"Secret Tricks with CUPS" [was: printing first page to a another media tray]

[Kurt Pfeifle]

> How can I print documents to different media trays of my laserprinter
> (kyocera 1030D)? I've two cassettes. I want to print the first page to
> another media tray.The paper is already printed with our logo, the
> other pages not.
> Somewhere a howto?
>
> thx
> Ekkard

No need for an extra HOWTO. I'll leak some of my accumulated knowledge about hidden CUPS knobs that can be turned into either right or into left direction....   :-)

Due to support for Mac OS X, CUPS now has a (yet undocumented) parameter called "AP_FIRSTPAGE_InputSlot". This will be able to provide the functionality you are looking for (even on Linux).

You can make it the default for all jobs; try this command:

    lpadmin -p your_printername       \
            -o AP_FIRSTPAGE_InputSlot-default=foobar

(use "lpoptions -d your_printername -l" to find out what the InputSlot names are available for your printer -- I bet "foobar" will not be one of them.) This will store the setting in your /etc/cups/printers.conf. Whenever you print from now on using a command of

    lp -d your_printername            \
       -o InputSlot=FooBATZ           \
       /path/to/jobfile

your first page/sheet should be coming from slot "foobar", while the rest will come from "FooBATZ". Possibly, you'll also be able to use a commandline of

    lp -d yourprinter2                \
       -o AP_FIRSTPAGE_InputSlot=PF17 \
       -o InputSlot=PF16              \
       /path/to/your/jobfile

It's been a long time since I had to use this, but back then it worked.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Kurt

--
Kurt Pfeifle, Network Printing Consultant and System Specialist
              Infotec Deutschland GmbH      (Stuttgart/Germany)
              A RICOH Company
              previously: Danka Deutschland Holding GmbH