Advanced Function Printing (AFP) is a document format and presentation architecture originally developed by IBM to drive its printers and support the production of variable data printing on laser printers, and later provides for document and information presentation independent of specific applications and devices.

The first software software to produce this format and to drive the IBM printers was the so called Print Service Facility (PSF), which is still until today found in IBM's Mainframes. PSF is fed with the input data to be printed and the definitions on how to organize the data on the page, i.e. PAGEDEF (Page Definition) and FORMDEF (Form Definition). It allows electronic forms to be printed on named OVERLAYS.

PSF is not only able to format the documents, but also to drive the AFP printers, or the Intelligent Printer Data Stream (IPDS) compatible printers to be more precise. IPDS is a host-to-printer data stream used for AFP subsystems that provides an attachment-independent interface for controlling and managing.

IPDS format is a bidirectional format where the program is constantly in control of the printer and knows at all times the status of the pages that were sent to the printer, making it an ideal format for high volume production printers, that print hundreds of pages within a minute.

AFP Printer Features:
1. Create AFP overlays, documents, page segments, and medium overlays from any Microsoft Windows software that supports printing
2. Support a complete set of paper sizes
3. Define custom paper size
4. Flexible page orientation: Portrait, Landscape, Portrait 180, Landscape 270
5. Clip unprintable area or offset plus size
6. Grayscale methods include photographic, compressed, diagonal dither, line art halftone
7. Adjust color for bitonal (B/W, Color/White), 16 colors (4bit CMYK/RGB, 24bit RGB), full color (32bit CMYK)
8. Color Management with ICC Profiles
9. Image conversion from JPEG/JPG/TIF/TIFF to AFP with resolution 300dpi or 600dpi
10. JPEG and LZW compression algorithm for images
11. Support level of graphic objects that comply with GOCA's DR/2V0 standard
12. Easy Intensity and Contrast Controls
13. Best output fidelity for TrueType fonts as references, inline resources, or images
14. Optimize text in OpenType fonts, raster fonts, and outline fonts
15. Maintain Output Fidelity for placement in character, word, and line level
16. Print Text as Graphics for printers not fully-compliant to PT2, PT3 standards
17. Support EBCDIC code page
18. Adjust Text Order when necessary
19. Font substitution of AFP character set with closely matched Windows font
20. Set Text Rules to trade off between speed, file size, and output fidelity
21. Support Inline Form Definition
22. Rich Duplex Options like Simplex, Duplex, Tumble Duplex
23. Various Form To Tray assignment
24. Finishing Options include Staple, Punch, Edge, Saddle
25. Produce AFP output files as smaller as possible with AFPDS data stream
26. Change file extension for AFP documents, page segments, medium overlays, and overlays
27. Import and export settings of AFP Printer
28. Certified AFP printing solutions for IBM AS/400, iSeries, System i, and SAP systems
29. Automatic installation and configuration on Windows x86 and Windows x64
30. Up to 600 dpi printing resolution
31. Up to 1000 page per minute engine speed
32. Native support for 5000+ Windows applications
33. Live update for new versions on Windows 32bit and Windows 64bit
34. Free upgrades for AFP driver in the future for registered users

The license of this software is Free Trial Software, the price is $269.00, you can free download and get a free trial.