Can the rasterisation file be logged for scrutiny when printing

[handy]

> handy wrote:
>
> > I am a newcomer to this newsgroup, my apologies if I make mistakes.
> >
> > I am familiar with computing and industrial electronics and have spent
> > considerable time figuring out how CUPS works for mainly single users,
> > since I changed to use Linux in the form of PCLinuxOS.
> >
> > When I have time to work on the PCLinuxOS forum I try to help with
> > printing problems. One thing that has me beaten, how can I record or log
> > what is sent to the actual printer xyz??  That is:
> >
> > How can I log the actual rasterisation?
> >
> > or is there a temporary file that I could intercept that holds that data?
> >
> > To a degree I have found that by using "cupsdisable" I can then in
> > /var/spool/cups look at the d0000--- file(s) but I now realise that this
> > is just the original application file not after the application file has
> > been through the filters.
>
> AFAIK, there is no standard feature to do this, but a workaround may be to
> install a filter set up by a *cupsFilter keyword in the printer's PPD (or,
> if there already is such a filter specified, a wrapper around that filter)
> that simply saves the final document to a (temporary) file.
>
> Helge
>
Thanks Helge, I have been thinking of considering writing a filter to do just something like that but probably at bit too complex for me.  I have however not really put my mind to the details, perhaps it is not as bad as I think. I am quite curious but first want to make sure I am not re-inventing the mouse to find the solution already existed.

w.