Advanced Function Presentation
| Industry | Document processing, Printing technology |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | IBM (original developer) |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | International |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) architecture and standards |
| Owner | Consortium of over 35 companies in the document processing sector |
| Website | www |
Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) represents a presentation framework alongside associated printer software and hardware that facilitates document and information display independently of particular applications or devices.
With AFP, users gain control over document formatting, output methods (whether printed or digital), and the management of document storage and retrieval across distributed systems and various operating platforms. It is predominantly utilized by large organizations for production-level variable data printing (VDP).
AFP solutions support the distribution of print tasks among multiple printers with failover capabilities, establishing AFP as a fundamental technology within electronic document management (EDM) systems. These systems encompass functionalities such as print-and-view, archiving, document retrieval, and enterprise report management (ERM).
History
Originating at IBM in 1984 under the name Advanced Function Printing, AFP introduced key concepts including object-based structure, print accuracy, resource handling, and compatibility with high-speed printing—principles that remain integral to the architecture today.
In 2004, IBM launched the AFP Color Consortium (AFPCC) to enhance color management features, culminating in the release of the AFP CMOCA (Color Management Object Content Architecture) standard in 2006.
By 2006, IBM made the complete AFP architecture available to the consortium, which was renamed the AFP Consortium (AFPC). The founding role transitioned from IBM to InfoPrint Solutions Company (a joint venture between IBM and Ricoh) in 2007, and subsequently to Ricoh. In 2009, AFPC was established as an open standards organization featuring tiered membership and collaborative governance. Presently, membership includes over 35 companies within the document processing sector.
Components
The AFP framework comprises multiple sub-architectures:
- MO:DCA-P (Mixed Object:Document Content Architecture-Presentation): a page description language file format that integrates text, images, vector graphics, and barcodes. MO:DCA files structure documents into hierarchical elements—such as documents, pages, data objects, and resources like fonts and ICC profiles—enabling presentation to commence as soon as the initial page arrives. MO:DCA-P is also referred to as AFPDS.
- IPDS: a two-way communication protocol between server and printer used for transmitting page data, reporting errors, managing accounting information, and querying printer resources including memory and fonts.
- Bar Code Object Content Architecture (BCOCA): specifies barcode creation and description.
- Color Management Object Content Architecture (CMOCA): outlines color management components such as ICC profiles and halftones.
- Graphics Object Content Architecture for AFP (AFP GOCA): defines vector graphic representations.
- Image Object Content Architecture (IOCA): standardizes raster image formats.
- Presentation Text Object Content Architecture (PTOCA): governs text formatting.
AFP accommodates standard data formats within object containers—including TIFF, GIF, JPEG (JFIF), EPS, and PDF—allowing these formats to be integrated alongside native AFP objects on a single page.
Print modes
AFP supports both offline printing by converting AFPDS files into alternative page description languages and online printing through software such as PSF (Print Service Facility) on IBM platforms or spooler solutions like S2P and IPM that dynamically generate IPDS streams.
IBM Implementation
Print Service Facility (PSF) represents IBM's foundational solution for generating AFP output and managing IBM printers, continuing its use on mainframe systems today. It organizes print content according to PAGEDEF and FORMDEF specifications and supports electronic forms known as OVERLAYS.
Beyond document formatting, PSF also manages AFP/IPDS printers. The IPDS (Intelligent Print Data Stream) protocol facilitates two-way communication between the software and printer, making it well-suited for high-speed production printing environments capable of processing over 100 pages per minute.
IBM provided PSF in multiple versions tailored to different platforms: PSF/390 for OS/390 mainframes, PSF/VSE designed for VSE/ESA, PSF/6000 for the AIX operating system, PSF/400 targeting IBM i, and PSF/2 for OS/2 environments. Due to these variants, IBM eventually rebranded PSF as InfoPrint Manager (IPM).
Included with PSF is ACIF (AFP Conversion and Indexing Facility), which allows users to create AFP documents for storage and subsequent printing. ACIF offers indexing capabilities comparable to PDF bookmarks, which are particularly useful for archival purposes.
AFP’s optimized storage architecture continues to make it a preferred choice in industries such as banking, telecommunications, and insurance. Initially developed within the MVS environment, AFP typically utilizes EBCDIC-based codepages. Similar to other page description languages like PostScript, PDF, and PCL, AFP documents require a dedicated viewer to be displayed.
A notable characteristic of AFP printers is their all points addressability (APA), enabling precise placement of output anywhere on the page rather than restricting content to fixed line or character locations. This feature provides enhanced flexibility in document design.
See also
External links
- AFP Consortium – Official website of the AFP Consortium