change an administrative group name.

Remove the user from the administrative group by removing the user name from the UNIX group.


Create virtual device

Begin by gathering the following information:

Create virtual devices through the Virtual Device Manager

  1. Click Virtual Device Manager.
  2. Click Add.
  3. Click Network Attached Printer or Locally Attached Printer.
  4. If your printer is locally attached, follow these instructions. If it is a network attached printer, follow the instructions in step 5.
  1. Select Parallel, Serial, or USB.

If you are using a parallel connection, specify if the virtual device is a BPP Device.

If you are using a serial connection, specify exact Serial Port Options.

Note: Not all options may be available for your system.

  1. Type the device name and description.
  2. Select a physical device from the list of known devices, or select Other and then type the path to the physical device file.

Note: If you do not know the path, click Browse to look for the path in the file system.

  1. Click Finish.
  1. If your printer is a network attached printer:
  1. Type the device name and description.
  2. Type the IP Address/Host Name, or click Search to locate the IP address.

If you entered an IP Address/Host Name, go to step h. If you clicked Search to locate an address, proceed with step c.

  1. From the Search Network Printer dialog box, search by Subnet or Range.
  2. Type the appropriate IP Address or Subnet.
  3. Click Search.
  4. Select the device from the list.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Make any changes necessary to the available options.
  7. Click Next.
  8. If you entered an external print server IP Address or Host Name, select the appropriate port number for your printer.
  9. Verify the information that appears.
  10. Click Finish.

Create virtual devices through the command line

  1. Select a recognizable, but unique, virtual device name.
  2. To create a virtual device type:

For Physical Devices:

# mkdevice -d name -f device -t type

For Network Devices:

# mkdevice -d name -i host [-c name] [-p port]

Note: Enter mkdevice -h from the command line for more details regarding this command.


Create a printer queue

There are two ways to create a printer queue:

Create printer queues with the Add Printer Queue Wizard

  1. From IBM Print Drivers, click Add Printer Queue Wizard.
  2. Select a device from the list of Available Devices, or click Add Device to create a new device. For help adding a device, see Create virtual device.
  3. Click Next.
  4. Type the printer name and description.
  5. Select the printer type.
  6. Click Next.
  7. Select the printer languages the queue will accept.
  8. Click Properties to change the settings for the printer queue if data will be sent to the printer. For help, see Change the printer queue properties.
  9. Click Next.
  10. Finish creating the printer queue:
  1. Click Finish.

Create printer queues from the command line

  1. Before you can create the queue, you must gather the following pieces of information: a valid device name, the printer type, the printer language, and the default printer queue settings options.
  1. The device name that will be associated with the printer queue must exist before creating the queue.
  1. The supported printer types and languages are listed in the file:

/usr/ibmprint/etc/printers/printer.list.

  1. Printer settings options that can be used can be found by running the lsqueue_opts command.
  1. Type:

# mkqueue -d device_name -q queue_name -p printer_type -l printer_language -o printer_options

Note: For more information on the mkqueue comamand, run the command line program # mkqueue -h.


Change the printer queue status

There are four printer queue states:

These states are not all mutually exclusive. For example, an enabled queue may reject jobs.

IBM Print Drivers shows these states by placing an icon on the printer queue within the Icon View, and by changing the color of the text in Detail View.

If you see a red "X" on a printer queue, the printer queue is rejecting print jobs.

If you see a yellow "!" on a printer queue, the printer queue is disabled.

To change the status of a printer queue:

  1. Right-click the printer queue.
  2. Select check/uncheck the appropriate enabled/accepting boxes.

Work with Printer Aliases

Use Printer Aliases when you are creating a queue in Linux to provide alternative names for a printer queue. For example, the real name for the printer queue could be Bldg_4_Room1, but the alias describes it as duplex. Then users can use either Bldg_4_Room1 or duplex as the printer queue name when printing.

Note: Printer aliases are only supported on Linux platforms.

To create a printer queue with an alias

  1. Access the Printer Aliases screen of the Add Printer Queue Wizard.
  2. Select Enable Printer Aliases.
  3. Enter the name of the alias in the Alias Name field.

To display a printer queue's aliases

Right-click the printer queue and select Printer Aliases.


