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.

[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!

[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?

[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]

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

I apologize for a long delay in answering this question, but this virtual pdf printer stopped working ever since I upgraded to Dapper. However, now I have managed to get it working again.

Yes, cups-pdf can print to postscript files. To do this, use a little "print to file" checkbox during the printing confirmation dialogue box. It'll ask you where to save the file (default location is home directory) and you will see the postscript file there. Works excellent for me!

postscript.png

[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?

[anil_robo]

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?

Arnav please edit the cups configuration file to allow non-root users to use this pdf printing system. (Refer to the starter thread again - I have included this information now). My apologies for the mistake.

[arnieboy]

Arnav please edit the cups configuration file to allow non-root users to use this pdf printing system. (Refer to the starter thread again - I have included this information now). My apologies for the mistake.

yes it worked with the correction suggested by desperado666. Thanks for updating your howto.

[froggay]

thanks for the howto,
everything work great on my local machine.

I tried to share pdf virtual printer via samba to use it on windows.

I can see the job in the spool when i print from samba share but where is the pdf file ? i can't see it in /home/$user.

The job seems to be stuck, it doesn't dissappear from the spool

thanks for your help