K.5. Job Ticket Extensions
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K.5. Job Ticket Extensions

Job Tickets are created with a dedicated Proxy Printer marked as Job Ticket Printer. As with any printer, a PPD extension file can be linked to this virtual printer.

In the PPD Extension file, special extensions are available to define Job Ticket IPP options, including Cost Rules. These IPP options are generic and abstracted from physical printers. When handling the ticket, the operator interprets the option values, selects a suitable printer, assures the right media are present in the target tray, and redirects the job to it.

Job Ticket IPP options can be defined for scope Media (single side of a page sheet), Sheet (single page sheet), Copy (sheet collection of a printed copy) and Set (the complete set of copies). The syntax is as follows: 

*SPJobTicket/<scope>: <attr> \ 1
  [*|+]<value> ...   2

1

The *SPJobTicket option with scope Media | Sheet | Copy | Set, and attribute name.

2

One or more option values. An * before a value marks it as default. A + prefix signifies an extended value, that is available for Job Ticket Operators only, so they can ad-hoc assign this value when editing a job ticket.

Note

The + prefix can also be assigned to regular option values. For example, if a Job Ticket Creator is not allowed to select color mode, the following code snippet can be added to the PPD extension file:

# Virtual print color mode, with dummy PPD option and values.
*VPrintColorMode print-color-mode
*VPrintColorMode dummy monochrome
*VPrintColorMode dummy +color

Cost Rules are introduced for each option scope in the sections below.

Important

IPP Options defined in the Job Ticket context are not mapped to their PPD counterparts. Therefore, their chosen values will not be send with the print job.

K.5.1. Job Ticket Media Options

IPP attributes describing media characteristics, like media-color and media-type are supported. Each option is prefixed with *SPJobTicket/Media:

Some examples:

*SPJobTicket/Media: media-color *white int.colored  1
*SPJobTicket/Media: media-type *paper transparency labels ext.letterhead-1   2

1

Option to select white and colored. white is an IANA media-color and is the default. int.colored is an internal IPP value extension, denoting a non-white color. Other values could be blue, red, green, orange, etc.

2

Option to select media types: ext.letterhead-1 is an external IPP value extension.

Media Cost is charged per media side, and specified for a combination of IPP values for media attributes. Each cost rule is prefixed with *SPJobTicket/Media/Cost: and formatted like this: 

*SPJobTicket/Media/Cost: <cost> <mnemonic> \  1
   <media*>/[!]<value> ... \  2
   <attrib>/[!]<value> ... \  3

1

Decimal point <cost> and identifying <mnemonic>.

2

One or more IPP <media*>/<value> pairs. An optional ! before a value negates it, and selects all other attribute values.

3

Optionally one or more IPP non-media <attrib>/<value> pairs.

Note

The IPP <media*>/<value> pairs referred to in *SPJobTicket/Media/Cost must either be automatically picked up from the PPD, or be defined as PPD to IPP Mapping or *SPJobTicket/Media.

Some examples: 

*SPJobTicket/Media/Cost: 0.0430 white-A4-080-S \  1
   media-type/ext.paper-80 \
   media-color/white \
   media/iso_a4_210x297mm \
   sides/one-sided    
                        
*SPJobTicket/Media/Cost: 0.0610 color-A4-120-S \  2
   media-type/ext.paper-120 \
   media-color/!white \
   media/iso_a4_210x297mm \
   sides/one-sided

*SPJobTicket/Media/Cost: 0.0390 white-A4-080-D \  3
   media-type/ext.paper-80 \
   media-color/white \
   media/iso_a4_210x297mm \
   sides/!one-sided

*SPJobTicket/Media/Cost: 0.0790 letterhead-A4-S \ 4
   media-type/ext.letterhead-1 \
   media/iso_a4_210x297mm \
   sides/one-sided

1

Single-sided A4 print on 80 grams white paper: 0.0430 per side.

2

Single-sided A4 print on 120 grams colored paper: 0.0610 per side.

3

Double-sided A4 print on 80 grams white paper: 0.0390 per side.

4

Single-sided A4 print on letterhead: 0.0790 per side.

Important

When *SPJobTicket/Media/Cost items are present, they acts as constraint. When a user sets print job properties, a cost rule must be present that matches chosen media options. When no rule is found, a warning message is displayed to the user.

The calculated cost of the first cost rule, that applies to the Job Ticket option values, is used as media cost.

K.5.2. Job Ticket Sheet Options

Job Ticket Sheet options specify finishing actions, performed on a single printed sheet. Each option is prefixed with *SPJobTicket/Sheet:

For example: 

*SPJobTicket/Sheet: org.savapage-finishings-ext *none laminate  1

1

org.savapage-finishings-ext option to select an extra finishing to be performed manually by Job Ticket operator.

Sheet Cost is charged per media sheet, and specified for a combination of SPJobTicket/Sheet and other (media*) attribute values. Each cost rule is prefixed with *SPJobTicket/Sheet/Cost: and formatted like this:

*SPJobTicket/Sheet/Cost: <cost> <mnemonic> \  1
   <sheet>/[!]<value> ... \  2
   <attr>/[!]<value> ... \  3

1

Decimal point <cost> and identifying <mnemonic>.

