Note: please don't spam any of the e-mail addresses which you see here. Follow this link if you want some addresses to misuse.
From: David Chappell <David.Chappell@mail.cc.trincoll.edu> Date: 17 Feb 2003 19:02:03 -0500 Subject: Re: PPR: Debugging tray selection on Nashuatec 6005 On ðÎÄ, 2003-02-17 at 16:03, John Seifarth wrote: > Hello David, > > Background > ---------- > This client needs high-speed printing for his invoicing system. He > prints around 10,000 invoices per month. Each invoice consists of an > official invoice page, printed on company letterhead, one or more (up > to about 20 or 30 sides of paper) detail sheets printed in duplex on > ordinary A4 photocopier paper, and a final payment notice on > pre-printed bank draft paper. > > The application uses PHP to generate HTML documents, which are then > processed using htmldoc to create PostScript files. I do the htmldoc > processing myself so that I can specify headers, font, etc. I then > call ppr with the resulting PostScript file, and add -N 2 -N > noborders to print two pages per paper side, and -R > duplex:duplextumble for the duplexing features. Finally I specify the > media to use with -D <medianame>, where <medianame> is one of the > following three formats I've defined previously: en-tete for the > official letterhead, a4 for the detail pages, and virement for the > preprinted bank draft forms. > > This works fine on a Brother 2460 with 3 additional input trays (4 > total), except that the printer stops when either of the two trays > defined as holding A4 is empty. From other comments on this list, > auto-switching between trays with the same media seems to be > dependent on the printer model. > > I'm currently using ppr-1.50b1, but the system has been working since > last summer with ppr-1.50a1 with no significant problems. > > > Problem > ------- > Unfortunately, the Brother just can't keep up with the volume/print > time requirements for the application, so I'm trying to print to a > Nashuatec 6005 photocopier/scanner/printer unit. > > I'm using the PPD which I extracted from the Mac OS X printer driver > install file, since the Linux "driver" they supplied was for Redhat > only, and didn't use a PPD. > > The PPD lists the bins as expected. I set up the trays with the media > as I had done for the Brother. > > However, even after hours of futzing with the printer's control panel > buttons, re-submitting jobs with -D a4 or --feature InputSlot=Tray2, > I can't convince the printer to load from anything else but the > default tray. > > I'm going to get on the phone with their tech support and try to > explain the problem, and get them to help even though I'm not using > the supplied Unix "printer driver", but to do so, I'd like to be able > to capture the actual file sent to the printer. > > I carefully re-read the sections "Media Handling", "Automatic Bin > Selection" and "Inclusion of Feature Code" in the "PPR, a Print > Spooler for PostScript" document, but haven't been able to find the > actual file that is sent to the printer. The queue file does contain > the Feature: *InputSlot 2Tray line, but I'd like to see that the file > actually sent to the printer has the PostScript code for the > selection, so that I can email a copy of the ppr output to the > Nashuatec support guy. > > QUESTION > -------- > ==>> HOW DO I CAPTURE THE POSTSCRIPT OUTPUT AS SENT TO THE PRINTER > FOR LATER ANALYSIS <<== > > > Thanks, > > John This is easy. Just create an identical queue using the dummy interface, like this: $ ppad interace testq dummy /tmp/testq_output.ps $ ppad ppd testq "Whatever It is Called" $ ppad bins testq ppd $ ppop mount testq Tray2 a4 $ ppr -d testq -D a4 The output file will be written to /tmp/testq_output.ps One idea: If you select a tray (say Tray2) and then select a page size, and the printer doesn't think that the tray has that size of paper in it, it will not select that tray, instead it will select a tray with the right paper size. So look for little dials on your trays and settings in the printer control panel. If you write to the list again, try to post the PPD on a web server and tell us the URL. Some printers have wacko tray selection mechanisms and the PPD file might tell us something. - -- David Chappell <David.Chappell@mail.trincoll.edu> Trinity College