PWG 5101.1-2002 Standard for Media Standardized Names

PWG 5101.1-2002 PWG: Standard for Media Standardized Names February 26, 2002 IEEE-ISTO 5101.1-2002

February 26, 2002

Candidate Standard 5101.1-2002

The Printer Working Group

Standard for Media Standardized Names

Status: Approved

Abstract: This document specifies standard names to be used to indicate media types, media colors, and media sizes in other standards. These lists of names are a superset of the names that are currently presented in the Printer MIB [PRT-MIB] and the IPP Model and Semantics [IPP-MOD] documents. It is intended to supplement the currently defined lists as well as to provide a normative reference for all subsequent standards.

26 February 2002

The Printer Working Group Standard for

Media Standardized Names

This document is a PWG Candidate Standard. For a definition of a "PWG Candidate Standard", see:

ftp://ftp.pwg.org/pub/pwg/general/pwg-process20.pdf

This document is available electronically at:

ftp://ftp.pwg.org/pub/pwg/candidates/cs-pwgmsn10-20020226-5101.1.pdf, .doc, .rtfThis document is available electronically at:

ftp://ftp.pwg.org/pub/pwg/standards/pwg5101.1.pdf, .doc, .rtf

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Title: PWG: Standard for Media Standardized Names

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The IEEE-ISTO and the Printer Working Group, a program of the IEEE-ISTO invite any interested party to bring to its attention any copyrights, patents, or patent applications, or other proprietary rights, which may cover technology that may be required to implement the contents of this document. The IEEE-ISTO and its programs shall not be responsible for identifying patents for which a license may be required by a document and/or IEEE-ISTO Industry Group Standard or for conducting inquiries into the legal validity or scope of those patents that are brought to its attention. Inquiries may be submitted to the IEEE-ISTO by e-mail at:

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Use of this document is wholly voluntary. The existence of this document does not imply that there are no other ways to produce, test, measure, purchase, market, or provide other goods and services related to its scope.

About the IEEE-ISTO

The IEEE-ISTO is a not-for-profit corporation offering industry groups an innovative and flexible operational forum and support services. The IEEE Industry Standards and Technology Organization member organizations include printer manufacturers, print server developers, operating system providers, network operating systems providers, network connectivity vendors, and print management application developers. The IEEE-ISTO provides a forum not only to develop standards, but also to facilitate activities that support the implementation and acceptance of standards in the marketplace. The organization is affiliated with the IEEE ( and the IEEE Standards Association (

For additional information regarding the IEEE-ISTO and its industry programs visit:

About the Printer Working Group

The Printer Working Group (or PWG) is a Program of the IEEE-ISTO. All references to the PWG in this document implicitly mean “The Printer Working Group, a Program of the IEEE ISTO.” The PWG is chartered to make printers and the applications and operating systems supporting them work together better. In order to meet this objective, the PWG will document the results of their work as open standards that define print related protocols, interfaces, data models, procedures and conventions. Printer manufacturers and vendors of printer related software would benefit from the interoperability provided by voluntary conformance to these standards.

In general, a PWG standard is a specification that is stable, well understood, and is technically competent, has multiple, independent and interoperable implementations with substantial operational experience, and enjoys significant public support.

Contact information:

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Members of the PWG and interested parties are encouraged to join the PWG mailing lists in order to participate in discussions, clarifications and review of the WG product.
Copyright (C) 2001, IEEE ISTO. All rights reserved.

Title: The Printer Working Group Standard for Media Standardized Names

The IEEE-ISTO takes no position regarding the validity or scope of any intellectual property or other rights that might be claimed to pertain to the implementation or use of the technology described in this document or the extent to which any license under such rights might or might not be available; neither does it represent that it has made any effort to identify any such rights.

The IEEE-ISTO invites any interested party to bring to its attention any copyrights, patents, or patent applications, or other proprietary rights which may cover technology that may be required to implement the contents of this document. The IEEE-ISTO and its programs shall not be responsible for identifying patents for which a license may be required by a document and/or IEEE-ISTO Industry Group Standard or for conducting inquiries into the legal validity or scope of those patents that are brought to its attention. Inquiries may be submitted to the IEEE-ISTO by e-mail at:

About the IEEE-ISTO

The IEEE-ISTO is a not-for-profit corporation offering industry groups an innovative and flexible operational forum and support services. The IEEE-ISTO provides a forum not only to develop standards, but also to facilitate activities that support the implementation and acceptance of standards in the marketplace. The organization is affiliated with the IEEE ( and the IEEE Standards Association (

For additional information regarding the IEEE-ISTO and its industry programs visit

About the IEEE-ISTO PWG

The Printer Working Group (or PWG) is a Program of the IEEE Industry Standards and Technology Organization (ISTO) with member organizations including printer manufacturers, print server developers, operating system providers, network operating systems providers, network connectivity vendors, and print management application developers. The group is chartered to make printers and the applications and operating systems supporting them work together better. All references to the PWG in this document implicitly mean “The Printer Working Group, a Program of the IEEE ISTO.” In order to meet this objective, the PWG will document the results of their work as open standards that define print related protocols, interfaces, procedures and conventions. Printer manufacturers and vendors of printer related software will benefit from the interoperability provided by voluntary conformance to these standards.

For additional information regarding the Printer Working Group visit:

Contact information:

IPP Web Page:

IPP Mailing List:

To subscribe to the ipp mailing list, send the following email:

1) send it to

2) leave the subject line blank

3) put the following two lines in the message body:

subscribe ipp

end

Implementers of this specification are encouraged to join the IPP Mailing List in order to participate in any discussions of clarifications or review of registration proposals for additional names. Requests for additional media names, for inclusion in this specification, should be sent to the IPP Mailing list for consideration.

