AFP Print Resources

AFP printing systems, such as IBM’s Print Services Facility (PSF), require that all copy groups and page formats for a single print job be contained in a single PAGEDEF and FORMDEF. You must ensure that these resources are available before printing.

Consolidated FORMDEFs and PAGEDEFs

When multiple document streams that use different PAGEDEFs or FORMDEFs are merged, a comprehensive PAGEDEF or FORMDEF must be created. This is accomplished by combining the information from these resources into a single resource.

With Page Printer Formatting Aid (PPFA), the process is fairly simple:

  1. Combine the source code for various copy groups and place it in one FORMDEF.
  2. Combine the source code for various page formats and place it in one PAGEDEF.
  3. Process the tags with PPFA.
Note: If you are unfamiliar with PPFA or have not used the COPYGROUP or PAGEFORMAT commands before, refer to the IBM Page Printer Formatting Aid/370: User’s Guide and Reference.

If you use Print Management Facility (PMF) or other menu-driven AFP resource generators, use the menus to generate new FORMDEFs and PAGEDEFs that contain the combined copy groups and page formats.