Application Support Note

ASN-2000-801

AXIS Diplomat 2000 - Configuring payslips on continuous stationery printers

Last Reviewed: 05 November 2004

Products affected: AXIS Diplomat 2000 Payroll

Description: Guidelines on configuring Windows for use with continuous stationery printers (i.e. listing printers) and AXIS Diplomat payslip paper sizes.

NOTE: As of AXIS Diplomat build level 5.741 (released 23.04.2002) the AXIS Diplomat SETUP program automatically creates Windows 'forms' for all supported AXIS Diplomat payslip formats. This occurs under all versions of Windows EXCEPT Windows 9x where the paper sizes must continue to be created manually as described below. The sections covering Windows NT / 2000 below are therefore only required if running software below build level 5.741. Customers running older software who have a current software support contract in place may apply for an update free of charge.

In a network environment, the paper size (or 'form') must be set up on the server or workstation driving the printer in question. In practice it is often easiest to create the forms on every machine and thus SETUP will create these Windows forms for you when run on an AXIS Diplomat server or when performing a client installation including when running a client installation in 'quiet' mode (SETUP /q).

The names of the forms created by SETUP differ from those described in this ASN in that the names of all forms created begin 'AXIS' as in 'AXIS Payslip XPAY'. This means that because Windows lists forms in alphabetical order, all AXIS Diplomat forms are listed together.

1. Introduction

AXIS Diplomat payslips do not correspond with standard Windows stationery sizes and so Windows must be configured with appropriate paper sizes. There are five AXIS Diplomat payslip formats:

The overall width measurement of each payslip format  includes the sprocket hole margins which account for approximately 0.5" on each side of the paper. The paper width configured should be the actual printable width of 13.5" or 8.5".  The height of the two YPAY formats cannot be specified as an exact decimal as required by Windows paper sizes, so three YPAY payslips will be treated as a page, giving a height of 11.00".  Therefore, the Windows paper sizes will be: 

 

Format	Width	Height
XPAY	13.50"	3.50"
YPAY	13.50"	11.00"
YPAY80	8.50"	11.00"
ZPAY80	8.50"	6.00"
AXIS8	8.50"	6.00"

2. Pre-Requisites

A continuous stationery printer WITH a Windows 9x or Windows 2000/NT 4 printer driver and AXIS payslips.

3. Configuration Procedure:

Install the printer and Windows printer driver as normal, checking that a Windows test page can be printed (don't worry at this stage if the layout of the test page is incorrect, we are just checking here that the printer is physically working and produces readable results using the chosen driver).

3.1 Windows 9x - Setting Custom Paper Sizes

The printer used for printing payslips may also be used for printing other documents (using different paper sizes).  Under these circumstances you will need to configure an additional logical printer in Windows 9x for each stationery type.  

In the printer 'Properties', select the 'Paper' tab and select 'Custom' paper size.  Set the "Unit" parameter to "0.01 inches" and then set the user-defined size parameters as specified below for the required payslip.

Example - XPAY

3.2 Windows 2000 & Windows NT 4.0 -   Setting Custom Forms.

Windows 2000 & NT 4 use the concept of a 'form' defined for the system as a whole rather than the Windows 9x concept of paper sizes held for individual printer drivers.

Custom Forms are created using Control Panel\Printers\'File' menu\Server Properties.  Refer to Microsoft knowledgebase article Q157172 for further information on how to configure a Windows 2000 or Windows NT system with a custom form size.  Set the  paper size parameters as specified below for the required payslip.

Example - XPAY

3.2.1 Selecting the payslip form when printing

When printing payslips, from the 'Printer Selection' dialogue, select 'Properties' then 'Advanced'.  Set the paper size to the required payslip form.

3.3 AXIS Payslip XPAY

Not to scale

3.3.1 Windows 9x Custom Paper Size

Set the Width to 1350 and the Length to 350. 

3.3.2 Windows 2000/NT4 Custom Forms

Set the Width to 13.50in and the Height to 3.50in.  Ensure that the Print Area Margins are all 0.00in. 

3.4 AXIS Payslip YPAY

Not to scale

3.4.1 Windows 9x Custom Paper Size

Set the Width to 1350 and the Length to 1100. 

3.4.2 Windows 2000/NT4 Custom Forms

Set the Width to 13.50in and the Height to 11.00in.  Ensure that the Print Area Margins are all 0.00in.

3.5 AXIS Payslip YPAY80

Not to scale

3.5.1 Windows 9x Custom Paper Size

Set the Width to 850 and the Length to 1100. 

3.5.2 Windows 2000/NT4 Custom Forms

Set the Width to 8.50in and the Height to11.00in.  Ensure that the Print Area Margins are all 0.00in.

3.6 AXIS Payslip ZPAY80

Not to scale

3.6.1 Windows 9x Custom Paper Size

Set the Width to 850 and the Length to 600. 

3.6.2 Windows 2000/NT4 Custom Forms

Set the Width to 8.50in and the Height to 6.00in.  Ensure that the Print Area Margins are all 0.00in.

3.7 AXIS Payslip AXIS8 (Security Payslip)

Not to scale

3.7.1 Windows 9x Custom Paper Size

Set the Width to 850 and the Length to 600. 

3.7.2 Windows 2000/NT4 Custom Forms

Set the Width to 8.50in and the Height to 6.00in.  Ensure that the Print Area Margins are all 0.00in.

3.8 Unprintable Areas (Margins)

Some printer drivers allow an unprintable area (margin) to be defined. The above settings assume that NO margins are defined. If your printer driver provides unprintable area settings Systems AXIS strongly recommends that these be set to zero for continuous stationery printers. WARNING: Some printer drivers (for example the Panasonic KX-P3696 driver for Windows 9x) are known to reset the unprintable area parameters to default values each time the custom paper size dialogue window is opened! We recommend you check that the unprintable area settings are still zero after any amendment to your printer properties.

3.10  Print Quality

Some printer drivers allow the print quality to be selected within the printer driver. To ensure maximum speed of operation we strongly recommend that, where available, the print quality be configured as "Draft" (as opposed to "Near Letter Quality" (NLQ)). Typically selecting draft mode will double the print speed.

Note that some very old printers may not support selectable print modes and may always print in NLQ. Such printers will need have upgraded drivers or be replaced if performance in this mode is not acceptable.

4. Further Information

Microsoft knowledgebase article Q157172 How to Create Custom Forms in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000

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