Work with printer classes

Printer classes help you to group several printers into one class. Once a printer class is set up, you can print to a class rather than a specific printer. Because printing resources are pooled within a class, the first available printer completes your job, providing faster turnaround.

Note: Use of printer classes are optional and should only be used if they are considered beneficial to users.

Printer classes are only available when you are creating a queue on Solaris SPARC, HP-UX, or IBM AIX.

You can access printer classes in two ways: the last screen of the Add Printer Queue Wizard, or by right-clicking a printer queue and then selecting Printer Classes.

To add this printer to a class, select Enable Printer Classes. You have three options:

You cannot remove a queue from a class at the time you create the queue.

Create a class

To add a queue to a new class:

  1. Access Printer Classes.
  2. Select Create a New Class.
  3. Type the name of the new class.

Add to a class

To add a queue to a class:

  1. Access Printer Classes.
  2. Select the check box next to the existing class to associate the queue with that class.

To remove a queue from a class:

  1. Access Printer Classes.
  2. Clear the check box next to the class that you want to remove the queue from.

Note: A class exists as long as it contains queues.


Change the printer queue properties

  1. Open IBM Print Drivers.
  2. Right-click the printer queue icon.
  3. Select the appropriate properties menu item.
  4. Change the settings.
  5. Click OK.

How you change the properties determines what print jobs are affected.

To delete your personalized settings and go back to the system settings, right-click the printer queue and select Default Settings.

Note: Application settings override any properties you set up for the printer queue.

The settings shown in the Properties dialog box include all possible properties options for that specific printer type. However, your printer may not have all of the available options installed. If you select an option that the printer does not support, the printer ignores the unsupported settings.

For example, the Printer Type may support an optional duplex unit. However, if a duplex unit is not connected to the printer, your print job prints on one side of the paper.


Print from the command line

There are different ways to print from the command line.

  1. Type:

# lp -d queue_name file_name

Linux users type:

# lpr -P queue_name file_name

  1. Type:

# ibmlp -d queue_name file_name

Linux users type:

# ibmlp -P queue_name file_name

  1. Change the appropriate settings.
  2. Click OK.
  1. Access a list of the current properties by typing:

# lsqueue_opts -d queue_name

Linux users type:

# lsqueue_opts -P queue_name

  1. Find the name of the property you want to change and the value it can be changed to.
  2. Type the command to change the properties.
  3. If you are printing from Solaris, HP-AIX, or IBM AIX, use the following command to change properties:

# lp -d queue_name -o property_name=property_value file_name

If you are printing from Linux, use the following command to change properties:

# lpr -P queue_name -C "lexopts:property_name=property_value" file_name

For example, if you have a printer queue (lab_printer) that is currently set to print only single-sided pages, and you need to print a two-sided report, you can specify the change on the command line.

  1. Determine if the printer queue supports the feature(s) you want to use (in this case, two-sided or duplex printing), and enter the appropriate command. For this example, you would type:

# lsqueue_opts -P lab_printer

The screen would then read:

duplex

none (default)

 

short_edge

 

long_edge

 

current

  1. Find the property name and value that controls duplexing:

duplex=long_edge

  1. Type:

# lp -d lab_printer -o duplex=long_edge my_report.ps

Linux users type:

# lpr -P lab_printer -C "lexopts:duplex=long_edge" my_report.ps


Manage printer groups

Printer groups help you select a small group of printer queues from the available printer queues on a UNIX system. You can use the Group Manager tool to add or remove printer queues in groups.

Add a printer queue to My Printers or another printer group

You can add a printer queue to My Printers or another printer group by either dragging a printer from the main window onto a printer group, or by using the Group Manager tool.

To add a printer queue to My Printers or any other group using the Group Manager tool:

  1. Right-click a group name and select Group Manager.
  2. From the All column, select the print queues that you want to add to the group.
  3. Click the right arrow button (>) to add the print queues to the group.

Note: Remove a printer queue from a printer group by selecting the printer queue from the groups list, and then clicking the left arrow (<).

Removing a printer group

Note: You cannot remove the My Printers or All Printers groups.


Create a printer group

You can create a printer group using the Group Manager tool. You can access the new group manager dialog box by right-clicking All Printers and selecting New Group.

To enter a new group:

  1. Enter the group name in the Group Name field.
  2. Select the printer queues that you want to add to the group from the Available Print Queues column.
  3. Click the right arrow button (>) to add the print queues to the selected print queues column. Use the double arrow button (>>) to move all queues to the selected print queues column.
  4. Click OK.

