RSGIS Unix Printing

This page provides some basic info on how to print from the RSGIS Unix machines. I'll add more when I get a chance.

Printing text files

You can print text files from a shell window with the following cmds: 
$ print filename         # print file to default printer
$ print-long filename    # print file to 11x17 tray on default printer

This will print your text file with a simple header to the default printer defined for your machine. Much more elaborate printing is possible with the enscript command. 

$ enscript [options] filename
Enscript has many options. Read the documentation to learn more.

You can dump a postscript file directly to the printer with the lp command. Read the man page for more info. 

$ lp postscript-file


Printing from applications

If your application has any menu options along the lines of "postscript print" choose that, otherwise just select print from the menu options. Your application should generate Postscript print jobs otherwise you might have problems.


Plotting with the HP dj755cm

Printing PostScript Files to the HP

To print a PostScript file to the HP:   From the command line on the UNIX System.
  1. The controls should already be set correctly on dj755cm.   If you change them Make sure you put them back to exactly what the were before you changed them.
  2. Setting controls on dj755cm:   a) Enter first menu item and hit enter.  b) Use arrow keys to move around device setup enter.   c) select lang (this will display current setting change to automatic)   e) Check Page Format size (inked area).   d) Then use previous to get out.  (If you have problems set to postscript.  If you change to Postscript, put a note on the plotter and warn everyone that the HP is in PostScript mode so that no one's plots are ruined.
  3. If you need to plot a PostScript file that is wider than 36 inches and not longer than 36 inches, use the rotate setup or rotate the file in arcpress or another image edit program.
  4. Before you Send the file to the HP dj755cm  run it through arcpress to create an rtl file is a postscript file that the plotter can read in and plot one line at a time.  This saves paper as well as time.  It will also keep the plotter from running out or memory and bailing out of your plotting session.
  5. Later we will set up a que on the UNIX system for the plotter and add further instructions.
  6. If you want to plot from your pc,  you must first load the correct driver:
  7. Paul Grams has found the following to be the best.
  8. This is the adobe printer driver web site. It has links for Mac and PC printer drivers.

    9. http://www.adobe.com/products/printerdrivers/main.html
    This page also has a link to directions on how to install and use the driver.
    The driver itself is the same for any printer or plotter, instead you need a
    postscript printer description (*.ppd) file for the printer you're going to use.
    These are also accessed from this page under the "Resources" heading.

Arcpress:

  1. Use arcpress to convert your ps file to an rtl file.
  2. Have at least 3 times the memory size of the postscript file available in your $TMPDIR directory. So, if your ps file is 125Mb, then you need 375Mb of free disk space in your tmp dir. You can find out your tmp dir by typing: "echo $TMPDIR". You can find out how much free disk space you have by typing: "df -k $TMPDIR". If you don't have enough space, then delete some of your wasteful files or change your $TMPDIR to a location with more space. You can do that by typing: "setenv TMPDIR /auto/newdir".
  3. The output is called "filename.rtl", and is ready to be printed.
  4. To print the file, At the UNIX PROMPT type:  tcpf  dj755cm 9100 <filename.rtl
  5.                 Do not forget to redirect your file.  Shift , will give you < (the redirect).
  6. Arcpress Example:
  7. UNIX prompt: arcpress filename.ps -ofilename.rtl -drtl36_cmyk -P:34,22 -v
  8. Output:  filename.rtl is now ready to send to the plotter.
  9. format after -P:x,y
  10. use -a to rotate example: -a90 etc.
  11. For more help with Arcpress:  type arcpress  -h at the UNIX prompt
  12. bbanner@lothlorien:/home/bbanner>arcpress -h

