Intelligent Printer Data Stream (IPDS)

IPDS is IBM’s Systems Application Architecture host-to-printer data stream for Advanced Function Presentation subsystems. It provides an attachment-independent interface for controlling and managing all-points-addressable (APA) printers that allow the presentation of pages containing an architecturally unlimited mixture of different data types, including text, image, graphics, bar code, and object container. It is used by a variety of IBM and OEM print servers that drive all-points-addressable (APA) page printers. Generally these printers are at the medium to high end of the print speed and volume spectrum.
The IPDS architecture allows for both spooled data and print job management to flow bidirectionally between the print server (or print driver) and the Printer Controller.
Examples of print job management controls are:

  • Printer Resolution
  • Media Jam
  • Pre or Post Processor exceptions
  • Storage usage
  • Paper tray capabilities
  • Duplexing capabilities
Examples of spooled data can be:
  • Positioning Information for locating objects within the page
  • Fonts
  • Text
  • Images
  • Bar Codes
  • Electronic Overlays
IPDS data streams are purely used to carry print information and data. This is above the network transport layer (typically TCP/IP or SNA) and the supporting hardware LANs, Channels and network controllers.
IPDS carries data and instructions from the print server to the printer in structured fields. The printer controller processes these IPDS commands and returns acknowledgment back to the print server.

An AFP file, generated by DocFamily, gets translated by a print-server into IPDS.