OverView AFP Designer Workshop

Development of forms with data integration for IBM's page printer formatting aid (PPFA) applications

Goals

Master visual design of forms (Overlay generation language OGL) and data placement (PPFA-mode)

Develop complex form applications using conditional processing

Prerequisites

  • PC experience

Participants

  • Application developers
  • Application analysts

Price & Duration

On-demand workshop
Price on request
3 days
Mo-We 9-17

Dates 2026

πŸ‡¦πŸ‡Ή Austria
On request
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ USA
On request
πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡¬ Singapore
On request
Training Guide 2026 Cover
Training Guide 2026
Download PDF

Content

AFP Introduction

  • Basics of the AFP architecture
  • Overlays and page segments
  • PAGEDEF and FORMDEF
  • Resources for printing

Designing a form application

  • Defining the font library
  • Loading existing overlays and data applications (OGLs, PPFA)
  • Placing of logos and images
  • Creating overlay building blocks
  • Graphical functionalities - DRAWBOX, DRAWRULE, DRAWCIRCLE, DRAWPATH
  • Clipboard functionality for text import
  • Text functions, undo/redo, hotkeys
  • Working with templates
  • Reading and placing linemode input data
  • Visual design of input data reading with PRINTLINE and FIELD
  • Placement of data on overlays
  • Conditional processing
  • Definition of print jobs with PAGEFORMATs and COPYGROUPs
  • Compiling OGL and PPFA sources into AFPDS resources
  • PRINTLINE overlays and page segments
  • N_Up print definitions
  • 2D barcodes (DataMatrix, PDF417, MaxiCode)
  • True Color support

Printing functions

  • Test printing on local printers
  • Transfer of OGL and PPFA sources and print resources between PC and IBM mainframe (Send/Receive)
  • Central and decentralized printing
  • Papyrus Server/PageEXEC for AFP generation from PPFA-application (FORMDEF, PAGEDEF)

Font technologies

  • Font types: raster, outline, and TrueType
  • Font resources (coded font, codepage, character set)
  • Font conversion with Papyrus FontConverter
  • Font editing with Overview Font Editor
  • Tools: resize, rescale, convert
  • Shading, inverting, font kerning
  • Font resolutions
  • Font conversions
  • Clipboard functions

Images

  • Creation and editing of page segments with Overview Image Editor
  • Importing TIFF images
  • Tools: rescale, resize, positioning text, flip, mirror, filter options
  • True color TIFF support
  • Image export options

Viewing of AFPDS with Papyrus Client AFP Viewer

  • Using Papyrus Client for test
  • Print on local PC printers
  • Verify application print resources

Registration

To register please complete and submit the online registration.
You will receive a written confirmation with the accurate course information, a map to find the course location and a choice of hotels nearby. We are happy to book the hotel reservation for you if required. More information on available hotels can be found here.

Cancellation of the course is free of charge up to two weeks before the course date. After that, the full fee for the course applies.

We would like to point out that workshops might be postponed due to low registration and recommend taking this into account when arranging your flight schedule. Please note that all our prices are quoted net and do not include local taxes.

Course materials including course guide are included in the price (download). All prices are excluding tax.

Price & Duration

On-demand workshop
Price on request
3 days
Mo-We 9-17

Dates 2026

πŸ‡¦πŸ‡Ή Austria
On request
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ USA
On request
πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡¬ Singapore
On request
Training Guide 2026 Cover
Training Guide 2026
Download PDF
Register now!