Printers
Printer (output device) administration configures how SAP produces physical and electronic output, defining output devices, access methods and spool servers so print requests reach the right destination. It is managed mainly through SPAD.
The device type controls how output is formatted for a given printer/language.
- In SAP, a printer is defined as an output device with an access method that tells SAP how to send output to it, for example, method…
- Define output devices (name, device type, host printer/queue).
- Set the access method and spool server.
- Watch out: Wrong access method for the device.
Output devices and access methods
In SAP, a printer is defined as an output device with an access method that tells SAP how to send output to it, for example, method L/C for local/remote host printing, method F for front-end (the user’s local printer), or methods for printing to file/email. Choosing the right access method for each device is the core of printer setup.
Configuring in SPAD
- Define output devices (name, device type, host printer/queue).
- Set the access method and spool server.
- Test output to confirm it reaches the device correctly.
Device types and formatting
The device type controls how output is formatted for a given printer/language. Using the correct device type ensures forms and reports print correctly (fonts, page size, special characters), a wrong device type produces garbled output.
Common issues
Most printing problems are output-device configuration, wrong access method or host queue, or spool/host connectivity. SP01 (the spool request) and SPAD (the device) are where you diagnose them.
Common pitfalls
- Wrong access method for the device.
- Incorrect device type, garbled output.
- Host printer/queue connectivity problems.