Note: To remove a print queue from the selected print queue column, select the print queues to be removed, and then click the left arrow (<).


Print a file from IBM Print Drivers

You can select a file to print to a queue from within IBM Print Drivers.

  1. Right-click the queue, and select Print File from the menu.
  2. Select your file from the browser box.
  3. If you want to change the printing preferences for this specific job only, select the Preferences button.

Note: Unless you have an ImageQuick card (or SIMM) or WebSIMM; only PostScript, PCL, and ASCII text files can be printed in this manner.

  1. Click Print.

Print a test page

Printing a test page sends a job through the printer queue to verify that the queue is working correctly. The test page includes information such as queue name, device name, printer type, and so on.

To print a test page:

  1. Right-click the printer queue icon.
  2. Select Print Test Page.

Print a job on both sides of the paper

Duplex printing is printing on both sides of the paper. If you have installed an optional duplex unit, your printer can print on both sides of the paper. Check the documentation that came with your printer to determine if this option is supported.

Installed optional duplex unit

If you have an optional duplex unit installed on your printer, you can specify duplex printing by indicating the binding edge you want to use from the Duplex options.

If you select Long-edge, the pages of your document turn like the pages of a magazine. If you select Short-edge, the pages turn like the pages of a legal pad.

Note: The Duplex options are available only if your printer supports these options.


Print a multipage document

The multipage printing option lets you print images of multiple pages on one form. You can specify the direction the multiple images fit on the page and whether images are separated by a border. When you make a selection, the graphic to the right of the option changes to show how the printed page will look.

To print mulitple pages on the same sheet of paper:

  1. From the Properties dialog box, click Setup.
  2. Choose the number of page images you want to print on the same sheet of paper.
  3. Click OK.

Note: Not all printers support the multipage feature. Refer to you printer's documentation to see if your printer supports this feature.


Print multiple copies of a job

Use the Copies option to print more than one copy of your document at a time. The Copies box on the Setup tab is independent of a Copies option that may be available in the Print dialog box of your program. Your program settings usually override the settings on the Setup tab.

Specifying the number of copies on the Setup tab usually prints uncollated copies faster. Specifying a multiple number of copies on both the Setup tab and in a program Print dialog box may produce unpredictable results.

To print multiple copies:

  1. From the Properties dialog box, click Setup.
  2. Enter the number of copies.
  3. Click OK.

Collating copies:

By default, multiple copies of a document are not collated. The full number of copies for each page print in succession (all of the copies of page 1, followed by all of the copies of page 2, and so on). If you want to print collated copies, select the Collate Copies check box. This enables the printer to print copies in sequence (one copy of page 1, page 2, page 3, followed by another copy of page 1, page 2, and so on).

Note: If your printer does not have enough memory to collate a large document, it prints collated pages of part of the document, then it prints collated pages of the remainder of the document.


Change the orientation of my print job

You can specify the orientation that you want to use for printing your documents in the printer queue's properties dialog boxes.

Note: These settings are only supported by PCL printer language.


Change my Lines Per Page setting

Some applications do not have page settings or print settings capability, or do not let you change the number of printed lines on a sheet of paper. You can adjust the number of printed lines on a single page, or the number of printed lines in an inch from the PCL Properties of a printer queue.

  1. Access the printer queue properties of the printer queue. For help, see Change the printer queue properties.
  2. Click Page Layout.
  3. Change the number of Lines Per Page.
  4. Change the number of Lines Per Inch.
  5. Click OK.

Notes:


Define the printable area when printing text files

To define the printable area for a printer queue:

  1. Open Print Drivers.
  2. Click Page Layout.
  3. In the Page Layout dialog box, click the arrows (>) next to the text boxes to select (in lines) your margin size, indentation, and page width.
  4. Select Text Wrap if you want lines to wrap when they reach the printing area margins.
  5. Select Auto CR if you want carriage returns when a line feed is encountered. This is commonly used by UNIX users to fix ASCII text printing iussues.
  6. Select the orientation that you want the job to be printed.
  7. Click OK.

Note: These settings are only available for Automatic or PCL print queues.


