[cups.general] Re: PDF capable printers in CUPS?

[Helge Blischke]

Johannes Meixner wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> On May 5 14:34 Helge Blischke wrote (shortened):
> > Anonymous wrote:
> > > I've just purchased Lexmark T430D printer which is capable of printing
> > > PDF format files directly. How can one teach the CUPS system that there
> > > is no need to convert PDF to PS before sending the job to this printer?
> >
> > Insert a line
> > *cupsFilter: "application/pdf 0 -"
> > near the beginning of the pritner's PPD.
> >
> > But I'm not sure if you will any job attributes get through unless the
> > printer speaks IPP.
> 
> As far as I understand the CUPS filtering the
>   *cupsFilter: "application/pdf 0 -"
> line causes the CUPS filtering system to send a file of mime type
> application/pdf in any case without any filtering to the printer.
> I.e. for mime type application/pdf the above line is like
>   lp -d <queue> -o raw file.pdf
> 
> Therefore no printer specific option (like duplex, tray selection etc.)
> can be enabled and none of the CUPS "Standard Printer Options"
> (see the "CUPS Software Users Manual") can be performed.
> 
> As far as I understand the CUPS filtering system,
> either PDF -> PS must happen so that pstops can do the options stuff
> or PDF is printed in raw mode and no option can be set.

Yes, that's what I was saying, except for printers that are driven via
the IPP backend
*and* really comply with the IPP protocol. The IPP request sent to the
printer contains
all the job attributes as far as the printer supports them.
That is, the CUPS-specific job attributes (which are not covert by the
respective RFCs)
and attribute values that are semantically equivalent but syntactically
different
from the "official" forms (e.g. media) will be lost.

Helge

 

-- 
Helge Blischke
Softwareentwicklung
SRZ Berlin | Firmengruppe besscom
http://www.srz.de