SDB:Printer Drivers - For Those Who Cannot Find the Right Printer Driver

From openSUSE

Version: 10.0 - Perpetual Relevance 

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to demystify the Printer Driver dilemma many people face with Suse Linux when they cannot find their actual printer model; and how this is NOT the end of the world. To understand why this is so a little history is necessary if you want to get this figured out once and for all and for good!

Scope

The scope of this document is limited in its accuracy to installing printer drivers that have some type of Direct Interface with a PC – many Network Print Servers or connecting a Printer to the Network by inbuilt Ethernet connection; may not apply.

Audience

From Beginner to Advanced user – The information presented here and possible solutions, may re-start your heart beating again after many have given up on ever connecting a printer because the Printer Model is not listed. For the Advanced user there are links to RISC processors and future challenges of Inkjet printing now and in the future.

Prerequisites

You forgot to read http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Purchasing_a_Printer_and_Compatibility

Discussion

Exercise Extreme Caution in Purchasing any New Laser Printer that has a Toner Cartridge Rating at Less than *2,500@5% or *1250@10% as you may be Purchasing an Never Ending Spiral of Super Expensive Consumables! * == Designates Number of Copies

The concept of the Laser Printer is a little unclear, with Xerox, IBM, Remington-Rand and HP all claiming to be the founder, however if we interoperate actual market release, we can arrive at some specific dates.

The concept of the Laser Printer WAS developed in 1938 by Chester Carlson who invented a dry printing process called electrophotography commonly called a Xerox, the foundation technology for laser printers and copiers to come.

IBM introduced the first laser printer in 1975 for use with its mainframe computers, however it was not until 1984, Hewlett-Packard revolutionised laser-printing technology with its first LaserJet, and the Printing Language known as PCL was born. A flood of the market then started with different Manufactures producing Laser Printers, however the established PCL, Printer Command Language, was adhered to as a defacto standard that is still present today. So despite the Manufacturer and Model of most Laser Printers, almost all Laser Printers still use PCL to drive the printer.

With the drop in price of memory, the first low cost Laser Printer Engines from Canon, and a bit-mapped computer from Apple, created the first PostScript printer which hit the market in 1985. The Postscript Language when compared to PCL was exponentially so large that it took a drop in the price of memory, to produce a low cost laser printer driven by the Postscript Language to create the first PostScript Printer at cost of USD7000 - The Apple Laser Writer was born.

The Worlds Laser Printers then and now are almost ALL driven by either PCL or Postscript or one of both 'emulations' that the printers engine can intemperate.

In 1981 Cannon created the first Bublejet Printer which required its own unique printer language and Cannon's CAPSOL printer driver language was created.

Now we can basically say that there are now only 3 major printer driver languages out there, so despite the Manufacturer, what is really important, is what language will drive the printer engine. So why don't we only have a very small list of PCL, Postscript and CAPSOL Printer drivers to choose from when selecting a software printer driver in the operating system, or in our case Suse Linux.

I am not advocating selecting a Printer Driver based on emulation only. IF your printer Brand and Model is present in the driver list – use it. If it is NOT, most people select a near enough printer model with disastrous effects. For example I have a Lexmark E230 Printer and there is no listing for that model so I choose an E220 Model which IS listed. The result is a disaster.

If you cannot find your Printer Brand AND Model its time to read the printer Manual. The printer manual will accurately revile what emulation the printer has. This could range from PCL3 to PCL6a to Postscript level II etc.

Bublejet printer drivers are the most difficult to find an emulation driver for as the technology has changed dramatically over the last 2 years and so has the printer language. If your Ink/Bubble jet printer manual just happens to revile an emulation driver, great – use it.

If choosing the emulation driver, keep in mind PCL and some Postscript drivers are listed under HP and Postscript is listed under Apple and both are listed under Unknown Manufacturer.

The use of the emulation driver, rather than the Printer Model/Type DOES have disadvantages, some of which may prove unacceptable. Typical loss situations in using the emulation driver can be any or combination of the following.

Printable Page Size – How close a printer can physically print against the paper size.

Print Tray Selection – You may not be able to use anything but the default paper tray.

Auto Feed – You may have to physically press paper feed to initiate the print job.

Software DPI enhancements – The printer may be capable, via software, to print above the DPI associated with the emulation driver.

Printer Model Specific Settings – Any Setting which has an effect on the text/image reproduction.

Printer bilateral exchange – The printer ability to send a message/email to the originator of the job.

Multiple Copies – Printer Control – The Printers ability to reproduce the same job a number of times without submitting the job multiple times to the printer.

Colour Control/Pallet – There may be an inability to produce watermarks, shadow, colour fading, colour accuracy etc.

Multi-Function Printers/Scanners/Copiers – Forget it! You need the real Brand, Device Model driver to do anything.

Using the HP Toolbox in OpenSuse

Have a close look at the installable module “HP toolbox” - This is a godsend for ALL PCL compatible Printers and will often enable you to use an HP PCL Driver whilst adding some software controlled settings.

If this fails go to the Web Site of your Printer and see if they have a Linux .RPM driver and if they don't, it does not hurt to remind the Manufacturer that Suse Linux is here to stay -so leave them with the following link http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Information_for_Printer_Manufacturers_Regarding_Linux_Support

The Next step is to ask someone to make a Print Driver for you OR you can make one yourself with

Notes on Contemplating Changing Print Drivers

As mention Generic Print Drivers, for example, using an HP PCL driver as a Print Driver for a 'xxxx' Brand and 'nnnn' Model that has no specific driver; has an impact should a Print Driver for Brand 'xxxx' and Model 'nnnn' become available at a later stage. The most likely change in swapping drivers is a change to the 'Printable Page Area'

If the new Print Driver can use all the software functional differences in 'xxxx' Brand Model 'nnnn', this new driver may be able to allow the printer to print either closer or further away from the paper edge, particularly in landscape output. Big Deal - Yes!. When you install the new driver and open your old documents, the document will be AUTO-REFORMATTED into a possible change in printable page size; with either minor or dramatic effects on your old document, which were written with the original Print Driver.

Exercise caution in changing ANY Print Driver, where you have an abundance old already saved documents, particularly written in Landscape, and Spread Sheets

Printer Driver Links

http://kerneltrap.org/node/7636

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/7353

http://www.driverguide.com/

HP – Virtual Tour

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/abouthp/histnfacts/museum/imagingprinting/0018/index.html

History Links

http://www.canon.com/about/history/episode07f.html

http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/5682/PSHistory.html

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/abouthp/histnfacts/timeline/hist_80s.html

RISC Processors

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0841981.html

http://www.design-reuse.com/news/1649/hp-rm5271-mips-risc-processor-hp-color-laserjet-printer-series.html

Further Colour DPI Enhancements

The challenges facing further enhancements to further advances in Colour Ink/Bublejet printing! (This is NOT for everyone – It contains applied physics to these printer types)

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/tandf/tetn/2002/00000089/00000001/art00003;jsessionid=6l7el9bwi0rq.alice