This document provides information on printing PDF files, or stream files in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, which are stored in the Integrated File System (IFS).

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This document discusses several ways to print PDF files that are stored in the Integrated File System (IFS) on an IBM i server, including:
 

Printing PDF Files in the Integrated File System (IFS) using a PDF reader
- or - 
Copying PDF Files in the Integrated File System (IFS) to a *USERASCII Printer File and then:

o    Printing PDF Files in the Integrated File System (IFS) to an ASCII Laser Printer that 
      Supports Direct PDF Printing
o    Printing PDF Stream Files to an IPDS or ASCII Laser Printer that Does Not Support 
      Direct PDF Printing
o    Faxing PDF Files in the Integrated File System (IFS) using IBM Facsimile Support for i
                   (FAX/400)

The simplest way to print PDF files which are stored in the Integrated File System (IFS) is open the PDF in a PDF reader on a user's PC. This can be done by accessing the IFS directory either by a mapped IBM i NetServer file share, Navigator for i, the Integrated File System option in IBM i Access Client Solutions, or IBM i Access for Web and either copying or downloading the PDF file to the PC to open in a PDF reader.
Once the PDF has been opened in a PDF reader, the PDF file can be printed to virtually any printer that has been configured on the PC.
This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
o    Host-based or Windows-only printers.
o    HP PCL compatible laser or ink-jet printers.
o    Adobe PostScript compatible laser printers.
o    ASCII laser printers that have been configured on the IBM i, and that have been configured on the PC using an IBM i NetServer print share            and that uses an appropriate Windows printer driver.
o    IPDS laser printers that have been configured on the IBM i, and that have been configured on the PC using an IBM i NetServer print share              and that uses an AFP printer driver.
o    IBM Facsimile Support for i (FAX/400), if configured on the PC using an IBM i NetServer print share that points to the QFQFS4PRTD                    output queue and that uses the AFP Facsimile Support/400 printer driver.

For information on mapping a network drive to an IBM i NetServer file share, refer to the following document:
Mapping a Drive to i5/OS NetServer:  https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/644335
For information on configuring an IBM i NetServer print share, refer to the following documents:
Creating IBM i NetServer Print Shares:  https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/644755
Adding a Printer that Uses an IBM i NetServer Print Share: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/644757

It is possible to write a Windows or Mac program to automatically display or print a PDF file.  Once the program is complete, use the RUNRMTCMD, STRPCO or STRPCCMD on the IBM i to call the program on the PC or Mac to print PDF files in the IFS.  Refer to the PDF reader documentation for commands to issue within the program to invoke the display or print function.  Refer to the Windows or Mac help or support for information on programming.

For more information on using the RUNRMTCMD command, refer to the following document:
Incoming Remote Command (RUNRMTCMD) with Windows Vista, 7, 8.x, and 10:  

The following document has an example RPG program to open the .pdf file using the STRPCO or STRPCCMD.  This could be modified to print the PDF also.  Again, refer to Windows or Mac or the PDF reader's documentation to determine the commands to use to invoke the PDF reader functions:
Example of RPG Opening a .pdf File Using STRPCO Using QCMDEXC
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/example-rpg-opening-pdf-file-using-strpco-using-qcmdexc

Such programming is outside the scope of support provided by the IBM i Global Support Center.  Any assistance with such a project would need to be pursued under IBM i Customized Services:  https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-i-customized-services

Another way to print PDF files which are stored in the Integrated File System (IFS) is to create a spooled file by using FTP to send the stream file to a printer file on your IBM i system that has the printer device type (DEVTYPE) parameter set to *USERASCII. This will result in a *USERASCII spooled file being created in the specified output queue.

Once the *USERASCII spooled file has been created, the file can be printed to a PDF printer via *LAN 3812 printer device, remote output queue or 5250 printer emulation session.  Refer to the following document for more information:
Printing PDF Stream Files to an ASCII Laser Printer that Supports Direct PDF Printing
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/printing-pdf-stream-files-ascii-laser-printer-supports-direct-pdf-printing
NOTE:  This option does not require any special software. However, it does require special capabilities in the printer hardware. Also, cases have been seen where certain models of printer support Direct PDF printing when the PDF print data is sent using LPR/LPD (for example, using a remote output queue) but not when sent using the PJL or SNMP protocols.

Or, the PDF file can be respooled as an *AFPDS type spooled file using Print Services Facility/400 (PSF/400) and the Transform Manager portion of Infoprint Server (product 5722IP1 Product Option 1).  The resulting *AFPDS spooled file can then be printed to an ASCII or IPDS printer that does not support direct PDF printing, or faxed using Facsimile Support.  
o    If printing to an ASCII printer, the printer can be configured with a *LAN 3812 printer 
      device, remote output queue or 5250 printer emulation session.  The ASCII printer configuration must use Host Print Transform (HPT).  
o    If printing to an IPDS printer, a license key for PSF is required.  
o    If faxing, the IBM Facsimile Support for IBM i product (5798FAX) must be installed and licensed.

Refer to the following document for more information:
Printing PDF Stream Files to an IPDS or ASCII Laser Printer that Does Not Support Direct PDF Printing:
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/printing-pdf-stream-files-ipds-or-ascii-laser-printer-does-not-support-direct-pdf-printing

NOTE:  This option requires configuring and starting Transform Manager on your IBM i system, which requires a license for Infoprint Server for iSeries (product 5722IP1) and requires installing Product 5722IP1 Option *BASE (IBM Infoprint Server for iSeries) and Option 1 (PS to AFP Transform).

For more information on Transform Manager, refer to the Infoprint Server for iSeries User's Guide (G544-5775-05) publication:
https://www-05.ibm.com/e-business/linkweb/publications/servlet/pbi.wss?CTY=US&FNC=SRX&PBL=G544-5775-05

For more information on the license key requirements for Print Services Facility/400 (PSF/400) and Infoprint Server, refer to the following document: 
License Key Requirements for Print Services Facility/400 (PSF/400) and Infoprint Server:
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/license-key-requirements-print-services-facility400-psf400-and-infoprint-server