Re: GIF or JPEG printing still struggling (PDF and PNG printing with AFPRSC)

Hi Marianne

We won't be able to print PDFs direct, so I'm looking at using GhostScript to convert PDF to PCL, then put the PCL into s *USERASCII spooled file - should work, so far as I know.

I'm also going to submit a PMR to get some help with the various IBM i conversion options we've all tried - to find out why using QCvtImgCvt and specifying PCL as output ends up as the raw PDF.

Regards
Vern

On 8/15/2016 6:30 AM, Hatcher, Marianne wrote:

Please let me know if you can get your printers to print PDF direct. That would be the easiest solution for me.



www.pilotpen.us
Marianne Hatcher - Senior Systems Analyst
Office: (904) 645-9999 ext.1262
Pilot Corporation of America
3855 Regent Blvd, Jacksonville, Florida 32224 United States

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-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Vernon Hamberg
Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2016 8:25 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: GIF or JPEG printing still struggling (PDF and PNG printing with AFPRSC)

Congrats! Good to hear - that sounds like the same route I've used, starting with PNG, ending with PDF - we have some printers that can't do PDF direct, so I'm working on that.

Vern

On 8/14/2016 4:34 PM, Jack Tucky wrote:

I worked all day at it today. It finally works. I made so many test
changes and resets I can't even think what fixed it.

Here is basically what I'm doing:

For two labels and regular old 10CPI at bottom of page,

1. Get two different ZPL ASCII text to IFS 2. Use Bradley Stone's
GETURI to convert them both to PNG.
3. Use ImageMagick to convert PNG to GIF 4. OVRPRTF to WSCST(*PDF) and
STMF name 5. Print to same printer file twice using AFPRSC(&IMGFILE 22
(*MAPOPT *ST)) 6. Same print file has DDS, print that, close printer
file 6. OVRPRTF QSYSPRT to *userascii 7. Use QImgCvtImg to convert PDF
back to spool file

Wow it works.

I can post code if anyone is interested.

Thanks!

On Sun, Aug 14, 2016 at 12:00 AM, Jack Tucky <jacktucky@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Yes I am sending width 4.0 and height 6.0 . I opened the image in
paint.net and it said the canvas size was almost twice that.

I tried most of the mapopt's after I tried the ones that made sense
:/)

The ZPL to PNG conversion needs a DPMM. I'm wondering if that has
something to do with it

On Aug 13, 2016, at 10:55 PM, Vernon Hamberg
<vhamberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

wrote:

Jack

I control the printed size using the *SIZE parameter of AFPRSC and
the

*MAPOPT that makes it fit - I don't have the code handy.

ImageMagick CAN adjust the size as well - haven't really tried that yet.

And it can reduce the PNG to fewer colors. We're getting PNGs that
are probably 32-bit - they don't need to be, but we've not done
everything in that regards yet.

HTH
Vern

On 8/13/2016 8:08 PM, Jack Tucky wrote:
The new printer prints the PDF's directly from the i. There are
sizing issues with the JPG's.

Vern I do use Imagemagick to convert the PNG to GIF or JPG. Both
are

way

too big when they print, even though I asked the labelary web
service to send me 4x6 labels.

I have to go in now and see where the image size gets messed up.

On Sat, Aug 13, 2016 at 4:11 PM, Vernon Hamberg <

vhamberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

wrote:

Jack

If you can only get PNGs, look at ImageMagick - Scott Klement has

binaries

for all you need to do PNG to GIF conversions - I'm doing it now.

The command to do it is simple - let me know if you need it, I'll
send

it

here.

