A4 and Test Prints

[Kurt Pfeifle]

Richard Downing <theoldfellow at gmail.com> wrote (Tuesday 18 July 2006 09:43):

> I have two printers, Lexmark Z515 using Lexmark's proprietary driver and PPD, and Xerox C8 using the
> cdj550 PPD as per LinuxPrinting.org's recommend.  They and CUPS-1.2.1 work almost OK.  I only use A4
> paper.

Do your jobs send the parameter "-o PageSize=A4" too? Or is your PPD 
set to default to A4?

What is the result of running these commandlines:

  lpoptions -p printername
  lpoptions -p printername -l | grep PageSize

> Sending an A4 test print 

What exactly is your A4 test print?

> to either printer results in a good print with the bottom ~ 1.5 cm chopped off 
> (The scale on the RHS runs from 29.2 at the top, to 1.6 at the bottom - no bottom horiz-line). 

Try to print this:

  lp -d printername /usr/share/cups/data/testprint.ps

> This 
> appears to be the printers' paper-handling margin.

The last job's result ("testprint.ps" file) should show a border line
around the "ImageableArea" as is defined in the PPD.

> There is a 1 cm margin at the top of the test print 
> and 5-7mm left and right margins.

Looks more like you may be sending (unwittingly) "-o PageSize=Letter"
with your print jobs....

> Should I edit the PPDs?  

No.

> I'm loath to do this as every A4 PPD seems to be the same - I had this same 
> behaviour with a previous Canon BJC-7000-GIMP-Print set up.  And I don't believe that I'm the only A4
> printer user using these PPDs :)  yet I find nothing the the archives.
> 
> Is there a correct way to correct this behaviour?

Sure. If we first find out what is causing your problems...

Cheers,
Kurt