Apple raster, PWG raster and non-free filters/drivers
In
https://lists.debian.org/debian-printing/2016/12/msg00089.html
Till Kamppeter wrote
> So if you really want to have a Brother printer, make sure that
> it does IPP Everywhere or AirPrint. These are driverless printing
> methods which are in Ubuntu from version 17.04 (Zesty) on and
> they are also in current Debian Experimental.
We are looking at fairly recent printers, of course, and choosing one
with AirPrint is not hard. There will probably be a logo on the box and
the specifications will advertise AirPrint as a language or under
"mobile printing". But what about IPP Everywhere? How is a user easily
to know the printer is capable of it? Looking at the specifications for
the ones listed at www.pwg.org (the DesignJet T830, for example) I can
see nothing which indicates PWG raster is supported.
Then there is the matter of whether a printer which does support PWG
raster is an IPP Everywhere printer. Apparently the Lexmark CS720de
understands PWG raster (https://github.com/apple/cups/issues/4932), but
does this make it an IPP Everywhere printer? On the other hand, it seems
that a PDL key with "image/urf" means it is (almost?) certainly an
AirPrint printer. Or does it matter when it comes to driverless methods
if "image/pwg-raster" in the PDL is equated with "IPP Everywhere"?
A user can always use avahi-browse to get the printer's capabilities but
this is an after the event method. Some vendors do specfify PWG in their
literature but many don't, even when it is present.
--
Brian.
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