Re: Looking for ratings of all-in-one printers for Linux (Ubuntu in particular)
On Thu 12 Jul 2018 at 16:22:33 -0500, David Wright wrote:
> On Wed 11 Jul 2018 at 16:34:48 (+0000), Curt wrote:
> > On 2018-07-11, Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> wrote:
> > >
> > > The interest being expressed is one in printing a PDF directly to a
> > > printer, so CUPS isn't (or needn't be) be involved. No conversion to
> > > or from PostScript (which is no longer being developed) is undertaken.
> > > Any delays would lie in transporting the file to the printer and what
> > > takes place on it.
> > >
> >
> > That exists, it seems (pdf interpreter in the firmware of the printer).
> >
> > https://okiprinting-en-gb.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/581/~/pdf-direct-printing
> >
> > Some of the higher-end (at least) HPs apparently have a feature called HP Direct PDF, which
> > appears to be exactly what it says.
> >
> > Maybe that isn't the question (if there's a question) and everybody knew that pdf
> > printers existed but me.
>
> I've know that PDF printers exist, but have never had the money to buy
> one. Those I'm familiar with are washing-machine-sized and are found
> in libraries and offices. Their critical property (particularly on
> account of their location) is that they can print PDFs from a USB
> stick.
That's a printer which prints PDFs, not a PDF printer. Ok, it could have
the firmware to print directly to PDF but there is insufficient data to
form an opinion. Without the firmware, the PDF on the USB stick will be
converted to something the printer understands - just as CUPS does.
> Our aio printer can print from a stick, but only jpegs, not PDFs.
> As one would expect, printing from a computer therefore requires
> CUPS to push it through a driver¹, and the quality of printing (and
> even the area of the paper used) depends on that driver.
>
> OTOH our printer can scan to a stick, writing a PDF file. That
> requires no driver/computer/sane system. Of course, AIUI, the PDF
> is really just a container for some sort of image content, but
> that's fine as I can apply all the PDF tools (pdfjam, pdftk etc)
> at a document level, rather than jpg by jpg.
A useful facility; just the thing for removing confidential documents
from a secure environment. :)
> So I'm disappointed that the Brother is only an alleged PS printer and
> not a PDF one.
>
> > To tell the truth (and why the hell not at this late date), I was fuzzy
> > up until recently (quite recently, like ten minutes ago) as to what a
> > postscript printer was precisely. Now I know. Seems obvious now.
>
> I was a PS printer user (with no responsibility for how it was driven)
> for many years, starting in 1985. Driving them was a black art:
> interfacing with appletalk, dealing with limited memory, font handling
> and so on. As printer and comms speeds, memory and PS specs increased,
> and PDF printers arrived, most of those complications have
> disappeared, at least for us users.
>
> So, as far as printing from my computer is concerned, a printer that
> only handles PS, and not PDFs, wouldn't be a great step forward.
>
> ¹ rasteriser, whatever.
Less expensive printers that handle printing PDFs directly are becoming
more common. The Brother HL-L5000D can be had for under 120 GBP:
http://support.brother.com/g/b/spec.aspx?c=eu_ot&lang=en&prod=hll5000d_us_eu_as
--
Brian.
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