Custom Paper Size Editor User's Manual

5 Method of Use

When you register a printer in CUPS, a PPD file for that printer is required. When a printer is registered, CUPS saves a copy of the specified PPD file and reads the printing conditions such as paper size from the copied PPD file.

The following two methods can be used to register paper sizes that are not included as standard in the PPD file.

1. First add the custom paper size to the PPD file, then register the printer in CUPS using that PPD file
2. Add the custom paper size definition to the copy of the PPD file saved by CUPS

The editor enables you to perform both tasks easily.

See 5.1 Adding a custom paper size to the PPD file for the procedure for adding or editing a custom paper size definition in the PPD file.

See 5.2 Adding a custom paper size to a printer registered in CUPS for the procedure for adding a custom paper size definition to the copy of the PPD file saved by CUPS.

See 5.3 Adding a custom paper size to the PPD file and applying it to CUPS for the procedure for first adding the custom paper size to the PPD file, then registering the printer in CUPS using that PPD file.

5.1 Adding a custom paper size to the PPD file

If the printer administrator adds a custom paper size to the PPD file and distributes it to users, with the following procedure it is only possible to edit the custom paper size in the PPD file.

1. Select the PPD file for each printer.
2. Edit the custom paper size.
3. Save the settings in the PPD files.

5.2 Adding a custom paper size to a printer registered in CUPS

With the following procedure, you can add a custom paper size to a printer registered in CUPS

1. Select a printer registered in CUPS.
2. Edit the custom paper size.
3. Apply it to CUPS.

5.3 Adding a custom paper size to the PPD file and applying it to CUPS

With the following procedure, you can add a custom paper size to a printer registered in CUPS, and save the settings in the PPD file.

1. Select a printer registered in CUPS.
2. Select the PPD file for each printer.
3. Edit the custom paper size.
4. Apply it to CUPS.
5. Save the settings in the PPD files.

6 GUI Mode

6.1. About the screens

When the editor starts in the GUI Mode, the following window is displayed.

6.2 How to select a printer registered in CUPS

Click the printer selection button (2) and select a printer registered in CUPS from the pulldown list displayed.

6.3 How to select a PPD file

Click the Browse... button (3), navigate to the directory containing the PPD files, and select a PPD file.

6.4 How to edit the custom paper size

The minimum/maximum values for settable paper width/paper height are shown in the window (5).

Enter a paper name (7), paper width (8), and paper height (9) within the correct range, and click Add.

To change the paper settings, select the paper from the paper list (6), enter the item to change, and click Apply.
To remove paper settings, select the paper from the paper list (6) and click Remove.

6.5 How to switch the display unit

You can change the display/input units for paper size with the Units button (4).

When entering paper width and paper height, use the units set.

6.6 How to save changes to a PPD file

To save changes to the PPD file, click Save. The following dialog box is displayed.

6.7 How to apply the changes to the printer

Before applying the changes to CUPS, first stop the receipt of print jobs and printing in CUPS (http://localhost:631).

To apply the changes to CUPS, click Apply to Printer. The following dialog box is displayed.

After applying the changes to CUPS, restart the receipt of print jobs and printing in CUPS (http://localhost:631).

7 Command Line Mode

When the editor starts in the Command Line Mode, the following window is displayed.

7.1 Main Menu

Custom Paper Size Editor







 (P) Select Printer / (F) Select PPD File / (Q) Quit > 

The processes that can be selected are shown on the bottom line. Enter a single character in the brackets and press the Enter key. The character entered can be upper or lower case.

Here you can select the following items.

To quit the program, enter q and press the Enter key.

If you select a printer with p or a PPD file with f, the Select Menu is displayed.

7.2 How to select a printer

If you select the Main Menu with p, a list of the printers registered in CUPS is displayed.

Custom Paper Size Editor
No. Printer
  1 lq2680k                                                                    
  2 tmt88iv                                                                    




Select Printer (1-2) / Cancel (C) > 

Enter the number of a printer to add or edit the custom paper size.

Select Printer (1-2) / Cancel (C) > 1
Read a different PPD file for this printer? [y/N] n

If you enter y for "Read a different PPD file for this printer? [y/N] ", you can then select a PPD file. Entering n displays the Select Menu.

7.3 How to select a PPD file

Select a PPD file to add or edit the custom paper size.

 (P) Select Printer / (F) Select PPD File / (Q) Quit > 
 Filename > 

To specify a PPD file name, specify the full path or a relative path from the directory shown when the editor starts up. To cancel selection of a PPD file, enter only Enter.

7.4 Select Menu

Printer: lq2680k / File: eplq2680k-custom.ppd
No. Name                                     [Units: cm]    Width   Height     
  1 A4 Wide                                                 22.00    29.70
  2 A4 Long                                                 21.00    30.00




 (E) Edit / (S) Save / (A) Apply to Printer / (U) