HP Printers - Device types for SAP printing

This document lists the HP printers that have SAP printing support, the recommended SAP device types for each, and a link to the latest download. It is intended primarily for system administrators in a business environment.

Device types are available for HP LaserJet Enterprise, HP LaserJet Managed, HP PageWide Enterprise, and HP PageWide Managed printers on the basis of PCL5 and PostScript support. For PCL3 or host-based printers, go to SAP printing with PCL3 or host-based printers.

note:

Use the HP v3 UPD for SAP printing with Device types. SAP printing with device types is not supported on current HP model specific discrete drivers supporting Windows 7 and later operating systems. The HP discrete drivers are based on the XPS driver architecture, which does not support the passthrough capabilities required for SAP printing using device types.

Use this document to determine which device types are recommended for your PCL5-capable printer(s).

note:

SAP assumes first-tier support for these device types via its SAP Service Marketplace Web site. HP can neither support nor guarantee the functional performance of these device types. For problems with any device type, contact SAP customer support at http://www.sap.com/contactsap.

A device type is a configuration file for the SAP printer driver that ensures proper functionality between the SAP data stream and the PCL5 printer (or other output device) where the data is sent. When a new printer is defined in the SAP environment, a device type must be specified to enable direct printing from the SAP applications to the printer.

In the SAP System, a distinction is made between "printer driver" and "device type." The device type consists of all the attributes defined for an output device. For correct access, these must be made known in the SAP System. One of these attributes is the printer driver to be used by SAPscript (SAP System forms processor) for the particular printer.

There are five SAPscript printer drivers for the following:

• HP-PCL5
• PostScript printers (PS level 2)
• PRESCRIBE (for example, Kyocera FS-1500)
• Device types SWIN/SAPWIN/xxSWIN/xxSAPWIN
• All other models

In most cases, the SAP System already provides the appropriate device type for the printer type for the printer model that you want to use. When you define an output device, choose the name of the device type that was defined in the SAP System for your printer model, such as Post2 for a PostScript printer.

The last driver is known as the "standard driver." It cannot provide absolutely precise positioning on the paper and does not support proportional fonts. Printer drivers are relevant for forms output with SAPscript. For the output of ABAP lists, special printer drivers are only used as of SAP Release 4.5A. They are anchored in the C kernel and are developed and maintained exclusively by SAP.

In the spool environment, device types refer not only to printers but also to other output devices, for example, fax machines. Device types support specific printers or printer models. Device type definitions are stored completely in tables and can be individually adapted, modified or enhanced. The list of device types is continually expanded.

Generally, device types with the “Z” prefix are custom device types developed by users or print vendors for specific purposes. These device types are developed and fully tested in accordance with SAP development and testing guidelines. In most cases, they are the same device types available through SAP. HP provides the “Z” prefix versions of these device types as an optional way for users to access the device types.

• ZHPLJCM1 is a common device type for most newer HP LaserJet printers and HP PageWide printers that have released since Fall 2006. This device type has the following features:
  • Supported languages: ISO Latin 1
  • PDL: PCL 5 - Duplex Printing: Yes
  • Input Tray: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
  • Output Tray: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
  • Additional print options: Input trays, Output trays, Double-sided (duplex) printing, and Staple option
  • User password
  • Status feedback with SNMP: Yes
• ZHPUTF8F is the device type that supports the HP International Printing Solution (IPS) for Unicode for HP LaserJet Printers.
• ZI7HP4 is the device type for the HP Greek font for HP LaserJet printers.
• SAPWIN - SAPWIN is a generic device type for printers (or fax devices) configured to print from Windows PCs by means of the SAP System program SAPLPD¹ using Windows printer drivers. SAPWIN device types use the ISO 8859-1 (aka Latin 1) character set.

  note:

  As of SAP release 3.0E, you can use SAPWIN to Print proportional fonts and lines/boxes in SAPscript and to Print black and white as well as color TIFF graphics (in 32-bit SAPlpd in Windows).²

• SAPWIN5 - The device type for printing Cyrillic characters (character set ISO 8859-5, for example Russian) with SAPlpd/Microsoft Windows. This device type works exclusively with the Russian Windows 95 or NT 4.0 (not with Windows 3.1). To use it, a 32-bit version of the SAPlpd with a number 4.00 or higher is required¹.
• POSTSCPT - The SAP device type which is used for pure PostScript printers¹.
• POST2 - New device type for PostScript-level-2 printers which can be used alternatively to POSTSCPT¹. The device type POST2 offers an improved output of ABAP print lists by using a special PostScript-L2 printer driver and can therefore only be used in SAP System releases as of 4.5A.

The device type indicates the type of printer and provides the SAP System with the information it needs to correctly control the printer output including commands for font selection, page size, character set selection, and so on. Most printers can also be controlled using a generic or printer-independent format, such as PostScript (Post2).

If a specific device type is not available, and generic device types cannot be used, users can create a custom device type or edit a copy of an existing SAP device type using the Spool Administrator (SPAD). Only administrators with specialist knowledge of the SAP Spool System and printer driver code should do this. For detailed information about device types, go to the SAP Service Marketplace and search for "Device Types for SAP Output Devices (Detailed Information)".

note:

SAP does not support modified Device Types and HP does not currently provide any services to create custom device types for users.

Generally, device types with the “Z” prefix are custom device types developed by users or print vendors for specific purposes. These device types are developed and fully tested in accordance with SAP development and testing guidelines. In most cases, they are the same device types available through SAP. HP provides the “Z” prefix versions of these device types as an optional way for users to access the device types.

Users can hardcode a default feature to a specific media type, which means every time the media type is selected when using this device type, it will print based on the new default. For example, if the printer initialization for Letter was set to the default input tray 4, every time letter was selected, it would print only from tray 4.

Users can add a Print Control and embed it in each output file. In addition, they can add a custom media type to the device type, so the user can select, for example, LetterTray4 to pull Letter-size media from Tray 4.

• All custom device types have a “Z” prefix.
• Device Type definitions can only be created in SAP.
• Typically, only a System Admin will have authorization to create a Device Type.

For more information, go to the SAP Portal:

• SAP Note: (922930) HELVE/TIMES: Which printer fonts are used?
• SAP Note: (750219) Unicode UTF-8 printing with HP printers
• SAP Note: (94233) Support of MICR font

The device type consists of all the attributes defined for an output device. They cover aspects such as control commands for font selection, page size, character set selection, character set used and so on. These do not include aspects for bar code or check printing.

Barcode and Check printing solutions are not supported by HP. For barcode or check printing from the SAP System with HP LaserJet printers, please contact the third-party partner for the specific solution. These solutions may require a DIMM module such as a barcode or MICR DIMM or additional fonts or symbols such as E13B, CMC7, OCR-A and OCR-B.

For more information, go to the SAP Note & Knowledge Base and search for the following notes:

• SAP Note: (12305) Barcode solutions for HP LaserJet printers
• SAP Note: (121305) Barcode SIMMs/DIMMs for HP LaserJet printers
• SAP Note: (45643) Barcode control sequences for Jetmobile BarSIMM
• SAP Note: (197177) Printing 2-D barcodes with SAPscript (PDF417, UPS Maxicode, DataMatrix)
• SAP Note: (94233) MICR printing

For more information, go to the SAP Portal:

• SAP Note: (5196) Printing barcodes with SAPscript
• SAP Note: (119604) Barcodes Code 128, EAN-128, UCC-128

SAP device type files are required in order to enable direct-printing from an SAP R/3 server because SAP runs on many platforms and operating systems, and its applications produce documents in proprietary formats, SAP has developed its own output management system to shield users from server operating system printing intricacies, enable direct printing from the applications to a variety of output devices, and ensure seamless output in all environments.

This system is part of the SAP applications running on a server, and includes generic SAP-developed printer drivers that format output data streams being sent to a printer. Because these drivers are generic, they need the device type files to supply them with specific configuration information about the various printing devices the data streams may be sent to. This is true regardless of the server operating system the SAP applications are running on (e.g. Windows, UNIX, Linux, etc.). Without the proper device type files, the SAP drivers will not know the personalities of the various printing devices, and direct printing from the SAP server will not be enabled.

SAP provides development and testing of device types for HP printers to ensure the support of SAP standard printing functionality. For problems with any device type, contact SAP customer support at http://www.support.sap.com.

• How to install an SAP device type
• SAP printing with PCL3 or host-based printers
• SAP printing with different character sets or languages
• SAP printing to printers with embedded device types
• SAP Knowledge Support