ELP: Frequently Asked Questions

W-ELP needs for each print job the CPU power of about copying the print file 4 times. When you archive the print file there is one more copy time on top. But for the MyPrintArchive function also 1 less because you don't read the print data back. So the processor is used as like the print data is copied 4 times into another file.
So it is very few CPU power needed. But we even can reduce it by 50%, so it is possible to limit it to 2 copies, but then the archived files need to be stored under the user logon name or any other name ELP gets from the print processor.
For getting the archived files back, it is like copy them 2 times. Plus 0.2 seconds.
So in general if the server has less power, the only thing that can happen is that the user waits instead of one additional second maybe 2 or 3 additional seconds, but I think he needs more time to walk to the printer than that.
Based on our experience we can tell that the Windows overhead of controlling queues needs more time...
For Unix and other operating systems, you may subtract 2 to 3 copy times, if you work with STDIN and STDOUT piped commands
Conclusion: As conditions for the W-ELP server, please follow the recommendations of the operating system vendor for a server, which holds the print server role (incl. the consideration of the number queues).

Please fill out this form ELP Server/License Change and send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The product ELP does have a lot of features. They are grouped into modules. The BAS module is obligatory for all licenses.

Any module license needs to be purchased for all needed licenses. Unless it is not a big installation, the modules can´t be split, e.g. 5 bar code (BAR) and 4 Forms-Management (FOR) licenses. In that case you need to purchase 9 licenses with BAS, BAR and FOR modules.

The modules BAS, BAR, FOR, EMU, PLU, UNI and SND are per licensed per output device / Queue.
The modules RAW-IN, FS-SVC, PDF, TIF are licensed per server, respectively per cluster node, if the code isn't used shared by the nodes.

The amount of needed licenses "Z" is calculated according those rules:
X = Amount of printing devices which will be driven by the ELP/W-ELP software.
Y = Amount of the printer queues driven by ELP for those X devices and or for the archive etc.
Z = MAX (X,Y) - note that "Z" is the higher value in the comparison of the Values X and Y

Note: If ELP serves a FollowMe^TM kind of system, then you need licenses for all devices, the data stream might be printed on.

PCL5: This is our default printer language. ELP was originally designed for PCL5, therefore all features are available for this printer language.
PostScript: Bar codes are possible. The data stream can be converted to PCL for applying the full ELP functionality
TIFF: If turned on, Tiff data streams are automatically converted to PostScript.
PCL6: Only conversion to PDF is possible and banner pages.
PDF: If the function is not disabled, the data stream is automatically converted to PostScript
Kyocera Prescribe, Epson, Printronix PGL, Printronix VGL, Proprinter DS, Cobrabox, PSi bar codes and Cals:
Such data streams are converted to PCL5, and then all features can be used.

Printable fact sheet

* These names are internal code names used by stethos only

Printing from a Windows application: My print device supports PCL5 but the manufacturer does not supply a PCL5 print driver:

Printing from Linux or another host based system (like SAP):

Forms generation:

It is recommended to install a PCL5, 5e or 5c driver for your oldest used printer. And add also two queues named "ELP FORM bw" and "ELP FORM color" which are used for printing the forms to file.
However there are huge differences between the drivers and the print job sizes they produce.

Data stream printing

stethos tries to do everything to support any PCL5 windows driver. In very rare cases however, searching and maybe reading values in the data stream or printing colored documents with colored forms may fail.

Hints if you have problems:

• Avoid using a color driver for printing black and white only data streams to a color enabled printer, using colored ELP forms.
• Using anyway ELP_Commands for forms and printer management, you are able to use any driver you like, from any manufacturer, as ELP does handle the manufacturer specific [tray] settings.
• A 64 Bit (for 32 Bit use our contact form to request one) Color printer driver for all Windows operating systems can be downloaded from here.

Read here more about how ELP works under MS Windows.

Preamble: I assume, that ELP should trace data streams within a certain queue.
Answer is YES and NO!
The problem: Both network systems take the print data stream before the Windows spooler (Print Processor) which makes sense, because why to spool it twice. Unfortunately then, the data stream will never reach the ELP process.
The current solution: Do not connect the PC directly to the Novell Server, just let the Windows print queue, where ELP is installed, print to lpt1, 2 or 3. Then use the Novell capture command to reroute lpt1 to your Novell Server Queue.

In conclusion:

A) If the ELP is installed on a client PC, then you have no problems.
B) Direct on a server is unfortunately not possible.

We may have some expertise to look even behind the curtain on a Novell server, but then we need first to know which release the client uses.
If you know a way how to call within a Novell server queue an external software, please let us know.

