NAME

ppdof − Text to PostScript print filter

SYNOPSIS

/usr/lbin/ppdof +Cfilename [−n login] [−h host] [...]

OPTIONS

Use of the print flags is dependent on the features available on the print device, and on the current status of those features.  For example, when you select a particular paper size, the appropriate paper must be correctly loaded in the paper trays. 

Options in /etc/printcap

The following options are set in the /etc/printcap file and can be specified using the + switch. For example:

:if=/usr/lbin/ppdof +Bupper +Cln32.rpd:\

You can also specify command line options in the /etc/printcap file using the + switch. For example:

:if=/usr/lbin/ppdof +Olandscape +Cln32.rpd:\

Here, the -Olandscape option is specified. 

+Bbanner_tray
Specifies the default tray name to select for printing the banner page. For example:

 :of=/usr/lbin/ppdof +Bupper +Cln32.rpd:\

In this example, the banner page will be printed on whatever stock is currently loaded into the upper tray on the selected print device. 

+Cfilename
Specifies the printer configuration file to use for the print job.

+OUnits=value
Specifies the unit of measurement to be inches or centimeters for lines per inch (lpi), characters per inch (cpi), and page margin options. The default value is inches.

+Ttrailer_tray
Specifies the default tray name to select for printing the trailer page. For example:

:if=/usr/lbin/ppdof +olower +Cln32.rpd:\

Command Line Options

Specify print filter options at the command line using the lpr command as follows. Multiple −O options are supported. 

-h host
Specifies the host name from which the job owner is submitting the print command.

-n login
Specifies the login (account) name of the job owner.

-o output_tray
Specifies the name of the output tray where the printed pages are placed.

-w page-width
Specifies the page width in columns for portrait and landscape printing. A page width of 0 instructs the filter to use 80 columns in portrait orientation and 132 columns in landscape orientation.

-I input-tray
Specifies the tray name from which print paper is selected. The printer may select an alternate tray when the paper size provided in the tray does not match the document requirements.

-K sides
Specifies the number of sides to print on each sheet. You can specify sides as follows:

       •1 or one - Print on one side of the sheet. 

       •2 or two - Print on both sides of the sheet (duplex printing). 

-Ooption-list
Specifies options related to page orientation, formatting, and features as follows:

cpi=characters
Specifies the number of characters to print per inch.

even
Specifies only even numbered sheets are to be printed.

landscape
Specifies the printed output is parallel to the long side of the page.

lines=Page-Length
Specifies the number of lines to print per page.

lpi=characters
Specifies the number of lines to print per inch.

oddSpecifies only odd numbered sheets are to be printed. 

pages=m:n
Specifies the range of pages to be printed, starting with page number m and ending with page number n. 

print
Specifies to print the list of options provided by the printer configuration file which includes paper sizes, input and output paper tray names. For example:

# lpr -Oprint /etc/motd

(Note that the file /etc/motd is specified to satisfy lpr command line requirements, the file itself is not printed.) 

portrait
Specifies the printed output is parallel to the short side of the page.

wrap
[Tru64 UNIX]  Continues text lines that exceed the right hand margin.

nowrap
[Tru64 UNIX]  Truncates text lines that exceed the right hand margin.

margin=value
These options specify the various page margins in inches. The page margin sizes in inches as follows:

       •tm= − Top margin in inches. For example -Otm=2

       •bm= − Bottom margin in inches. For example -Obm=1.5

       •lm= − Left margin in inches. For example -Olm=1

       •rm= − Right margin in inches. For example -Orm=3

       •pm= − Page margin. Using this option sets tm, bm, lm and rm to the same value. For example -Opm=1.25

When configuring the /etc/printcap entry, different margins for landscape and portrait orientation can be specified by adding the suffixes _l and _p respectively.  For example:

:if=/usr/lbin/ppdof +Olm_p=0.5 +Olm_l=0.25 +Cln32.rpd:\

DESCRIPTION

The ppdof filter translates ASCII to PostScript and handles the device dependencies of a PostScript printer. 

It is recommended that the ppdof filter be specified for both the :of and the :if fields in the /etc/printcap file.  For a description of these fields, see the printcap(4) reference page. 

RESTRICTIONS

The commands generated by the ppdof filter to handle device dependencies might be incompatible with some PostScript documents.  When a PostScript file does not print correctly use the following command to prevent file preprocessing. 

# lpr -x file.ps

The filter will not setup device dependencies or provide ASCII to PostScript translation for documents containing printer control characters. 

EXIT STATUS

Any value other than zero (0) indicates that an error has occurred. 

ERRORS

Use the lf error log field in the /etc/printcap to specify the name of the error log file. 

SEE ALSO

Commands: cancel(1), lpr(1), pr(1)

Files: printcap(4). 

System Administration