JetDirect Printing Graphics

[Warren Block]

On Tue, 14 Jun 2005, Sean Murphy wrote:

> FreeBSD 5.4-RELEASE #0
> I have a HP LaserJet 4000N postscript printer with JetDirect.
>
> I am able to print a text file from the command line
>
> lpr test
>
> cat test
> this is a test
>
> this prints perfectly
>
> the problem is when I try to print a graphics file I get garbage and
> lots of it.
>
> lpr sm_logo.png

The LJ4000N understands plain ASCII text, PCL, and PostScript, but not 
PNG or most other graphics formats.

There are two approaches you can take for printing graphics:

1. Install an automatic filtering system.  Anything you print will be
    examined by the filter and automatically formatted.  Many people seem
    to like /usr/ports/print/apsfilter.

2. Send PostScript data direct from an application.  For graphics like
    this, print from GIMP.  For documents, use OpenOffice.  A variation
    would be to use utilities to convert.

    ImageMagick's 'convert' utility will convert almost any graphics
    format to any other.  You can use it to convert the PNG to PostScript
    and then print that:

    convert sm_logo.png ps:- | lpr

    ImageMagick is in ports at /usr/ports/graphics/ImageMagick.

> I have changed auto to raw but same effect.

Stick with raw for this.

-Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota USA