This section describes how to select the correct drawer/tray on the printer. The drawer is the paper drawer containing the specific kind of paper you want to use for a specific document. Various drawers could e.g. contain paper in different colors or paper with a preprinted color logo. First drawer selection is described for Windows and IBM i (Host Print Transform) and finally for InterForm400.
Two ways of selecting the drawer
There are (at least) two ways of selecting the drawer in the data stream, that is sent to the printer:
1. By Drawer number
If you use this option, then a specific number is included in the data stream. This number is not the physical drawer, but a numeric PCL code for the drawer on the specific printer. The number is in the range 1-255, but the specific number depends on the printer manufacturer, printer model and installed options, so you cannot use the same number for different printers and expect to select the same physical drawer.
The relation between the physical drawer and the PCL drawer number can be like this (For a generic HP PCL5 printer driver):
Physical drawer |
PCL drawer number |
Tray 1 (manual feed) |
2 |
Tray 1 |
4 |
Tray 2 |
1 |
But for other printers the PCL drawer number can e.g. be in the range 250-255..
2. By Paper type
Instead of referring to a specific drawer via a number you can also specify the drawer indirectly as a paper type (on most middle sized and large) laser printers. Then it is up to the printer to select a drawer with the specified paper type. The paper type for each drawer can be set via the printer display/menu or via a browser accessing the printer. This is recommended for use with InterForm400, but this is unfortunately not supported for all printers - but fortunately there is a hybrid workaround in InterForm400 for such printers.
Below the drawer selection is described for Windows (as an introduction and to help you to find the right drawer number), in general for the IBM i and for InterForm400.
