[NBLUG/talk] Printing PDF files - slow...

[Dave Sisley]

Robert P. Thille wrote:
> Eric Eisenhart wrote:
>   
>> Dave,
>>
>> If you're printing PDFs with CUPS as your backend, you should also try
>> using simply "lp file.pdf" -- CUPS has all the brains to autodetect
>> and autoconvert PDF files already.  Doing things this way may be able
>> to translate the PDF directly to the format for your printer without
>> an intermediate step of converting to PS.
>>     
>
>
>  From the sound of it, I think his printer setup on the machine doing 
> the print spooling (not the printer itself) is doing the rasterizing and 
> then sending the bitmaps to the printer.  That would result in the 30MB 
> spool file and the slow printing.
>
> So yeah, I think Eric is right and you need to convince CUPS to do the 
> right thing, possibly with the selection of the right PPD or a 
> configuration option?
>
> Robert
>
>
>   
I'm afraid I didn't have time to play with this today, but I hope to 
actually sit at my desk tomorrow (who knows?).  I'm grateful for all the 
input.  It sounds to me like the place to start is by installing the 
correct PPD file - my habit up to now has been to let cups install one 
of the PCL drivers and let it go at that.  So far, that's been fine - 
I'm only now finding out about this pdf problem, as it's only 
manifesting on certain files.

I'll try and install the PPD file as suggested and let you know how it 
goes...

-dave.

-- 
Dave Sisley
dsisley at sonic.net
roth-sisley.net