How to Create Custom Separator Page Files

• Microsoft Windows NT operating system, version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server, version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0

Windows NT allows the specification of a separator page file to be printed at the start of each print job. Several such files are included with Windows NT. In addition, custom separator page files may be created to suit individual needs. The Windows NT Advanced Server "Concepts and Planning Guide" documents how to create such files; however, the Windows NT Workstation documentation does not.

To create a custom separator page file, use a text editor such as Notepad. On the very first line, type one single character, then press ENTER. The character on this line defines the character used as an escape character. For example, the table below assumes that this character will be the at sign (@).

Enter the escape codes for the functions you want. Save the file with an .SEP extension in the Windows NT SYSTEM32 subdirectory.

In Print Manager, select the printer that you want to use the separator page file with. Choose Properties from the Printer menu. In the resulting Printer Properties dialog box, select Details and specify the name of the desired separator page file in the Separator File field, and then choose OK.

The following lines enumerate the escape codes that can be used in a separator page file and their functions.

@N

   Prints the user name of the person that submitted the job.

   Prints the job number.

   Prints the date the job was printed. The representation of the date is
   the same as the Date Format in the International section in Control
   Panel.

   Prints the time the job was printed. The representation of the time is
   the same as the Time Format in the International section in Control
   Panel.

   Prints all the characters (xxxx) following it until another escape
   code is encountered.

   Prints the contents of the file specified by path, starting on an
   empty line. The contents of this file are copied directly to the
   printer without any processing.

   Sets a printer-specific control sequence, where nn is a hexadecimal
   ASCII code sent directly to the printer. To determine the specific
   numbers, see your printer manual.

   Sets the width of the separator page. The default width is 80; the
   maximum width is 256. Any printable characters beyond this width are
   truncated.

   Turns off block character printing.

   Prints text in single-width block characters until @U is encountered.

   Ejects a page from the printer. Use this code to start a new separator
   page or to end the separator page file. If you get an extra blank
   separator page when you print, remove this code from your separator
   page file.

   Skips n number of lines (from 0 through 9). Skipping 0 lines moves
   printing to the next line.

   Prints text in double-width block characters until @U is encountered.