• Find configuration, troubleshooting, and tips and tricks for local and server-based printing
• Discover access methods, printing in Windows, forms, barcodes, and much more
• Applicable for all releases from 4.6

Printing problems abound again and again in everyday jobs. As an administrator, you need solutions for the activation of different printers and printing types, the transition to new hardware, printing in several locations, the use of various technologies, and the output of international characters, to name a few.

This book teaches you everything you need to know to configure printing setup (software and hardware side), and describes the ways in which data from the SAP system can be converted in different print formats (ABAP lists, SAPscript, Smart Forms, and Interactive Forms). You will also find numerous screenshots and detailed descriptions of configuration parameters that will continue to help you in your daily work. Don’t throw your printer out the window—this book gives you all the answers to the most frequently asked questions for output management in SAP systems in one resource!

Highlights

• Basic SAP print setup
• Access methods C, F, G, L, M, P, S, and U
• Front-end printing and server-based printing
• Printing from Windows
• Printing of SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe
• Barcode printing
• Internationalization
• Printing Assistant for landscapes
• General troubleshooting

The Author

Michael Szardenings is a senior developer at SAP. Since 2001, he has been in charge of the topic of Windows printing at SAP, as well as for various parts of SAP Basis in the output management area. Additionally, he's written a series of articles on server-based printing in Windows for SAP Professional Journal.

