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Xerox 96MX User Manual

Page 258

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PRINT FORMAT COMMANDS

6-84

XEROX DOCUPRINT 96/DOCUPRINT 96MX LPS PDL REFERENCE

Using pitch and the TMODE parameter effectively

Paper sizes each have an associated pitch mode.

There are three processing modes available on your LPS.
These are called pitch modes. A pitch is a term describing the
time it takes to image a page on the printer photoreceptor belt.
A pitch mode is a phrase that describes how many pitches can
occur during one complete photoreceptor revolution. For
example, while processing in 3-pitch mode, three images can
be placed on the photoreceptor belt during one revolution of the
belt.

As page size increases, fewer images can be placed on the
photoreceptor belt during one revolution. Since the belt runs at
a constant speed, a decrease in the number of images that can
be placed on the belt causes a corresponding drop in the
pages-per-minute (ppm) throughput of the LPS. Table 6-76
shows the various pitch modes, their corresponding ppms, and
the default paper sizes for each pitch mode. The paper size
used in a job determines the highest pitch mode in which the
system will run that job.

If you change paper sizes within a job, and this change crosses
a pitch boundary, the system performs a xerographic quality
adjustment, which may significantly impact performance.

Specifying the pitch (also called the throughput mode) with the
TMODE parameter of the OUTPUT command allows you to
control the default pitch mode with the following benefits:

Matching system throughput with finishing device
restrictions: If the finishing device attached to the printer
cannot accept output at rated speed, the printer inserts
gaps in the paper path to ensure that pages do not arrive at
the device too rapidly.

Eliminating process adjustment cycles during jobs that
cross pitch boundaries: Each time a job crosses a pitch
boundary, the system performs a xerographic quality
adjustment. If this is done frequently within a job, the
adjustments may take a substantial amount of the overall
print time. Lowering the pitch mode so that the entire job
runs at the same mode may enable you to significantly
increase performance.

Estimating the time needed to run your print jobs for
scheduling purposes. To better understand the potential
value of specifying pitch modes in your JSLs, consider
these hypothetical situations:

Your finishing device folds and binds your printed
output but accepts pages at a considerably slower rate
than the 96 pages-per-minute capability of your Xerox
DocuPrint 96/DocuPrint 96MX laser printing system.
You may want to slow down the rate at which your
Xerox DocuPrint 96/DocuPrint 96MX LPS sends
printed sheets to this device by specifying a 4-pitch
mode. Assuming that your application calls for 8.5 by
11-inch paper, you could use 5-pitch mode, but by
selecting 4-pitch, you reduce the pages-per-minute
(ppm) from 96 to 77, which better matches your
finishing device's capabilities and reduces the
potential for paper jams.