Contents

1Introduction......

1.1Scope

2Terminology

3Media Type Names

3.1Custom Media Type Names

4Media Color Names

4.1Custom Media Color Names

5Media Size Self-Describing Names

5.1Media Size Self-Describing Name Format

5.2Reserved Size Names

5.3Conventions for the Tables

6Conformance Requirements......

7Registration Procedures for Additional Names......

8Internationalization Considerations......

9Security Considerations......

10References......

11Author’s Address......

12Appendix A: Media Names Usage in Existing Standards (informative)......

13Appendix B: Parser Considerations for the Media Size Name (informative)......

1Introduction...... 1

1.1Scope...... 1

2Terminology...... 2

3Media Type Names...... 3

3.1Custom Media Type Names...... 4

4Media Color Names...... 4

4.1Custom Media Color Names...... 5

5Media Size Self-Describing Names...... 5

5.1Media Size Self-Describing Name Format...... 6

5.2Reserved Size Names...... 7

5.3Conventions for the Tables...... 7

6Conformance Requirements...... 12

7Registration Procedures for Additional Names...... 13

8Internationalization Considerations...... 13

9Security Considerations...... 13

10References...... 13

11Author’s Address...... 14

12Annex A: Media Names Usage in Existing Standards (informative)...... 15

13Annex B: Parser Considerations for the Media Size Name (informative)...... 15

Tables

Table 1 - Standardized Media Type Names (part 1)

Table 2 - Media Color Names

Table 3 - North American Standard Sheet Media Sizes (part 1)

Table 4 - Chinese Standard Sheet Media Inch Sizes

Table 5 - ISO Standard Sheet Media Sizes (part 1)

Table 6 - Japanese Standard Sheet Media Sizes

Table 7 - Chinese Standard Sheet Media Sizes

Table 8 - Other Metric Standard Sheet Media Sizes

Table 1 - Standardized Media Type Names (part 1)...... 3

Table 2 - Media Color Names...... 5

Table 3 - North American Standard Sheet Media Sizes (part 1)...... 8

Table 4 - Chinese Standard Sheet Media Inch Sizes...... 9

Table 5 - ISO Standard Sheet Media Sizes (part 1)...... 9

Table 6 - Japanese Standard Sheet Media Sizes...... 11

Table 7 - Chinese Standard Sheet Media Sizes...... 12

Table 8 - Other Metric Standard Sheet Media Sizes...... 12

The IEEE-ISTO is affiliated with the IEEE and the IEEE Standards Association.

IEEE-ISTO 5101.1 is a trademark of the IEEE-ISTO.

PWG 5101.1-2002 PWG: Standard for Media Standardized Names February 26, 2002IEEE-ISTO 5101.1-2002 The Printer Working Group Standard for Media Standardized Names

1Introduction

Media types, media colors, and media sizes have been defined in many previously published standards related to printing. Examples are the ISO Document Printing Application [DPA], the IEEE Transport Independent Printer/System Interface [TIP/SI], the IETF Printer MIB [PRT-MIB], and the IETF Internet Printing Protocol [IPP-MOD]. Although there is a high degree of commonality in the set of media types, colors, and sizes presented in these documents, they do not represent a uniform set. Several other standard developments, in process prior to the creation of this standard, also have a need for media type, color, and size definitions. Also there is a large body of existing computer printing system practice based upon PPD and GPD files to describe a Printer’s capabilities that include media type, color, and size. Thus this standard is a response to an urgent need to define a complete set of media types, colors, and sizes, in an independent document, that can be used as a normative reference by other standards.

This standard is the result of extensive research to obtain an exhaustive list. It provides a superset of the media types, colors, and sizes currently defined in the previously listed specifications. This standard is intended to update the list that is currently presented in the Printer MIB and the IPP Model and Semantics [IPP-MOD] specification and it also can be referenced by future standards. This document will be periodically updated to include any additional types, colors, and sizes, as required.

1.1Scope

This document defines media types, media colors, and media sizes only. Other media attributes such as name, weight, or opacity are not included at this time, though they may be added in the future, if the need arises.

No provisions are included to specify roll paper sizes. All media sizes defined represent a cut sheet. Media that is printed and then cut by the printing device can use this standard only to define the final size.

The color attribute that is included in a portion of the Media Name entries in both the Printer MIB and IPP are included as a separate independent set of Color Names in this specification.

The media size dimensions that are defined in this document are independent of the media feed direction (i.e. short edge feed or long edge feed) or printing orientation (i.e. portrait or landscape). Both of these parameters are best handled by unique attributes rather than overloading the media size attribute.

The intent of the names defined in this standard is for program to program communication, not for internal use within a program or for program to human display. Examples include: (1) from a Printer to client software, (2) from client software to a Printer, and (3) from a printer data description file to client software. Typically a client will localize these names to the human language and units of the user before displaying them to the user. However, when a client encounters a name that it does not recognize, these names have been defined so that they can be displayed to the user as a Fallback presentation. Some clients may omit localization in order to simplify implementation of displaying names to users.

The Media Size Self-Describing Name deserves special mention. It contains both a media size name and the dimensions, in case the receiver does not recognize the media size name. Such a receiver can then parse the Media Size Self-Describing Name and discover the intended dimensions of such an unrecognized media. These names have also been defined to facilitate parsing and/or Fallback presentation of either the media size name part and/or the dimensions part.