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

Thu Sep 27 06:41:01 PDT 2007

Gerald Britton wrote:
> I've run the same job with both the old and new pdftops and the old
> and new pstops.  The results are the same no matter what.  The only
> thing that has made a difference is using the postcript driver instead
> of hpijs.
> 
> I put "Nearest size and scale" in the printer options.  That means I
> do not need the option on the command line.  It doesn't really work
> though.  I still get a prompt for 12x18 stock.  If I also put -o
> PageSize=letter, I get it printed landscape on letter without a prompt
> but no scaling.
> 
> The other weird thing is that if I use -o PageSize=legal, I have to
> manually tell the printer to use the stock in the drawer (that it
> knows!) has legal-size paper.
> 
> Bottom line: Scaling to fit doesn't work with this release of cups,
> even with the alternate filters.
> 
> On 9/27/07, Helge Blischke <h.blischke at srz.de> wrote:
> 
>>Gerald Britton wrote:
>>
>>>On a hunch I defined a new printer for the 9040 and chose the
>>>Postscript Driver.  Big change!  At last I get it printing landscape!
>>>I used the command:
>>>
>>>lp -o HPOption_PaperPolicy=NearestSizeAdjust -d psprinter mypdfstuff.pdf
>>>
>>>and it prints landscape.  The only thing it didn't do is scale it to
>>>fit the page.
>>>
>>>So, I know that the hpijs driver doesn't work as well with CUPS as the
>>>postscript driver.  Not sure if that is a driver problem or a CUPS
>>>problem.
>>>
>>>The only thing left is to get the scaling to work.  Seems I'm stuck at
>>>this point.
>>>
>>>On 9/26/07, Helge Blischke <h.blischke at srz.de> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Gerald Britton wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>The good news is that your attachment made it through and didn't
>>>>>crash.  The bad news is that the basic situation is really unchanged:
>>>>>
>>>>>- I tried many permutations of orientation, pdf-paper (including
>>>>>match) and fitplot.  All results are the same, the middle of the pdf
>>>>>is printed about 1/2 scale at the top of the printable area - portrait
>>>>>only.  I can't get landscape to work to save my life!
>>>>>
>>>>>- Now, the printer always requests a manual page feed of 12x18 (the
>>>>>original size). With the old pstops filter then new page size was
>>>>>passed through and I got no prompt at the printer
>>>>>
>>>>>- the new pstops runs a lot longer (2-3 times) than the old one.
>>>>>
>>>>>On 9/26/07, Helge Blischke <h.blischke at srz.de> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>Gerald Britton wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>OK -- Where can I find it?  If it is a "c" program, what do I need to
>>>>>>>compile it?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>[...]
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>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
>>>>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>cups mailing list
>>>>>>>>cups at easysw.com
>>>>>>>>http://lists.easysw.com/mailman/listinfo/cups
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>I try to append the precompiled Linux version here.
>>>>>>If that does not work, send me an e-mail off the list
>>>>>>for me to reply to your propoer address.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>For information and documentation, you should get the
>>>>>>pstops.txt from http://www.srz.de/Members/bla/cups/filter/1.1.18
>>>>>>(see also the links on the CUPS web site).
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Do not forget to save the original pstops filter for safety reasons.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Helge
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>--
>>>>>>Helge Blischke
>>>>>>Softwareentwicklung
>>>>>>
>>>>>>H.Blischke at acm.org
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>>cups mailing list
>>>>>>cups at easysw.com
>>>>>>http://lists.easysw.com/mailman/listinfo/cups
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>From your log file I learn that you use the hpijs driver for the printer
>>>>in question. But the printer is also a native PostScript printer, according to the
>>>>PPD recommended:
>>>>http://openprinting.org/foomatic-db/db/source/PPD/HP/HP_LaserJet_9040_9050_MFP.ppd
>>>>
>>>>And, as the PPD says it is a level 3 printer, you should add
>>>>-o HPOption_PaperPolicy=NearestSizeAdjust
>>>>to the job options. I suspect the default configuration is set
>>>>to PromptUser, as you say the printer asks for the 12x18 media size.
>>>>
>>>>The alternate psrops filter still ignores the fitplot option, as this
>>>>is a standard feature for (nearly) all level 2 and level 3 PostScript
>>>>printers. If that works, you should add this option to the
>>>>default options for this printer.
>>>>
>>>
>>>>from the PPD:
>>>
>>>>*HPOption_PaperPolicy NearestSizeAdjust/Nearest Size and Scale: "
>>>>   <</DeferredMediaSelection false /Policies << /PageSize 3 >> >> setpagedevice"
>>>>*End
>>>>
>>>>Helge
>>>>
>>>>--
>>>>Helge Blischke
>>>>Softwareentwicklung
>>>>
>>>>H.Blischke at acm.org
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>cups mailing list
>>>>cups at easysw.com
>>>>http://lists.easysw.com/mailman/listinfo/cups
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>What pstops filter did you use now? Perhaps it is worth while
>>to use the "nearestsizeadjust" option as a default for
>>this printer (most conveniently selectable using the
>>web interface).
>>(That's the way it works at our site).
>>
>>Helge
>>
>>
>>--
>>Helge Blischke
>>Softwareentwicklung
>>
>>H.Blischke at acm.org
>>_______________________________________________
>>cups mailing list
>>cups at easysw.com
>>http://lists.easysw.com/mailman/listinfo/cups
>>
> 
> 

A last straw to grasp at: the printer itself should
provide some configuration interfaces (web, telnet,
menu keys; the first one preferred). It is possible
that you need to mdoify something there.

Helge

-- 
Helge Blischke
Softwareentwicklung

H.Blischke at acm.org