Send a fax through the printer

To send a print job as a fax using ibmlp:

  1. Type ibmlp -d queue_name file_name.
  2. Click Print and Hold.
  3. In Fax Page, select On.
  4. Enter the fax number.
  5. Click OK.

To send a fax from the command line of a Solaris, HP-UX, or IBM AIX system, type:

# lp -d queue_name -o fax_page=on -o fax_no=number file_name

To send a print job from the command line of a Linux system, type:

# lpr -P queue_name -C "ibmopts:fax_page=on fax_no=number" file_name


Use the Print and Hold setting

When sending a job to the printer, you can hold a job in the printer memory using IBM Print Drivers. When you are ready to print the job, access the printer operator panel menus to select the held job you want to print.

To print and hold a job:

  1. Access your printer queue properties. For help, see Change the printer queue properties.
  2. Click Print and Hold.
  3. Select the type of print and hold setting you want to apply:

Note: Reserve and Repeat print jobs may be deleted if the printer requires extra memory to process additional held jobs.

  1. Click OK.

To use the confidential Print and Hold function from the command line of a Solaris, HP-UX, or IBM AIX system, type:

# lp -d queue_name -o print_hold=confidential -o pin_no=pin file_name

To use the confidential Print and Hold function from the command line of a Linux system, type:

# lpr -P queue_name -C "ibmopts:print_hold=confidential pin_no=pin" file_name

Note: Not all printers support the Print and Hold feature. See your printer's documentation to see if your printer supports this feature.


Create custom banner pages

You can write a program that generates customized banner pages from your printer queues. Creating custom banner pages does not automate any printer administration, but it can make it easier to find your print jobs at the printer.

Write a banner program

You can create custom banner pages for your queues by writing a program that takes six positional arguments and prints the banner page on the standard out (stdout). The six banner program arguments are:

All the arguments are strings, and should be enclosed in double quotes ("") if they contain spaces.

The data output by your banner program should be readable by the selected printer emulation. For example, PCL banner programs should create valid PCL data.

Use your banner program

Once you have written your custom banner program, configure your printer queue to use it.

  1. Access your printer queue properties. For help, see Change the printer queue properties.
  2. Click Banner.
  3. Clear the Default Banner check box.
  4. Type the name of the banner program, or click Browse to search for the file name.
  5. Make any additional changes to the banner page options, such as Paper Size, Paper Source, or Paper Type.
  6. Click OK.

Find space to install IBM Print Drivers

Some operating systems require you to install IBM Print Drivers in a particular directory. If the file system containing that directory is full, you can create a symbolic link that points to the real directory in another file system which has more free space. The operating system sees the symbolic link as a real directory, but the files are actually installed on another drive.

  1. Create a directory where you want the packages to actually be installed. For example, to install in the /disk2 file system, type:

# mkdir /disk2/ibm

  1. Create a symbolic link that points to the directory you just created from the directory where the operating system wants the files. For example, if the operating system wants the files in

/opt/ibm, type:

# ln -s /disk2/ibm /opt/ibm

  1. Continue with the installation of the IBM Print Driver files in the folder /disk2/ibm.

NFS mount Print Drivers

You can install IBM Print Drivers on one host and export the file system to other hosts for mounting. Using NFS (Network File System) eliminates the need to perform individual installations at each workstation and conserves disk space.

Note: The NFS server and client workstations must use the same operating system.

  1. Configure the server.
  1. Make sure you are logged on with root user authority.
  2. Install IBM Print Drivers. Follow the directions for the operating system you are using.
  3. Export the directory where you installed the IBM Print Drivers (for example,

/opt/ibm or /usr/local/ibm). If you need help, refer to your operating system documentation.

  1. Configure IBM Print Drivers on the local workstation.
  1. Make sure you are logged on with root user authority.
  2. NFS mount the IBM Print Drivers directory from the server. Refer to your operating system documentation for mounting instructions.
  3. Run the install script in the mounted directory. The script creates a symbolic link

/usr/ibmprint to this directory. The following example uses /mnt as the mount point.

# cd /mnt/drivers

# ./IbmPrtDrvs.link

Uninstall and unmount Print Drivers

  1. Run the uninstall script, which removes the symbolic links to the mounted directory, from

# cd /mnt/drivers

# ./IbmPrtDrvs.unlink

  1. Unmount the mounted directory. Refer to your operating system documentation for unmounting instructions.