1st case: The DOS application runs in a DOS Box under MS Windows using a network printer:
Redirect the data stream from LPT1 to any MS Windows queue, like NET USE LPT1 \\server\Sharename
The queue can be on the same PC or any other PC/Server. Of course it needs to be an ELP supported Windows system on it (See above). Then install ELP and activate ELP in this queue. The queue itself will be connected to the printer.

2nd case: The DOS application runs in a DOS Box under MS Windows, the printer is connected via LPT1.
If the DOS application is able to print to LPT2, then set it to LPT2, redirect LPT2 using the same method as above to the queue, which prints to LPT1.

3rd case: The DOS application runs in a DOS Box under MS Windows, and it could not print to lpt2.
Add a second Centronix card to the PC and connect the printer via LPT2. Redirect as mentioned above lpt1 to the queue which is printing to lpt1.

4th case: It is a pure DOS PC, and the printer is connected to LPT1
4.1) Use ELP as a DIMM
4.2) Some software can print to a file first, and then the file could be copied copy /b ... to lpt1, or the software uses the DOS print command.
In this case, you are maybe able to generate and a batch file like this:
convert infile outfile -s.... -c.... -p...
print outfile
del outfile
del infile

Before answering this in detail, please note that there is a way in W-ELP to set it to the DIMM mode, meaning only the DIMM functions will work.

1. Once the DIMM Mode was enabled in the ELP Control Center there are 2 additional buttons which loads the forms and generated setup ini file(s) to the printer. This is handled like the macro loader from HP or the Euroform forms and font manager (F&FM).
2. In DIMM Mode the automatic downloading of MICR and OCR-A and B fonts is disabled, as if needed, fonts can be installed on the FSA DIMM or HDD.
3. Some variables are not available in the DIMM, like in and out file names and time functions.

Please check the list of all ELP keys which keys are available in DIMM mode.

then you may want to reset ELP to its default after installation settings. Please follow these steps:

• Maybe save your ini file before overwriting.
• Exit the ELP Control Center if open
• Please copy in the Workpath folder c:\ProgramData\WELP the file convert.ori over the convert.ini file.
• You can start with a new configuration by reopening the ELP Control Center

When I print from Windows test pages, all is fine, but when I print from my Linux or old DOS application there are copies printed, but no forms are added.

ELP needs form feeds at the end of every page. Without them, there is no form added. There are some possibilities to add forms on a page, here are the two most common ones:

• Use a counter and perform tasks based upon counter value Example 2 uses the key Search_RowNo
• Use search and add on the first page, overlay a form on all pages:

  [When an invoice is found]

  Search_Windows_New=Invoice:

  ; add a command to print form 500 on every page

  Add_Binary=\x1B&f500y4X

Disclaimer: Modifying the registry can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. We cannot guarantee that problems resulting from modifications to the registry can be solved. Use the information provided at your own risk.

Change the Printer Spooler Priority

Normally the printer spooler runs at the same priority as other services on a system. If your system is being mainly used for printing or handles a large number of print jobs you can use this tweak to change the priority class the print spooler.

Open your registry and find this directory: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print

Create a new DWORD value, or modify the existing value called 'SpoolerPriority' using one of those settings :
0 = Normal priority,
1 = High priority,
0xFFFFFFFF = Idle priority

Exit your registry, you may need to restart or log out of Windows for the change to take effect.

1. When printing through a MS Windows driver, make sure a PCL5 driver is installed
2. When printing from DOS or Unix / Linux etc. make sure the data stream uses form feeds for page breaks. Where are my forms?
3. Need help, here is the key to success: Need help? How to get support!

For speed reasons Postscript and PCL6 files are by default NOT parsed and NOT changed at all by ELP

BUT:

If you add this statement into the rule GLOBAL of the convert.ini:

BarcodesPostScript=ON

then ELP will also parse Postscript for our way of printing bar codes (Having PCL bar code commands in the Postscript file and the output will be automatically in Postscript). As a side effect, the Search_xxx commands are in that configuration also all fully performed!

Solution: Remove unloved FormFeed

ELP is speed. This means there are some limitations, here for example there is no look ahead so after the last form feed the form 500 is again inserted, even there is no data anymore.

Solution us this command instead: ELP_COMMAND=C1:1-#PREPARSEPAGECOUNT#G500; and make sure that the key Preparsing=ON is set in the rule GLOBAL.

Usually this is the same problem as when selecting duplex and the job is still not duplex-ed. See here for this.

So try to set the page commands all on the first page, or if for example tray changes need to be performed, use them on the specific page, where the change needs to be performed. See here