2

One or more IPP <sheet>/<value> pairs of type SPJobTicket/Sheet. An optional ! before a value negates it, and selects all other attribute values.

3

Optionally one or more other IPP <attr>/<value> pairs.

For example:

*SPJobTicket/Sheet/Cost: 0.5000 laminate-A4 org.savapage-finishings-ext/laminate \
    media/iso_a4_210x297mm
*SPJobTicket/Sheet/Cost: 0.7500 laminate-A3 org.savapage-finishings-ext/laminate \
    media/iso_a3_297x420mm

Important

The calculated cost of all sheet cost rules, that apply to the Job Ticket option values, are accumulated as cost per sheet.

K.5.3. Job Ticket Copy Options

Job Ticket Copy options specify finishing actions, performed on a single printed copy. Each option is prefixed with *SPJobTicket/Copy:

Some examples: 

*SPJobTicket/Copy: org.savapage-cover-type *no-cover ext.printfront-1  1
*SPJobTicket/Copy: org.savapage-finishings-ext *none laminate bind adhesive ext.binder  2

1

org.savapage-cover-type option to select a cover type. ext.printfront-1 is an External IPP extension.

2

org.savapage-finishings-ext option to select an extra finishing to be performed manually by Job Ticket operator. ext.binder is an External IPP extension.

Copy Cost is charged per job copy, and specified for a combination of SPJobTicket/Copy and other (media*) attribute values. Each cost rule is prefixed with *SPJobTicket/Copy/Cost: and formatted like this:

*SPJobTicket/Copy/Cost: <cost> <mnemonic> \  1
   <copy>/[!]<value> ... \  2
   <attr>/[!]<value> ... \  3

1

Decimal point <cost> and identifying <mnemonic>.

2

One or more IPP <copy>/<value> pairs of type SPJobTicket/Copy. An optional ! before a value negates it, and selects all other attribute values.

3

Optionally one or more other IPP <attr>/<value> pairs.

For example:

*SPJobTicket/Copy/Cost: 0.5000 folder-A4 org.savapage-finishings-ext/ext.folder \
    media/iso_a4_210x297mm

Important

The calculated cost of all copy cost rules, that apply to the Job Ticket option values, are accumulated as cost per copy.

K.5.3.1. Using External IPP Extensions

Job Ticket Copy Options are not confined to regular IPP attributes and Internal IPP Extensions. By utilizing External IPP Extensions, you can fully customize your Job Tickets Copy options and cost rules. For example: 

*SPJobTicket/Copy: org.savapage.ext-myoption \  1
   *none ext.choice-1 ext.choice-2

*SPJobTicket/Copy/Cost: 0.1000 myrule-1 \       2
   org.savapage.ext-myoption/ext.choice-1 media/iso_a4_210x297mm 
    
*SPJobTicket/Copy/Cost: 0.1500 myrule-2 \       3
   org.savapage.ext-myoption/ext.choice-2 media/iso_a3_297x420mm

1

Definition of External IPP extension myoption with two custom choices. The default choice none is a reserved internal value, indicating that the option is not selected.

2

Cost rule for ext.choice-1 and A4 media.

3

Cost rule for ext.choice-2 and A3 media.

K.5.4. Job Ticket Set Options

Job Ticket Set options specify actions performed on the complete set of copies[55]. Each option is prefixed with *SPJobTicket/Set:

For example: 

*SPJobTicket/Set: org.savapage-job-sheets       \ 1
    +none *job-start-sheet
*SPJobTicket/Set: org.savapage-job-sheets-media \ 2
    *iso_a4_210x297mm +iso_a3_297x420mm

1

org.savapage-job-sheets option to select a job-sheet.

2

org.savapage-job-sheets-media option to select the job-sheet media.

Set Cost is charged per job, and specified for a combination of SPJobTicket/Set and other (org.savapage-job-sheets-*) attribute values. Each cost rule is prefixed with *SPJobTicket/Set/Cost: and formatted like this:

*SPJobTicket/Set/Cost: <cost> <mnemonic> \  1
   <set>/[!]<value> ... \   2
   <attr>/[!]<value> ... \  3

3

Decimal point <cost> and identifying <mnemonic>.

2

One or more IPP <set>/<value> pairs of type SPJobTicket/Set. An optional ! before a value negates it, and selects all other attribute values.

3

Optionally one or more other IPP <org.savapage-job-sheets-*>/<value> pairs.

For example:

*SPJobTicket/Set/Cost: 0.05 banner-A4 org.savapage-job-sheets/!none \
    org.savapage-job-sheets-media/iso_a4_210x297mm

Important

The calculated cost of all cost rules, that apply to the Job Ticket option values, are accumulated as cost per set.


[55] The Job Ticket Set includes all copies, and therefore differs from the Set as defined in RFC8011, where it is “a logical boundary between the delivered Media Sheets of a printed Job. For example, in the case of a ten-page single Document with collated pages and a request for 50 copies, each of the 50 printed copies of the Document constitutes a Set. If the pages were uncollated, then 50 copies of each of the individual pages within the Document would represent each Set.”

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