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Tell me about virtual printers and hot folders

 

What are virtual printers?

Virtual printers are the "input channels" of the software. Install one or several virtual printers on your server for using the software printing options.

Virtual printers can be run either in the Printer Mode or in the Hot Folder Mode.

In the Printer Mode, you use the normal Print command of your DTP application to print your documents to a "normal" printer. The print data are then transferred to the server via network, processed and printed.

In the Hot Folder mode, you load your document into your DTP application, select a PostScript® printer driver and output the job to a file. You save this PostScrip® file either directly to the hot folder or to another folder where you can convert it to a PDF file with Acrobat® Distiller. You can take the PDF file and move it to the hot folder in your DTP workstation's file system.

Every PostScript® or PDF print job you move to a hot folder is automatically processed and printed.

This lets you use the HP Designjet 50ps printer like any other network printer you have set up. Ready-to-print PostScript® or PDF files from your customers, for example, do not have to be opened in an application before they are printed but can be processed directly using the hot folders.

Tip: Define a link to the hot folder (in the UserDir\VirtualPrinter server directory) on your desktop.

Note: You can set up a maximum of 32 virtual printers.

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Which are the files a hot folder can process?

Hot folder processing of a file is effected by dragging the file to the respective hot folder icon. The file is then copied to the hot folder directory on the server where it is passed on to the spool directory as a job with the print settings of the hot folder.

The following file formats can be converted to print jobs via hot folders:

  • PostScript® 3™ (*.ps)
  • PDF up to version 1.3 (*.pdf)
  • Scitex® CT (*.ct)
  • DCS 2.0 (only if integrated in the application)
  • RGB / CMYK TIFF™ (*.tif)
  • TIFF™-IT P1 Contone

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