The Geek Parade - printers, 3x5", and linux

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November 21st, 2006

12:00 pm

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printers, 3x5", and linux
In my quest to join emacs' org-mode to a hipster PDA, I need a printer that will write on 3x5" index cards.

I went to Fry's, found the Samsung ML-2250, and noted that on the box it said that it printed 3x5" and was linux [sic] compatible. I like Samsung, I've got a bunch of very nice monitors from them, so I bought it. All good, I thought, but when I got it home, I found that it didn't quite work.

The gnu/linux print system, CUPS, uses PPD files to define each printer's specific capabilities. The Samsung's PPD file that comes from the linuxprinting.org folks does not include a 3x5" page definition, nor does it have a custom size stanza, i.e., something that looks like this:


*%==== Custom Page Sizes ====================
*NonUIOrderDependency: 40 AnySetup *CustomPageSize
*VariablePaperSize: True
*LeadingEdge Short: ""
*DefaultLeadingEdge: Short
*MaxMediaWidth: "612"
*MaxMediaHeight: "1152"
*HWMargins: 13 13 13 13
*CustomPageSize True: "
	<</brcustompagesize>> setpagedevice 
	pop pop pop 
	<< /PageSize [ 5 -2 roll ] /ImagingBBox null >> 
	setpagedevice 
"
*End
*ParamCustomPageSize Width: 1 points 197 612
*ParamCustomPageSize Height: 2 points 328 1152
*ParamCustomPageSize WidthOffset: 3 points 0 0
*ParamCustomPageSize HeightOffset: 4 points 0 0
*ParamCustomPageSize Orientation: 5 int 0 3

Six or so frustrating hours of googling and PPD file hacking got me no closer. Genehack showed how it should be done, but on a Brother printer.

I took the Samsung back to Fry's, and to their credit, they took it back without charging me anything for the used toner. I got the Brother HL-5250DN, and it Just Works. Kudos to Brother for well-written, GPL'd PPD files!

A whole night killed, but I did get it done, at last.

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Madeleine Peyroux, "Careless Love"
Tags: emacs

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