Table of Contents

• ... Preface ... 11
• 1 ... Introduction ... 15
• 1.1 ... Work Processes and Function Modules ... 15
• 1.2 ... Spool Requests and Output Requests ... 18
• 1.2.1 ... Spool Request Numbers ... 20
• 1.2.2 ... Creating Spool Requests ... 21
• 1.2.3 ... Storing Spool Requests ... 25
• 1.2.4 ... Deleting Spool Requests ... 26
• 1.2.5 ... Printing Immediately and Adding ... 27
• 1.3 ... Printer Definitions ... 30
• 1.3.1 ... Transaction SPAD ... 30
• 1.3.2 ... Device Type ... 31
• 1.3.3 ... Access Method ... 34
• 1.3.4 ... Spool Server ... 34
• 1.3.5 ... Personal Data Settings ... 36
• 2 ... Access Methods ... 39
• 2.1 ... Access Method C—Direct Operating System Call ... 40
• 2.2 ... Access Method E—External Output Management System ... 43
• 2.2.1 ... Configuration of the Output Management System ... 45
• 2.2.2 ... OMS Certification ... 56
• 2.2.3 ... Configuration of a Printer ... 57
• 2.3 ... Access Method F—Frontend Printing ... 59
• 2.4 ... Access Method G—Frontend Printing ... 59
• 2.4.1 ... Frontend Printing with SAP GUI for Windows ... 60
• 2.4.2 ... Frontend Printing with SAP GUI for Java ... 65
• 2.4.3 ... Frontend Printing with SAP GUI for HTML ... 68
• 2.4.4 ... Frontend Printing with Other Browser-Based Components ... 75
• 2.4.5 ... Status Information in Frontend Printing ... 75
• 2.4.6 ... Summary ... 78
• 2.5 ... Access Method L—Printing via Command Sets ... 79
• 2.6 ... Access Method M—Printing via Email ... 86
• 2.7 ... Access Method P—Printing via Device Pool ... 91
• 2.8 ... Access Method S—Network Printing with SAP Protocol ... 93
• 2.9 ... Access Method U—Network Printing with Berkeley Protocol ... 93
• 2.10 ... Comparing Access Method L and Access Method U ... 96
• 2.11 ... Summary and Overview ... 98
• 2.11.1 ... Direct Operating System Call (Access Method C) ... 98
• 2.11.2 ... External Output Management System (Access Method E) ... 98
• 2.11.3 ... Frontend Printing (Access Method G) ... 99
• 2.11.4 ... Printing via Command Sets (Access Method L) ... 100
• 2.11.5 ... Printing via Email (Access Method M) ... 100
• 2.11.6 ... Printing via Device Pool (Access Method P) ... 101
• 2.11.7 ... Network Printing (Access Method S and U) ... 101
• 3 ... Printing in Microsoft Windows ... 103
• 3.1 ... Server-Based Printing with the TCP/IP Print Service ... 103
• 3.2 ... Server-Based Printing Using SAPSprint ... 104
• 3.2.1 ... Installing SAPSprint ... 104
• 3.2.2 ... Configuring an SAPSprint Printer in the SAP System ... 108
• 3.2.3 ... Internal Implementation of the SAPSprint Service ... 110
• 3.2.4 ... Problem Analysis in SAPSprint ... 120
• 3.2.5 ... SAPSprint Options ... 133
• 3.2.6 ... SAPSprint with Secure Network Communication ... 149
• 3.3 ... Frontend Printing with SAPFprint ... 156
• 3.3.1 ... SAPSprint versus SAPFprint ... 157
• 3.3.2 ... Options for SAPFprint ... 158
• 3.3.3 ... Problem Analysis in SAPFprint ... 159
• 3.4 ... Summary and Overview ... 160
• 3.4.1 ... Using the TCP/IP Print Service ... 161
• 3.4.2 ... Recommended Installation Options for SAPSprint ... 161
• 3.4.3 ... Using SAPSprint ... 161
• 3.4.4 ... Required Specifications in the Configuration for SAPSprint Printers ... 161
• 3.4.5 ... Connection Problems ... 162
• 3.4.6 ... General Error Prevention ... 162
• 4 ... Printing SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe ... 163
• 4.1 ... Page Description Languages for PDF Spool Requests ... 164
• 4.2 ... Workflow for Printing Interactive Forms ... 165
• 4.3 ... Device Types and XML Device Configurations ... 167
• 4.4 ... Navigating in PDF Spool Requests ... 170
• 4.5 ... Printing with PDFPRINT ... 176
• 4.6 ... Summary and Overview ... 180
• 4.6.1 ... Creating and Processing PDF Spool Requests ... 180
• 4.6.2 ... Navigating in PDF Spool Requests ... 181
• 5 ... Printing and Internationalization ... 183
• 5.1 ... Basic Concepts ... 183
• 5.2 ... Fonts and Printers ... 187
• 5.3 ... Language Configuration in the SAP System ... 188
• 5.3.1 ... Language Configuration for ABAP Lists ... 189
• 5.3.2 ... Language Configuration for SAPscript ... 192
• 5.3.3 ... Language Configuration for SAP Smart Forms ... 196
• 5.3.4 ... Language Configuration for Interactive Forms ... 200
• 5.3.5 ... Device Type Selection ... 201
• 5.3.6 ... SAPscript Font Maintenance ... 204
• 5.4 ... Cascading Fonts and SWINCF ... 208
• 5.4.1 ... Installing Cascading Fonts ... 209
• 5.4.2 ... Cascading Fonts Configurator ... 210
• 5.4.3 ... Assignment Tables ... 210
• 5.5 ... Summary and Overview ... 211
• 5.5.1 ... Language Configurations in the SAP System ... 211
• 5.5.2 ... Fonts and Printers ... 211
• 6 ... Printing Bar Codes ... 213
• 6.1 ... Printing Bar Codes with the Conventional Bar Code Technology ... 214
• 6.1.1 ... Defining and Processing Bar Codes ... 215
• 6.1.2 ... Testing Bar Codes ... 217
• 6.1.3 ... Supported Printer Models ... 218
• 6.2 ... Printing Bar Codes with the New Bar Code Technology ... 220
• 6.2.1 ... Defining Bar Codes ... 221
• 6.2.2 ... Testing Bar Codes ... 222
• 6.3 ... Printing Bar Codes with External Bar Code DLL ... 223
• 6.4 ... Summary and Overview ... 225
• 6.4.1 ... Conventional Bar Code Technology ... 225
• 6.4.2 ... New Bar Code Technology ... 225
• 7 ... Printing Assistant for Landscapes ... 227
• 7.1 ... Definitions ... 228
• 7.2 ... Supported Access Methods for PAL ... 229
• 7.3 ... Sample Scenario ... 230
• 7.3.1 ... Creating RFC Destinations for Target Systems ... 231
• 7.3.2 ... Creating Target Systems ... 232
• 7.3.3 ... Importing Printers from a Target System into the Central System ... 233
• 7.3.4 ... Creating Printer Groups ... 236
• 7.3.5 ... Creating the Target System Group ... 237
• 7.3.6 ... Implementing the Distribution ... 238
• 7.3.7 ... Distribution Status ... 240
• 7.4 ... Summary and Overview ... 241
• 7.4.1 ... PAL Objects ... 242
• 7.4.2 ... Advantages and Restrictions in the Use of PAL ... 242
• 8 ... Authorizations in the Spool Environment ... 243
• 8.1 ... Authorization Types in General ... 244
• 8.2 ... Authorization Types in Detail ... 245
• 8.2.1 ... Device Authorizations ... 245
• 8.2.2 ... Selection Authorizations ... 246
• 8.2.3 ... Spool Request Authorizations ... 247
• 8.2.4 ... Output Authorizations ... 250
• 8.2.5 ... Special Authorizations ... 251
• 8.3 ... Real-Life Example ... 251
• 8.4 ... Summary and Overview ... 253
• ... Appendices ... 255
• A ... Font Mapping Tables for Cascading Fonts ... 257
• B ... Overview of Presented Profile Parameters, Auxiliary Reports, Database Tables, and Transactions ... 271
• C ... Glossary ... 275
• D ... The Author ... 279
• ... Index ... 281