Vern

On 8/12/2016 9:28 PM, Jack Tucky wrote:

It says ZPL to PNG but I thought there was a GIF option

They also sell the software to run the service in house. They
were

quick

to answer emails
http://labelary.com/service.html

On Aug 12, 2016, at 1:22 PM, Hatcher, Marianne
<MHatcher@xxxxxxxxxxxx

wrote:

Jack,
What is the web service that will translate a ZPL to a GIF? I
can

also

get a label in a ZPL format but didn't try that because I was
going

to be

printing the label on a laser printer rather than thermal and I

expected

PDF or PNG to work. At this point, I will do whatever it takes
to

get

this thing to print!




www.pilotpen.us
Marianne Hatcher - Senior Systems Analyst
Office: (904) 645-9999 ext.1262
Pilot Corporation of America
3855 Regent Blvd, Jacksonville, Florida 32224 United States

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-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf

Of

Jack Tucky
Sent: Friday, August 12, 2016 10:06 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
<midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: GIF or JPEG printing still struggling (PDF and PNG

printing

with AFPRSC)

This is what we are trying to do also.

We get ZPL from Fedex though. We have a server in our building
that

they

provide.

I've already found some software/web service that will translate
the

ZPL

to a GIF

On Aug 12, 2016, at 8:03 AM, Hatcher, Marianne <

MHatcher@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

wrote:

Michael,
I haven't tried that because I need to print the PDF (which is
a

FedEx

label) and a packing slip on the same page (we have a special
type

of paper

that has a peel off label on the top and a tear off packing
slip at

the

bottom). The label comes back from FedEx's API and we are

producing the

packing slip through an external printer file. I wanted to use
the

AFPRSC

keyword within the same printer file that produces the packing list.

We are making this change because we currently have all of our
FedEx labels manually programmed and printed through TLAshford
and are

trying to

replace that with the label that comes back from the FedEx API.
We

were

able to do this for UPS labels because their labels come back
as

GIF and I

can get those to print using AFPRSC component id 22.

Another option that I have with FedEx is to have their labels

returned

as PNG. I read that component id 65 is for PNG but that
doesn't

work for

me either.


www.pilotpen.us
Marianne Hatcher - Senior Systems Analyst
Office: (904) 645-9999 ext.1262 Pilot Corporation of America
3855 Regent Blvd, Jacksonville, Florida 32224 United States

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential
and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to
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addressed. If you have received this email in error please
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system manager. This message contains confidential information
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intended only for the individual named. If you are not the
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Please

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or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this

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-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On

Behalf Of

Michael Schutte
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2016 11:09 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
<midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: GIF or JPEG printing still struggling

Marianne. Have you tried using the QImgCvtImg Api to convert
the

PDF

to a userascii spool file?

It doesn't create pcl spool file but remains as a PDF spool file.

It

appears you are using Hp printers that can handle direct PDF

printers.

I have posted code on using the QImgCvtImg api.

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 11, 2016, at 1:08 PM, Hatcher, Marianne <

MHatcher@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

wrote:

Vern,
We are on 7.2. I am getting the PDF image back from a FedEx
API

then

saving it to the IFS. When I use the AFPRSC keyword to print
it

from the

IFS, it just prints a blank page. I really need to have it
print

from a

printer file so we can combine it (it is a Fedex label) with a

packing

slip. It prints on a special form that has a peel-off label
on

the top and

the packing slip on the bottom of the same page.

I can copy the PDF from the IFS to my desktop and print it
manually from there and it looks perfect. Am I missing
something on my

AS400 that

will allow the printer to print the PDF with the AFPRSC keyword?

We aren't

currently printing anything else (except UPS label which are
.GIF)

this way.

Have you been able to print PDFs from a printer file?

Thanks,
Marianne




www.pilotpen.us
Marianne Hatcher - Senior Systems Analyst
Office: (904) 645-9999 ext.1262 Pilot Corporation of America
3855 Regent Blvd, Jacksonville, Florida 32224 United States

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Please

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-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On

Behalf

Of Vernon Hamberg
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2016 12:58 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
<midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: GIF or JPEG printing still struggling

Hi Marianne

What version of the OS are you on? It seems it must be 7.2 or

above,

since your normal printing is working - HPT is taking care of you.

We've been able to get the PDF itself into a *USERASCII file
using

the

QImgCvtImg API - that puts raw PDF into the spooled file -
works

only if

your printer has a direct PDF printing module.

