Working with page layouts

Configuration Utility

The Configuration Utility's Page Layout tab enables you to maintain a list of registered page layouts that can be used to specify print options such as paper size, orientation, fonts, and font sizes when printing to a computer printer (for example, a desktop laser printer).

Page layouts are assigned to print jobs whenever a registered page layout name is recognized in a specified header field. Thus, an important step in defining page layouts is specifying a header field that will contain the page layout name. You must create a registered page layout with the name <default> to be used if no page layout is found to match the header field. You must also create a registered font named <default> and a registered page setup named <default> to be used in cases where the specified font or page setup is not found.

Page layout is not supported with printers that are configured to use the Barr ASCII printer driver. BARR/SPOOL uses page layouts only when printing to computer printers that do not have special data-handling options selected.

Creating page layouts

Complete the following steps to define a page layout. You must create a page layout named <default> to be used in case a page layout that matches the header field is not found. When creating a page layout, keep in mind that the selected page setup and font must compensate to fit all the desired text. Any text that does not fit on the page will not print.

From the Configuration Utility's Page Layout tab, click Add. The Define Page Layout dialog box displays.
In the Layout Name box, type a name for the page layout.
Under Page setup, click Add to add a page setup. You must create a page setup named <default> to be used in case the specified page setup is not available. Be careful of your margins when printing to a laser printer using page layout. If the left margin of the layout setting is smaller than the actual non-printable area of the printer, the first character of the line can be lost.

The Page Setup dialog box displays.
Type a name for your page setup. Click OK.
The Windows Page Setup dialog box displays.
Select the Size, Source, Orientation, and Margins of the page. The landscape option will not be available if you are using standard text drivers (for example, the Barr EBCDIC driver). Windows printers using standard text drivers cannot select special page formatting options, because standard text drivers do not include the specific commands for special layouts on the destination device.

Click Printer to set detailed printer-specific properties. For additional help on printer-specific properties, consult your printer’s manual or the Windows context-sensitive Help. Click OK to return to the Page Setup dialog box.

Under Font, click Add to add a font. You must create a font named <default> to be used in case the specified font is not available.

The Font Name dialog box displays.
Type a name for the font you are defining. Click OK.
The Windows Font dialog box displays.
Select the Font, Font style, Size, and Script. If necessary, adjust the Line height as a percentage of the character height. If the line height equals 100% of the character height, this represents normal line height. If the line height equals 200%, it is equivalent to double spacing. Slight modifications to the line height will tighten or expand the spacing between your lines of text.

Click OK twice to return to the Page Layout tab.

Click OK.
Specify the header field that will contain the name of the page layout.

Specifying the header field

To use page layouts in printing, specify a header field that is to contain the name of the page layout. When printing, the header field selected in the Advanced Printer Options dialog box will be compared against all registered page layout names. If a match is found, the page layout settings will be applied to the documents.

If a page layout is not specified or if a name is not found that matches the value in the header field, the page layout named <default> will be used. If there is not a <default> page layout, then the default printer setup and a courier font will be used.

Select the Configuration Utility's Spool Printers tab.
Click Add to add a spool printer, or select a printer, and then click Modify to modify an existing printer. The Printer Properties dialog box displays.
Under Options, click Advanced to display the Advanced Printer Options dialog box.
Under Page layout, click Modify to display the Select Field dialog box. If a field is not specified or the field does not match a page layout, then the layout with the name <default> is used.

Select the header field that will contain the page layout name and click OK. The size and type of the field you choose will affect the names you can assign your page layouts. For example, the NDHGCLAS field can contain only one character (A-Z or 0-9).

Click OK twice to return to the Spool Printers tab.

Modifying page layouts

Complete the following steps to modify a page layout. When creating a page layout, keep in mind that the selected page setup and font must compensate to fit all the desired text. Any text that does not fit on the page will not print.

Open the Configuration Utility.
From the Page Layout tab, select the page layout you would like to change and click Modify. The Define Page Layout dialog box displays.
Under Page setup, select the desired page setup from the drop-down list. If necessary, click Modify to modify a registered page setup.
Under Font, select the desired font from the drop-down list. If necessary, click Modify to modify a registered font.
Click OK.

Removing page layouts

Complete the following steps to remove a page layout.