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

Thu Sep 27 06:55:43 PDT 2007

Yes, the printer has a web interface, but there's nothing there that I
can see to change what I get in this case.

I'm actually looking for a non-printer-specific solution, since I also
print similar documents at home on a low-end printer.

I had hoped that I could produce similar results (albeit more slowly
and with reduced quality) on a $200 printer as a $10000 printer.  I am
looking for a level of abstraction in cups to do that sort of thing.

What is particularly galling, is that producing the results I am
looking for -- printing a pdf scaled to fit the page size on any given
printer in landscape orientation -- is a point-and-shoot operation on
windows but, thusfar, unachievable with cups (at least the version I'm
running)

Soon I'll be able to try cups 1.3.2.  Maybe then....

On 9/27/07, Helge Blischke <h.blischke at srz.de> wrote:
> 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
> _______________________________________________
> cups mailing list
> cups at easysw.com
> http://lists.easysw.com/mailman/listinfo/cups
>