[cups.general] Problems printing PDF files through cups.

Helge Blischke h.blischke at srz.de
Wed Sep 26 09:01:31 PDT 2007


Gerald Britton wrote:
> Tried all orientations (0-4) with no change in result.  All I get is a
> blank page!
> 
> BTW if I remove pdf-paper=letter, the printer asks for manual paper
> feed, since the original size is about 12x18
> 
> I just read through the changelogs for cups 1.3.2 (I'm running 1.2.4).
>  I found two bugs fixes that sem to directly address my issueL:: STR
> 2149 and STR 2348.  I believe that I'll need at least 1.2.11 to get
> these fixes.  It doesn't look like the filters are the problem after
> all.  The patches are to mainline code from what I can see.
> 
> On 9/26/07, Helge Blischke <h.blischke at srz.de> wrote:
> 
>>Gerald Britton wrote:
>>
>>>>I'm running CUPS 1.2.8 on Ubuntu Feisty Fawn 7.04.  I have a PDF file that I want to print.  I issue the command:
>>>>
>>>>lp -d printername myfile.pdf
>>>>
>>>>The results are not good.  The printout is scaled up about 8 times so I only get a bit of the top left corner
>>>>
>>>>Next, I add "-o pdftops"
>>>>
>>>>This time, all I get from the printer is a blank page!
>>>>
>>>>After reading the pdftops filter, I noticed the option "pdf-page" so I added "-o pdf-page=letter" to the command.  This time the output is scaled  down about 50% but it is cut off on the right.
>>>>
>>>>Next, i add "-o landscape".  My full command now is:
>>>>
>>>>lp -d printername -o pdftops -o pdf-page=letter -o landscape myfile.pdf
>>>>
>>>>Thinking this would do it, I went to the printer only to find that the landscape option had apparently been ignored.  The output is still printed with portrait orientation and cut off on the right hand side. (Scaling was the same at about 50%)
>>>>
>>>>I'm desperate to know how to print my file with landscape orientation and scaled to fit letter-sized paper.
>>>>
>>>>Printer info:
>>>>
>>>></Printer>
>>>><DefaultPrinter printer0198>
>>>>Info HP 9040mfp via ipp
>>>>Location in the corner by the door
>>>>DeviceURI ipp://10.18.16.253
>>>>State Idle
>>>>StateTime 1190638965
>>>>Accepting Yes
>>>>Shared Yes
>>>>JobSheets none none
>>>>QuotaPeriod 0
>>>>PageLimit 0
>>>>KLimit 0
>>>>OpPolicy default
>>>>ErrorPolicy retry-job
>>>></Printer>
>>>>
>>>>pdftops version:
>>>>
>>>>$ pdftops -v
>>>>pdftops version 3.00
>>>>Copyright 1996-2004 Glyph & Cog, LLC
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Correction,  the option "-o pdftops" above should be "-o fitplot" so the final command is:
>>>
>>>lp -d printername -o fitplot -o pdf-page=letter -o landscape myfile.pdf
>>>
>>
>>Discard the "-o pdf-paper=letter" to activate the default pdf-paper=match
>>from the config file. The fitplot option together with the default media size
>>for your printer as defined by your printer's PPD should scale down the page
>>as required.
>>If the orientation does not match, try -o orientation=n (n ab integer between
>>0 and 3). One of those combinations should do the job.
>>
>>If all that fails, get the alternate pstops filter (you may get a precompiled
>>binary from me for Linux, Unixware, or Solaris).
>>
>>Helge
>>
>>--
>>Helge Blischke
>>Softwareentwicklung
>>
>>H.Blischke at acm.org
>>_______________________________________________
>>cups mailing list
>>cups at easysw.com
>>http://lists.easysw.com/mailman/listinfo/cups
>>
> 
> 

Yes, the early versions of 1.2.x (including 1.2.4, IIRC) had a bug by design:
they inserted the defaults from the PPD at the wrong place into the
PS job.

But, instead of upgrading the total system, perhaps try out the
alternate pstops filter (it is that one we use with great success).

Helge
-- 
Helge Blischke
Softwareentwicklung

H.Blischke at acm.org




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