Administering Printing Options

The Printing menu allows you to specify settings for printers accessible by the user.

Print receipts for checked-in items

If this option is checked, the system automatically prints checkin receipts when you check in items in Circulation Desk function.

Allow label printing

If this option is checked, the system allows the user to use label printers.

Printing Defaults

The two options in this part of the dialog allow you to specify how the system remembers local printer settings. You can pick one or the other option, but not both.

Last used on workstation for login

If you select this, the system saves local printer settings made by the user when choosing a local printer. These settings are stored on the workstation rather than on the Sierra server machine. Each user on a particular workstation can have its own set of local printer settings. Note, however, that if a user is used on a different workstation, these settings will not be available, but can be set up and saved to that workstation as well.

Use login defaults

If you select this, the system saves local printer settings to the Sierra server machine, making them available to the user on whichever workstation is used. The user can override these settings in any session by choosing a local printer, but the system does not retain changes after the user logs out.

To select printer defaults for the user, choose Use login defaults. The system presents the following dialog:

For the Standard Printer, Receipt Printer, Label Printer and Form Printer, the following options are available. You can select one or both options in each section.

Select local printer on startup

Specifies whether the printer is set to the local printer when the user starts a session.

Enable direct text printing

If this option is checked, print jobs for the particular printer class are sent to the Local Printer as a stream of characters. If it is not checked, print jobs are sent as graphic images.

Direct text printing is an alternative to graphical printing that sends ASCII text directly to the printer. It cannot be used with all connection methods.

Using Older Model Printers

You might need to use direct text printing if your printer is an older functionl or one with limited capabilities. For example, 40 column printers often have limited capabilities and thus must be set for direct text printing.

You cannot use direct text printing if your printer is a "Graphics only" or "Windows only" printer. "Graphics only" or "Windows only" printers cannot be configured for text printing because they are designed to print images of print jobs, not the actual text. For example, do not enable text printing for Hewlett-Packard printers that use "Printing Performance Architecture" (PPA).

If you selected text printing for the Standard Printer, Receipt Printer, Label Printer or Form Printer, the following options apply to all:

Printer for direct text printing is only 40 columns wide

Select this option if your local printer is only 40 columns wide. The system will allow you to select this option only if the Enable direct text printing option is checked.

Number of lines to eject after printing

Specifies the number of blank lines (up to 20) that the system should leave after each print job. The system will allow you to select this option only if the Printer for direct text printing is only 40 columns wide option is checked.