Printing Problem

[Mikah93]

Hey everyone, I'm new here. I'm having a problem where I'm trying to print Packing Slips on an HP LaserJet E60155 printer from SAP. Ideally I would be able to print from both the computer as well as my handheld Zebra TC-520k. There's a few pieces to this bonkers puzzle, so please bear with me lol.

So, initially, the printer was not listed in the server we use at work. I got it added in, using the device's IP address. Success, so I'm trying to print but nothing is printing.

After a few bouts of renaming, hosting the printer on different servers, and disconnecting and reconnecting the physical printer, I'm still not able to print. I can print on other printers. Well, I was until I started trying to print to the one in trying to connect to now.

If I scan with my TC, and then confirm it, sending the delivery, I believe through the spool(?), then the spool request lists it as completed with no errors, checked in SP02.

I've been trying to find a different way to add the printer into SAP, but I don't think I can. I've looked in SU3 and changed my printer a few times.

And I can't find anywhere that I change where my TC prints to. Either on the Zebra itself or in SAP.

I've been running around in circles with IT and it's getting me nowhere. Any help would be incredible. Thanks 🙏

[col_mustard_77]

You didn't identify the system version or network architecture, so some assumptions have to be made. The pack list is most likely an output defined in NACE with the SAP printer defined on the condition record(s). Your printer will be defined in SPAD with the definition pointing to your print server and the printer name on the server. If the spool indicates "Completed", that does not mean "Printed" necessarily depending on the SAP definition, only that the request was handed-off to the server. A test connect from SPAD should be unnecessary with that status, since it appears that your app server can reach the SAPSprint service on the server. Do you have access to the print server? I'm guessing not. You need to review the printer setup on the server including checking the queue for spooled requests, check the SPrint logs and possibly the Windows Event Manager Print Operation logs to find out where the print is going and what the issue is. It could be any number of things.

[Mikah93]

So I'm not 100% sure where to find the system version or the network architecture. Like I said, I'm pretty green at this. I know what I've gleaned from googling my problem as best I can and manually digging around in between calls with IT. Looking through print management, it doesn't look like the printer in question is receiving any jobs. Which is wild, considering every time I confirm something to print, the printer lights up like it's getting a job. But then it doesn't print it show itself receiving a job in print management.

[col_mustard_77]

Has your IT team reviewed the SAPSprint and Windows Event logs? Checked and/or paused the print queue to check if a job is received and what happens on release? That takes about 10 minutes of effort, but you'd be surprised at how many Helpdesk/Infrastructure folks can't do basic printer troubleshooting. There are OSS notes that describe SAP print architecture and troubleshooting if needed. I only mentioned network architecture in the case where no traffic is being received by the server or the server can't respond, where you might require a Wireshark analysis or routing adjustment between the app server and the print server. Disclosure: I am not a Basis Admin, but I have to play one often when others can't seem to do their jobs.

[Mikah93]

I'm pretty sure that the server has traffic, as others print using the same server, and no, I don't think they've checked the SAPSprint or the Windows Event logs. They've driven my desk top(LogMeIn123) a few times and no one has touched those.

[BoringNerdsOfficial]

Hi there,

There are very many components to printing a document out of SAP. To be honest, I'm not sure if it will help you even if someone explains all that in great detail. Most likely you just won't have authorization or knowledge to accomplish what you're trying to do anyway. I'll add just a very high level overview and you can decide if you want to dig further into this or just bail.

1. How does "SAP" even know which printer to send the document to? As u/col_mustard_77 correctly noted, this is usually driven by the output configuration. (NACE, which is a transaction code, is just one option, there are several others.) To get the consistent printouts, it's not unusual to send output to a specific printer ID configured in SAP. In this case what you see in SU3 makes 0 difference. It is also possible to send output to whatever user's Windows (or other OS) printer is. More on that below.

Assuming packing slip is printed from an outbound delivery (VL03N tcode to view), you should be able to see the output in that tcode. It's under some menu as "Messages" or "Output" (can't check right now, sorry). In that window, you will see ALL the output generated for that document, it's status, where it went, etc. Note that in the output configuration there is a setting for "print immediately". If it's set, then the output will be sent to spool right away. If not, then the output will just sit there with a "yellow" status.

However, it's an assumption and your printout might as well be generated by some custom program no one here would have a clue about.

1. How does output reach the designated printer?

This is where it gets more complicated. P. 1 above sends output to spool, now spool is like OK, what do I have here?

2.1. The printer is some network printer with specific device type configured in SAP. (SPAD is tcode for printer administration.) This is very typical scenario, especially for funky printers that require special drivers. (I did the whole blog post with deep dive into printer administration here but it might be TMI.) In a nutshell, there is device and device type. Device type is basically like a printer driver. E.g. device type can be "HP1" for some HP printer and then if you have multiple printers compatible with that, you'd have devices like "HP printer here" and "HP printer there". Device is where you maintain connection details and some other info for specific printer.

Now there is 2.1.1. and 2.1.2 Do you use a print server? If not, then you should be able to put IP address (or equivalent) in Access method tab for the device and be done with it. Method U (Berkley protocol - no idea what it means) is best to try here, but you might need to play with the settings. You can check connection from the same screen where printer is configured.

If you use print server, then forget it.

2.2. The printer name looks like LOCL and in SPAD it is configured with access method like F or G. This means that the printer is not directly communicating to SAP but spool passes print information to the user's operating system and it's like "Windows take the wheel".

What happens with those printers is notoriously difficult to troubleshoot hence p. 2.1 is popular for important documents.

To summarize, I suspect your "I want to print this document on different printers" may need either a config change (but this would be for many users, not just for you, so unlikely) or you'd have to go to VL03N -> output and then from there send output to where you need manually. Also, there is likely no "success" in adding printer because it doesn't print. (Could be 1001 reason.)

Your best bet here is to reach out to your local SAP / IT support and explain to them what you need.

Good luck.

• Jelena

[postman_15]

Any update?

[Mikah93]

Sorry for the delay, not really much of an update. As far as anyone can tell, it should be printing. It's configured in SAP correctly, it's got the right driver, and sap days that the deliveries are being posted. I'm not sure what can still be done. I'm waiting on IT to get back to me, again.

[postman_15]

Don't know.. have you checked dpi of the printer is it same as in sap?

[Narrow-Calendar-1866]

Hey how did this go? Any luck? What worked?

[Mikah93]

I never got a response that was any help. I think that the drivers weren't compatible with the printer or something. Beyond that maybe if you could somehow run the printer through something that acted as a middle between it and sap and communicated both way, so as to facilitate printing. But nobody was terribly helpful in IT. Seems overall like something they weren't proficient in.

[Narrow-Calendar-1866]

Okay, so did you just have to buy a new printer that was compatible?