SAS System Options

SYSPRINTFONT= System Option

Specifies the default font to use for printing, which can be overridden by explicitly specifying a font and an ODS style.

Valid in:	configuration file, SAS invocation, OPTIONS statement, SAS System Options window
Category:	Log and procedure output control: Procedure output
PROC OPTIONS GROUP=	LISTCONTROL
See:	SYSPRINTFONT= System Option under Windows

Syntax
Syntax Description
Details
Examples

Syntax

SYSPRINTFONT=("face-name" <weight> <style> <character-set> <point-size> <NAMED "printer-name " | UPRINT="printer-name " | DEFAULT | ALL>)

Syntax Description

"face-name"

specifies the name of the font face to use for printing.

Requirement:	If face-name consists of more than one word, you must be enclose the value in single or double quotation marks. The quotation marks are stored with the face-name.
Requirement:	When you use the SYSPRINTFONT= option with multiple arguments, you must enclose the arguments in parentheses.
Interaction:	When you specify UPRINT=printer-name, face-name must be a valid font for printer-name.

weight

specifies the weight of the font, such as BOLD. A list of valid values for your specified printer appears in the SAS: Printer Properties window.

Default:

NORMAL

style

specifies the style of the font, such as Italic. A list of valid values for your specified printer appears in the SAS: Printer Properties window.

Default:

REGULAR

character-set

specifies the character set to use for printing.

Default:	If the font does not support the specified character set, the default character set is used. If the default character set is not supported by the font, the font's default character set is used.
Range:	Valid values are listed in the SAS: Printer Properties window, under the Font tab.

point-size

specifies the point size to use for printing. If you omit this argument, SAS uses the default.

Requirement:

Point-size must be an integer. It must also be placed after the face-name, weight, style, and character-set arguments.

NAMED "printer-name"

specifies a printer in the Windows operating environment to which these settings apply.

Restriction:	This argument is valid only for printers in the Windows operating environment. To specify a Universal Printer, use the UPRINT=argument.
Requirement:	The printer-name must exactly match the name shown in the Print Setup dialog box (except that the printer name is not case sensitive).
Requirement:	If the printer is more than one word, the printer-name must be enclosed in double quotation marks. The quotation marks are stored with the printer-name.

UPRINT="printer-name"

specifies a Universal Printer to which these settings apply.

Restriction:	This argument is valid only for printers that are listed in the SAS Registry.
Requirement:	The printer-name must match exactly the name shown in the Print Setup dialog box (except that the printer name is not case sensitive).
Requirement:	If the printer-name is more than one word, it must be enclosed in single or double quotation marks. The quotation marks are stored with the printer-name.

DEFAULT | ALL

specifies whether the font settings apply to the default printer or to all printers:

DEFAULT: specifies that the font settings apply to the current default printer that is specified by the SYSPRINT= system option.
ALL: specifies that the font settings apply to all installed printers.

Details

The SYSPRINTFONT= system option sets the font to use when printing to the current default printer, to a specified printer or to all printers.

In some cases, you might need to specify the font from a SAS program. In this case, you might want to view the SAS: Printer Properties window for allowable names, styles weights, and sizes for your fonts. For examples of how to apply the SYSPRINTFONT= option in a SAS program, see Examples.

If you specified SYSPRINTFONT= with DEFAULT or without a keyword and later use the Print Setup dialog box to change the current default printer, then the font used with the current default printer will be the font that was specified with SYSPRINTFONT, if the specified font exists on the printer. If the current printer does not support the specified font, the printer's default font is used.

The following fonts are widely supported:

Helvetica
Times
Courier
Symbol

By specifying one of these fonts in a SAS program, you can usually avoid returning an error. If that particular font is not supported, a similar-looking font prints in its place.

All Universal printers and many SAS/GRAPH devices use the FreeType engine to render TrueType fonts. For more information, see Using TrueType Fonts with Universal Printing and SAS/GRAPH Devices in SAS Language Reference: Concepts.

Note: As an alternative to using the SYSPRINTFONT= system option, you can set fonts with the SAS: Printer Properties window, under the Font tab. From the drop-down menu select File Print Setup Properties Font. Using a dialog box is fast and easy because you choose your font, style, weight, size, and character set from a list of options that your selected printer supports. [cautionend]

Examples

Specifying a Font to the Default Printer

This example specifies the 12-point Times font on the default printer:

options sysprintfont=("times" 12);

Specifying a Font to a Named Windows Printer

This example specifies to use Courier on the printer named HP LaserJet IIIsi Postscript. Specify the printer name in the same way that it is specified in the SAS Print Setup dialog box:

options sysprintfont= ("courier" named "hp laserjet 111s, postscript");

Specifying a Font to a Universal Printer, on the SAS command line

This example specifies the Albany AMT font for the PDF Universal Printer::

sysprintfont=('courier' 11 uprint='PDF')

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