Date: Sat, 1 Jan 1994 02:59:59 -0500 (EST) From: Nathan Dorfman <nathan@senate.org> To: kent@erlang.ericsson.se Cc: yu132719@yorku.ca, freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG, kent@erlang.ericsson.se Subject: Re: Printer support Message-ID: <199401010759.CAA00663@limbo.senate.org> In-Reply-To: <199707102325.BAA01048@townsend.ericsson.se> from Kent Boortz at "Jul 11, 97 01:25:26 am"
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It is not necessary to install a PostScript printer if you have GhostScript installed. Install apsfilter (someone tells me its available in the ports collection as well) and it will automatically run gs on any postscript output. It will also "beautify" ascii using a2ps, with many options including 1-per-page, 1-per-page-landscape, 2-per-page, and headers, and other things. However I doubt it will include support for your resolution enhancement, unless it is done in the printer itself and not by a Windows driver. > > > I am planning to buy a pesonal laser printer and I would like to know > > which printers are supported under FreeBSD since I would also like to > > install FreeBSD on my home computer. I have narrowed my choices to the > > following printers; > > Unfortunately printer support isn't "built in" in the way it is > on platforms like Windows or Macintosh. It is up to the individual > applications to produce something that could be sent directly to > the printer. So enabling resolution enhancement is either done from > > The application, if it has an option (not likely) > You printer filter if you have one and it supports it > (you may have to write your own) > A program that send the control sequences to the > printer (you may have to write it) > Your printers control panel (low cost printer has none) > > > HP 6L > > Okidata 600e or 610e > > Raven (Panasonic) Ls6 > > > > I am especially concerned if I can access the 'full potential' of the > > printer under FreeBSD (i.e. dpi and print speed). For instance, in the > > HP 6L the printer makes use of HP's Resolution Enhancement technology > > (REt) and enhanced PCL 5. But can these features work under FreeBSD? > > Note that some programs, like Netscape, produce PostScript output > suitable for PostScript printers only. You can configure and install a > printer spooling system that run a PostScript to PCL translation but > this will take some CPU and time. > > I would spend some more $$ to get a PostScript model + some extra > memory to enable resolution enhancement. But setting this up, > especially enabling the resolution enhancement, isn't a trivial > task (but not that hard, I have done it). > > But I haven't met someone that uses a Unix system with a PCL printer > and I haven't yet seen an Unix application with a PCL printer option. > There must be, persons as well as applications, so I'm maybe not the > right person to answer ;-) Just my personal opinion, > > /kgb >
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