Print External Files

You can use the following approaches to configure a device to support printing pass through files.

• Use an Existing Device: If you have an existing device in Spectrum that supports native printing for the type of file you want to print, such as a PCL Printer Command Language, a printer control language from Hewlett-Packard. device, you can configure that device to support pass through files. Open the device in Devices , click the Advanced tab, and then select the appropriate check box or boxes under Pass Through File Types.

  Important! If your device supports native printing for a file type and that file type is selected, the file is sent to the device to be printed as is. If your device does not support native printing for a file type and that file type is not selected, then the file is converted to an image and sent to the device to be printed.

• Add a Pass Through Device: If you do not have an existing device in Spectrum that supports native printing for the type of file you want to print, you can create a Pass Through device connection. A Pass Though device connection should only be used when the target device supports native printing for the file type. For more information, see Create a Pass Through Device Connection.

Once a device that supports pass through files is configured, you can use the following approaches to specify an external file to print. These approaches add the file data to the data map using the key !INLINE_DOCUMENT!, which can then be used for printing.

• Browse and Select a File: You can create an application with a File Selector action which allows users to browse and select a file from outside of Spectrum. For more information, see File Selector Action.
• Use a Data Service and Data Source: You can configure a data service and data source, such as a Data entry data source A type of data source that allows a Data Provider to enter a value by using a prompt or a button., Database data source A connection to a database that acts as a data source and can serve as the data ref for a document field. A Database data source is associated with a Database data service., Alternate data source A connection to a file external to Spectrum that acts as a data source and can serve as the data ref for a document field. An Alternate data source is associated with either a File data service or an HTTP data service., or File data service The view that is displayed to a user on the Print page that allows the user to enter information for a label. A Designer can configure this view in the Form view on the Label Design page. to point to a file outside of Spectrum.
  
• Use an Integration: You can reference an external file as a job from an integration in Spectrum such as Oracle, SAP BC-XOM, File Drop, and Web Services.

  Note: It is recommended that you do not use SAP RFC integrations to print external files, as the file size is bound to the current field value limit of 1000 characters.

After the file to print has been specified, you can use the following approaches to send the print job to the device configured to support pass through files.

• Use a Process and On-Demand Print: You can create a process and an application with a Job Request action which uses the process to allow users to submit a print request. For more information, see Job Request Action.
• Use a Process and a Business Rule: You can create a process which references a business rule to allow users to submit a print request.

These approaches require a process with the following properties in the Process Parameters panel:

The process must also have the following data map entries in the Data Map panel:

Note: In Status, all pass through files use the Document name !INLINE_DOCUMENT!, therefore it is recommended that you set a meaningful job name which can be used to identify the file when searching print jobs. The job name can be specified in an integration, data source, or business rule.