7.1 Setting Up Location-Based Printing

When setting up location-based printing, each Print Manager creates an iPrint Printer List that users can access by entering http://server_DNS_or_IP_address/ipp. You can make installing printers even easier by creating customized Web pages that link the iPrint Printer lists together or by using the iPrint Map designer to create a map showing the location of printers.

7.1.1 Creating Location-Based Maps with iPrint Map Designer

Using the iPrint Map Designer tool, you can quickly create a map showing printer locations. The tool lets you import floor plans as background images that can be used to drag and drop printers onto actual locations. These maps are then published on a Web server so users can install printers that are closest to their location.

Prerequisites

  • Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP/Vista/7 operating system

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or later

  • Novell iPrint Client installed on the workstation

After the map is created, you must use the iPrint Map Designer to modify or update it. Changes to a map file that are made outside of the iPrint Map Designer are not supported. If you need to add links to a map, you should create a frameset file and then display the map file in one frame and display your links in a different frame.

Creating a Map for Printing

Before creating the map, ensure the following:

  • All of your background images (maps) are copied to the following server:

    /var/opt/novell/iprint/htdocs/images/maps

    File types that can be used for background and printer icon images are JPEG, GIF, and BMP. These files are detected by iPrint Map Designer at startup. A default set of printer icons is included.

  • All of your custom printer icons are copied to the following server:

    /var/opt/novell/iprint/htdocs/images/printers

  1. To start iPrint Map Designer, open http://server_address/maptool.htm in Internet Explorer, where server_address is the server’s IP address or DNS name of the server where the iPrint Manager is running.

    If you want to save the map to this server, you need to be authenticated to the server.

  2. Select a map from the Background drop-down list.

  3. (Optional) Add a printer to the map.

    1. From the Printer Icon field, select the type of printer and icon size you want.

      Sizes range from 1 to 6, with 1 being the largest. Icons with a C indicate color printers.

    2. Click the Printer icon and drag the printer to the desired location on the map.

    3. Next to the Printer List field, click the Browse icon and specify the IP address or DNS name of the server where the Print Manager is running.

    4. From the Printer List, select the printer agent you want associated with this printer icon.

      The Printer URL and Mouse Over Text is automatically filled in with the printer agent information.

      Mouse over text: By default, displays the printer agent’s name. You can override this information by entering the text you want to display when a user moves the mouse over the Printer icon.

    5. (Optional) In the Printer Caption field, enter the information to display, using Enter to parse the information onto multiple lines.

    6. (Optional) From the menu bar, click Font to change the base font, color, and size for text on the map.

  4. (Optional) Edit a printer’s information by clicking the desired printer’s icon and then editing the printer information fields.

    To deselect a Printer icon while you are in the map, click anywhere in the design area.

  5. Click Save to save the map in an HTML format. You can upload this HTML file on a web server and use HTML editor to customize the page.

    NOTE:Do not click Refresh or exit Internet Explorer without saving the map.

To retrieve and modify an existing map file, click Open and browse to the directory where the map is located.

Adding Printers from Different Print Managers

You can add printers from different Print Managers to the same map. First, add the printers from one Print Manager. Then click the Browse icon and select a different manager.

If you need to add or modify printers from a previously used Print Manager, click a Printer icon from that manager and the Printer List is populated with printers from that manager.

Hosting Maps on a Web Server

After creating your maps, you need to post them on a Web server. Copy the contents of the \ippdocs directory and its subdirectories to the Web server in order for your maps and iPrint to work properly. You can link to your maps from your company’s internal Web page or send the URL out to your users.

Using the Keyboard with iPrint Map Designer

You can use the keyboard to create maps by using iPrint Map Designer. The following table lists the tasks to complete and the corresponding keystrokes required.

Table 7-1 Keyboard Shortcuts

Task

Press

Insert Printer icon

NOTE:Before you can insert a printer, your focus must be the design area.

Insert

Move printer icon within the design area

Arrow keys

7.1.2 Creating Customized Printer Lists

Printer lists let users select printers using categories that are meaningful to them. For example, you could create a list of printers by building location, department names, eDirectory Context, etc. iPrint generates an iPrint Printer List for each Print Manager. To create a custom list, you must use an HTML editor and create links to the different generated lists or create a Web page by using the printer’s IPP URL. This URL is displayed when you enable IPP for a printer.

To view a printer’s URL:

  1. From Novell iManager, click iPrint > Manage Printer.

  2. Browse to and select the printer you want.

  3. Click Client Support > iPrint Support.

    The printer’s URL is displayed under Current iPrint URL.