Are you creating the PDFs yourself or getting them from
somewhere

else?

I can get GIFs into a PDF using AFPSRC at 7.1 - the CPYSPLF to

*STMF

and
WSCST(*PDF) does that fine, I just can't get it into true PCL.

There are a couple IBM i KB articles - there titles both begin
with "IBM Printing PDF Stream Files to an..." - one for
printers that

DO support

direct PDF printing, the other for printers that do NOT.

But they suggest using FTP to send the stream file to a
printer

file

you create, and that just doesn't fly too well for me - have
to

sign in and

all.

HTH
Vern

On 8/11/2016 11:18 AM, Hatcher, Marianne wrote:
I got GIFs to print using

R GIFLABEL AFPRSC(&GIFLBLID 22 0.08 2.20 +
(*ROTATION 0) (*PATH &GIFPATH) +
(*SIZE 7 4) (*MAPOPT *ST))

I pass my label name to GIFLBIID and the path to GIFPATH
within my RPG program and it works great (this is used to
print UPS labels that are sent back from their API)


Now I need to print PDFs the same way but only get a blank page.

I

have tried component id's 25 and 49. Has anyone been able to

print PDFs

this way? I need this for printing FedEx labels.





www.pilotpen.us
Marianne Hatcher - Senior Systems Analyst
Office: (904) 645-9999 ext.1262 Pilot Corporation of America
3855 Regent Blvd, Jacksonville, Florida 32224 United States


This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom

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addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify

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Please notify

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-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On

Behalf

Of Michael Schutte
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2016 11:59 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <

midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

Subject: Re: GIF or JPEG printing still struggling

Yes that's the same issue I was having. I got around that by
converting PDF and then converting the PDF back to a userascii

spool file.

I know you mentioned in another thread that it doesn't work

likely because

it's a dell printer emulating Hp. So you really need to convert

to pcl.

There's a thread on experts exchange if you want to read up. Go

to google

and search for aix PDF to pcl.

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 11, 2016, at 11:50 AM, Jack Tucky <jacktucky@xxxxxxxxx>

wrote:

If I use Spoolmail to send a PDF to my email, it looks fine. If

I

print, I get a blank page.

Interested in ANY more ideas. I created a simple GIF with the
letter A on it.

We don't have any HP printers but the DELL printer I'm testing

with

emulates HP

Here is my printer description:

CRTDEVPRT DEVD(AJLASER) DEVCLS(*LAN) TYPE(3812) MODEL(1) +
LANATTACH(*IP) PORT(9100) ATTACH(*DIRECT) ONLINE(*YES) +
FONT(11 *NONE) FORMFEED(*AUTOCUT) SEPDRAWER(*FILE) +
PRTERRMSG(*INQ) MSGQ(*CTLD) ACTTMR(170) INACTTMR(*SEC15) +
LINESPEED(19200) WORDLEN(8) PARITY(*NONE) STOPBITS(1) +
TRANSFORM(*YES) MFRTYPMDL(*HP5) PPRSRC1(*LETTER) +
PPRSRC2(*LETTER) ENVELOPE(*NUMBER10) ASCII899(*NO) +
IMGCFG(*IMGD02) CHRID(*SYSVAL)

RMTLOCNAME('192.168.2.101') +

USRDFNOPT(*IBMSHRCNN) SYSDRVPGM(*HPPJLDRV) +
TEXT('Dell 2135CN') +
PUBLISHINF(*UNKNOWN *UNKNOWN *UNKNOWN *UNKNOWN *BLANK +
(*UNKNOWN))

My Printer file created with DEVTYPE(*AFPDS) R IMAGE
AFPRSC('A.GIF' 22 +
1.000 1.000 (*SIZE 4.00 6.000) +
(*PATH '/tmp') +
(*MAPOPT *SL))

Program is really nothing
FPRTIMAGE9pO E PRINTER
/free
write image
*inlr = *On;
return;
/end-free
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