AFP Object Types Explained: PTOCA, IOCA, BCOCA, GOCA, FOCA

Inside an AFP file, the actual page content is carried by a family of object content architectures, each specialized for one kind of content. Here's what each one is — with a live sample you can open in readAFP.

PTOCA — Presentation Text

The text on the page. PTOCA control sequences position each run of characters to an exact coordinate and set the font, color, and orientation. This is how a statement's numbers and labels land precisely where the form expects them. Open a text sample →

IOCA — Image Object Content

Raster images and photographs, including bilevel scans, grayscale, JPEG, and banded CMYK color. Open an image sample →

BCOCA — Bar Code Object Content

Bar codes described by symbology, module size, and data, rather than as a picture — so the printer renders a crisp symbol. QR Codes are common. Open a bar-code sample →

GOCA — Graphics Object Content

Vector graphics: lines, boxes, arcs, and Bézier curves drawn from drawing orders, plus area fills and color. Open a graphics sample →

FOCA — Font Object Content

Fonts — both raster (bitmap) glyphs and outline font programs — that an AFP file can embed so its text prints in exactly the right typeface. Open a font sample →

All of these sit within the MO:DCA structured-field stream. To see them decoded together, open any file in readAFP.