    13. This shows all of your options in ARCPRESS
    +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
    |                                                                        |
    | Copyright (C) 1982-2000 Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. |
    | All Rights Reserved.                                                   |
    | ArcPress Version 8.0.2 (Tue Feb 22 08:01:38 PST 2000)                 |
    |                                                                        |
    | This software is provided with RESTRICTED AND LIMITED RIGHTS.  Use,    |
    | duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to the         |
    | restirctions as set forth in FAR 52.227-14 (JUN 1987) Alternate III    |
    | (g)(3) (JUN 1987), FAR 52.227-19 (JUN 1987), or DFARS 552.227-7013     |
    | (c)(1)(ii) (OCT 1988), as applicable.  Contractor/Manufacturer is      |
    | Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) 380 New York St. |
    | Redlands, CA 92373.                                                    |
    |                                                                        |
    | Portions of this work include intellectual property of Aladdin         |
    | Enterprises.  Copyright (C) 1988, 1995 Alladin Enterprises.  All       |
    | rights reserved.                                                       |
    |                                                                        |
    | Portions of this work include intellectual property of Soft Horizons.  |
    | Copyright (C) 1993 Soft Horizons.  All Rights Reserved.                |
    |                                                                        |
    +------------------------------------------------------------------------+

    arcpress <input> [options]

    If no arguments are given, ArcPress will attempt to read the parameters
    from standard input.  ArcPress automatically determines the input file type
    and selects the correct rasterizer executable.

    @<opts_file>        Expand options file into command line.
    -h                  Display this help text.
    -o<out_file>        Name of output file.  If none, written to stdout.
    -d<dev_name>        Name of raster device or bitmap file format.
                        (Use arcpress -d for current driver list).
    -B{file}            Display a default banner.
                        {optional user specified banner file} Ex: -Bproject1.ban
    -b                  Use small font for banner.
    -P:<x,y>            Page size specified as width and height. Ex: -P:8.5,11
    -m:<margins>        Add margin around plot. Ex: -m:.5
    -a<angle>           Apply angle in degrees. Ex: -a90
    -s<scale>           Apply scale factor(1:1 ratio). Ex: -s.50
    -A                  Auto scale plot to device.
    -p{m}{o}            Panel output into multiple pages.
                        {store each page in a separate file}{.5" overlap}
    -D<blue{2-8}|order> Dither with the default random blue noise {choose a
                        different algorithm} or ordered cell array.
    -r                  Replicate plot across plotter bed.
    -t                  Add trimlines around plot.
    -R<dpi>             Change the output resolution. Ex: -R300
    -C1:<pre_clip>      Clip before scale and rotation. Ex: -C1:0,0,8.5,11
    -C2:<post_clip>     Clip after scale and rotation. Ex: -C1:0,0,8.5,11
    -u<upi>             Units per inch for page dimensions. Ex: -u2.54
    -i<_on|_off>        Turn separate raster option (APIMAGE) on or off.
    -S{_i|_v}<value>    Apply saturation percentage. {to separate raster data only}
                        {to separate vector data only} Ex: -S_i75
    -hlsL{_i|_v}{v}<value> Apply HLS lightness percentage. {to separate raster data only}
                           {to separate vector data only}{Apply HLS lightness value (-100 to 100)}
                           Ex: -hlsL_i75
    -hlsS{_i|_v}{v}<value> Apply HLS saturation percentage. {to separate raster data only}
                           {to separate vector data only}{Apply HLS saturation value (-100 to 100)}
                           Ex: -hlsS_i75
    -K{_i|_v}<value>    Adjust black value (0 to 100). {to separate raster data only}
                        {to separate vector data only} Ex: -K_i75
    -c{_i|_v}<file>     Apply color correction file. {to separate raster data only}
                        {to separate vector data only} Ex: -c_iraster.clr
    -v                  Show processing percentage indicator.
     

Cancelling print jobs on the HP

Here's how to cancel a print job:
  1. If you cannot find the job number, press cancel on the HP and WAIT for it to finish canceling the job. Do not turn off the HP to reset it until the network light on the xcd driver quits blinking. If the HP is turned off, the print job will stay in the driver and be resent as soon as the HP is turned back on.




$Id: printing.shtml,v 1.2 2002/02/09 00:04:11 pfarrall Exp $