HOW TO: Set up pdf printer

[anil_robo]

NOTE: This how-to is for Breezy users. For Dapper Drake users, please refer to this thread: http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=188860

1. Install cups-pdf package

sudo apt-get install cups-pdf

2. Open Terminal
sudo gedit /etc/cups/cupsd.conf
Search for line RunAsUser Yes
Change it in RunAsUser No

3. Now restart your computer or do a virtual reset of cups driver by

sudo /etc/init.d/cupsys restart

4. Then go to System--> Administration--> Printing
Add printer
Select "Local Printer" and use a "detected printer--> PDF printer".
Manufacturer--> Generic,
Model-->PostScript Color Printer,
Driver-->Should come preselected with a green dot (rev3a)
Apply

Your pdf printer should be up and running by now... test it by printing a page from firefox or openoffice. Here is a sample: printsample.pdf.tar.gz

Tip: To further enhance the printing experience, you can follow the following steps:
1. In firefox, click File menu--> Page setup.
2. Select "Print Background (colors and images), then close it.
3. Open your printers setup by System--> Administration--> Printing
4. Right click the pdf printer and select properties (this may take some time to show up)
5. Set resolution to 1200 dpi if you want good quality (=bigger filesize) pdfs
6. In the paper tab, set paper size to A4
7. In the advanced tab, set PageRegion to A4 as well.

NOTE1: The printed files go to your home/PDF/ folder.
NOTE2: You can configure the printing options by System--> Administration--> Printing --> Right click on your printer, and select "properties"

[Insanely]

Awsome!

It won't take my username for CUPS web administration.

http://localhost:631

Was trying to get into their to rename it.

[neoflight]

nice...

i already had cups installed.. i didnt know that...

and still i follwed this howto and it works.....one question tho...

is it supposed to print it to ps? or it should directly give us a pdf?

and iam not getting all the color fields in this page for instance.... but its color i can see...but not all fields for eg, the brown color bar with 'reply to thread' text on it....

any idea?

[arnieboy]

The pdf printer got installed and everything went smoothly till I actually tried to print a document (convert it into pdf). It said that its printing and seemed to "spool" all the pages but after that the printing icon came into the system tray with the paused sign and it would keep going back into paused mode every time I would try to resume it. I checked the spool list and the document is listed there with the printer in paused mode(tried resuming it from there too but it went back into paused mode). Also, the "PDF" folder does not get created in the home folder. I tried creating it manually but even then it does not work...
any ideas?

[Insanely]

Yeah I had the same arnieboy.

[desperado666]

Cups-PDF needs to be run in root mode. So you have to edit file /etc/cups/cupsd.conf

Open Terminal

sudo gedit /etc/cups/cupsd.conf

Search for line RunAsUser Yes
Change it in RunAsUser No

Oringinal Howto can be found here
http://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/Druckwerk...87a288ae4c1286
Its in german language.

After printing your pdf file is in your home directory.
New versions of Cups-pdf are available here
http://cip.physik.uni-wuerzburg.de/~vrbehr/cups-pdf/

If you install new version the pdf file can be found in user/home/pdf
Edit : New Version of cups-pdf can be foudn here for various architecture types
http://packages.debian.org/unstable/graphics/cups-pdf

[anil_robo]

Awsome!

It won't take my username for CUPS web administration.

http://localhost:631

Was trying to get into their to rename it.

Im sorry I forgot to mention a little editing in the cups config file. The how-to has now been updates. Try it and lemme know if it works well. Thanks!

[anil_robo]

is it supposed to print it to ps? or it should directly give us a pdf?

It gives you a pdf file, not the postscript. This pdf file is compatible with acrobat and all pdf readers.

and iam not getting all the color fields in this page for instance.... but its color i can see...but not all fields for eg, the brown color bar with 'reply to thread' text on it....

These forums are not the best pages to try printing. Open some other website. (I tried www.buy.com and it prints well). Complex pages do not print well in web browsers I believe - its been my experience over the last 11 years. For your reference, I am attaching few pdf files generated using cups printer to this reply (bz archive). Take a look. pdf.tar.gz

[anil_robo]

Also look at this pdf file - its the default test page printed by cups pdf printer.
PPR_Test_Page.pdf

[Jedeye]

worked great thanks!