Windows printer devices

You can define devices of type Windows Printer and Windows Server Printer .

Both device types use the Windows printing services and drivers. This offers various advantages:

  • The Windows printing services have a common set of APIs for a wide range of printer devices. A Windows printer driver is available for almost every printer type.
  • Infor does not have to deliver printer-specific driver/configuration files with the LN software.
  • Barcode printing from LN is widely supported for Windows printers.
  • You can use Windows printers to print characters from various character sets on the same report (Unicode printing).
  • The Windows API is fully BIDI (bi-directional) enabled.
    • Any printer supported by Windows can print BIDI reports.
    • Windows takes care of mirroring and conversion from logical to display order.
    • Windows fonts can be used to render Hebrew and Arabic characters.

Windows Printer

This device type is used for local printing. To print to a "Windows Printer" device, users require the BWPrint software on their client PCs.

Note: To install BWPrint, the users must install the LN windows interface (BW) on their PCs. BWPrint is installed automatically during this installation.

Defining a Windows printer

To create a "Windows Printer" device:

  1. Start the Device Data (ttaad3500m000) session.
  2. Add a device. In the Device Type field, select Windows Printer .
  3. Specify the remaining device properties. See the online help of the Device Data (ttaad3100s000) session.

Windows Server Printer

This device type provides the possibility to print reports through a Windows driver. This enables you to reroute printing of reports from UNIX-based LN environments to a Windows system. This is particularly of interest for reports that are related to batch processes. It reduces the requirement for LN-related UNIX device drivers.

Windows Server Printers can print in multiple ways:

  • Through the Infor ES Reporting Service.
  • Through the LN Transfer Service.
  • To a local printer.

Defining Windows Server Printers that print through the Infor ES Reporting Service

In an on-premises installation on a UNIX platform, Windows Server Printers can print through the Infor ES Reporting Service. The Infor ES Reporting Service must be installed on a separate Windows printer server.

To define a Windows Server Printer that prints through the Infor ES Reporting Service:

  1. Configure the printer server.

    Install the Infor ES Reporting Service on the printer server. During the installation, you must assign a port number to the Infor ES Reporting Service. See the Infor LN Installation Guide.

  2. Define the printer server as a remote system.
    1. Start the Systems (ttaad0550m000) session.
    2. Add a record that represents the printer server. In the Service Type field, select Infor ES Reporting Server . See the online help of the Systems (ttaad0150s000) session.
  3. Define a Windows Server Printer.
    1. Start the Device Data (ttaad3500m000) session.
    2. Add a Windows Server Printer. Points of attention:
      • In the Device Type field, select Windows Server Printer .

      • In the Argument for Conversion Program field, specify this text:

        server=[the name of the printer server, as defined in the Systems (ttaad0150s000) session] port=[the port number that is assigned to the Infor ES Reporting Service]

        For example: server=cnl10050 port=7688

See the online help of the Device Data (ttaad3100s000) session.

Defining Windows Server Printers that print through the LN Transfer Service

Windows Server Printers can print through the LN Transfer Service in these installation types:

  • On-premises installation on a UNIX or Windows platform
  • Cloud installation

The LN Transfer Service can print to a printer or to a fileshare.

On-premises installation on a UNIX or Windows platform

To define a Windows Server Printer that prints through the LN Transfer Service:

  1. Install the LN Transfer Service on the printer server. See the Infor LN Transfer Service Administration Guide (Cloud and On-premises).
  2. Start the Device Data (ttaad3500m000) session.
  3. Add a Windows Server Printer. Points of attention:
    • In the Device Type field, select Windows Server Printer .

    • In the Argument for Conversion Program field, specify this text:

      -cloudPrinting

    • In the Device Queue field, specify the appropriate printer queue or fileshare:
      • For a printer queue, specify the UNC path in this format: \\servername\printername
      • For a fileshare, specify the UNC path in this format: \\servername\...\folder.
  4. Add the printer or fileshare in the LN Transfer Service. See the Infor LN Transfer Service Administration Guide (Cloud and On-premises).

Cloud installation

To define a Windows Server Printer that prints through the LN Transfer Service:

  1. Install the Cloud Printing Service on the printer server. See the Infor LN Transfer Service Administration Guide (Cloud and On-premises).
  2. Start the Device Data (ttaad3500m000) session.
  3. Add a Windows Server Printer. Points of attention:
    • In the Device Type field, select Windows Server Printer .
    • In the Device Queue field, specify the appropriate printer queue or fileshare:
      • For a printer queue, specify the UNC path in this format: \\servername\printername
      • For a fileshare, specify the UNC path in this format: \\servername\...\folder.
  4. Add the printer or fileshare in the LN Transfer Service. See the Infor LN Transfer Service Administration Guide (Cloud and On-premises).

See the online help of the Device Data (ttaad3100s000) session.

Defining Windows Server Printers that print to a local printer

In an on-premises installation on a Windows platform, Windows Server Printers can print to a local printer. For example a printer that is connected to a TCP/IP port.

To define a Windows Server Printer that prints to a local printer:

  1. Start the Device Data (ttaad3500m000) session.
  2. Add a Windows Server Printer. Points of attention:
    • In the Device Type field, select Windows Server Printer .

    • In the Device Queue field, specify a printer that is accessible for all users.

      For example, specify a local OS printer that is connected using a Standard TCP/IP port and that is available on the network.

      Note: Do not specify a "network printer" because a "network printer" is not accessible for all users. A "network printer" is only visible in the Windows user profile of the user that defined the "network printer".

See the online help of the Device Data (ttaad3100s000) session.