[CentOS] Re: Can't print PDFs or PSs in CentOS 5.0

[Ross S. W. Walker]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: centos-bounces at centos.org 
> [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On Behalf Of Mark Hull-Richter
> Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 6:02 PM
> To: CentOS mailing list
> Subject: Re: [CentOS] Re: Can't print PDFs or PSs in CentOS 5.0
> 
> On 8/2/07, Ross S. W. Walker <rwalker at medallion.com> wrote:
> >
> > Ok, so it's not a general postscript failure, but maybe just EPS...
> >
> 
> EPS?

As the other poster pointed out it encapsulated postscript, a lot
of bitmaps are bound in an encapsulating postscript object wrapped
in a postscript object for printing.

> > If the printer needs a hard-reset to recover then it is probably
> > because the printer isn't fully PCL compatible as it advertises,
> > can you try using an HP Deskjet engine which does PCL 3?
> >
> 
> It usually takes two or three power cycles to get the printer to quit
> being stupid about it (so to speak).  I also have to cancel the print
> job (of course).

If you kill the job first then power cycle the printer it could be
done in 1 I bet, otherwise the job keeps pumping output to the printer
and you get a ton of garbage.

> I'm not sure how to do what you suggest here.  In AR on the 'print'
> window, there are a few options I've tried differently.  The default
> is optimize for speed and use level 2 (I'm guessing that's PCL level
> 2).  I've tried setting it to 'save printer memory' and 'use level 3',
> neither of which works.

Not in reader, but down at the CUPS setup when you setup your printer
originally you probably chose a model from the foomatic database that
was close-enough, go back and change that model to HP Deskjet which
should provide the lowest level of PCL support that almost all PCL
compatible printers should support. If that works then try an HP
LaserJet 4 next, if that works then you have a good fall-back.

The levels in AR correspond to PostScript levels and not PCL, I think
it's a PCL compatibility issue that your hitting here.

You can also scan the Internet to see if someone has put together a
working CUPS PPD (different PPD than the standard postscript printer
definition) file for your particular model.

> What usually happens is that the green light on the printer flashes
> for a few seconds, indicating that it is processing the file, then the
> red light goes on steady (I don't know how to retrieve the printer
> status on Linux, and it only worked sporadically on Windows when I
> used that, but I never saw this particular problem there...).
> 
> I've only been able to find a paucity of information about this (or
> any) printer under Linux/CentOS - I've used lpstat, the (gnome)
> printer administration tool, and occasionally the CUPS interface -
> what am I looking for so that I can tell what/how to change it?

Well I think printer status is communicated through hal/dbus and
cups, but if the printer blinks red that's a sure sign that things
are not good.

-Ross

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