We are constantly developing InterForm400 and the development usually is announced as a huge package of goodies each year in april, when we announce the new year version of InterForm400, but sometimes I cannot keep the secrets from you for so long. You may remember, that we have a multiplatform version of InterForm400 on its way. More news about this product is announced soon, but we have also pulled another rabbit out of the hat now..

You probably (just as well as Us) love the fantastic performance when printing huge reports with InterForm400. The printing speed is one of the strong features of InterForm400 and we are proud of it. This can be done because we have built up the printer drivers ourselves. The limitation is however, that we can only print to printers that understand PCL4, PCL5, PCL5e, PCL5c, ZPLII or IPL (IPL=Intermec Printer Language - also released with the 2011 versions). This covers as good as any laser printer and a very large part of the label printers, but sometimes a customer might want to use other printers - so here comes WinPrint..

Just to make it 100% clear: You can still print directly from InterForm400 as you have always done, but this module just offers a possibility to print on printers, that previously was unsupported by InterForm400.

WinPrint is a module for InterForm400, which enables printing from InterForm400 on any printer which can be connected to a windows PC. So the challenge is now only to find a windows driver and you are done. WinPrint is installed as a client on one or more PCs and this gives InterForm400 access to all printers, that are installed on the PCs.  Only Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 6.1 is also required on the PC.

The configuration on the InterForm400/iSeries side is very simple: A new subsystem (WINPRINT) takes care of the communication and you tell InterForm400 to merge and print via a new option W in AFC:

          Update AFC-functions attached to output queues               AFC305D

 Queue:   AFC_INPUT1     Library:   APF3812                                  

 Seqnbr Funct   Form type  Save Jobname    Filename   Device file  Program   
  0001    W     DEMO                                                         
                Win print, Selector: IF400DEMO                               
  0002    6                                                                  
                Hold Spooled File                                            



 Seqnbr Function   Print to Windows printer                                  
   1.0    W                                                                  
                   Windows PC  . . . . . . . . .                             
                        kse-i                                                
                   Windows printer . . . . . . .                             
                        HP LaserJet 4

Here you state the overlay or overlay selector for the merge and you prompt the PC selection with F4 and then F4 to view the available printers on the PC. You simply select the PC and printer with '1' from a list.

So with this new module it is now possible to print on any label printer (if you can find a windows driver for it) and even ink jet printers as well. The printing process runs fully automated. The limitations are these:

1. Finishing e.g. stapling, punching, duplex, copies etc. are not supported -  but you can probably setup the windows printer driver to do this as default.
2. Performance/printing speed is mainly limited by the PC printer driver.
3. You need of course a PC running windows to do the actual printing.

The WinPrint feature will be available as a prerelease in a beta version of InterForm400 in december. Feel free to contact me for more information or if you want to try it yourself.