Cups PCL preprocessing (graphical watermark)

Kurt Pfeifle k1pfeifle at gmx.net
Tue Jul 17 13:29:52 PDT 2007


Umberto Bernardi wrote:
> Hi all !
>  I'm burning my brain trying to solve a big problem
>  I've an AS400 system that print on my linuxbox from a remote queue using lpd protocol...
>  the spool generated from my as400 is in PCL format

Uff... that's a "hard nut to crack"....

>  I've to put a graphical header on all pages printed

Maybe it's easy for someone fluent in PCL (which version of PCL, BTW?!)
to add a watermark with PCL-native command (BTW, is this watermark/header
a static one, or a dynamically changing one?)

>  I've read half internet, but I haven't find a solution

What I'd do is this: look into GhostPCL (made by the same people who
develop Ghostscript). GhostPCL is not available pre-packaged for any
Linux distribution I'm aware of (not even Debian), but you may download
and compile the source tarball (if you accept the AFPL license).

With GhostPCL you can view PCL on-screen as well as convert PCL files
to PostScript and PDF. From there, it should be more easy to add water-
marks, overlays, headers and stationaries (but you'll still have to use
your own scripting skills, or hire someone to do it for you).

-- 
Kurt Pfeifle
System & Network Printing Consultant ---- Linux/Unix/Windows/Samba/CUPS
Infotec Deutschland GmbH  .....................  Hedelfinger Strasse 58
A RICOH Company  ...........................  D-70327 Stuttgart/Germany




More information about the cups mailing list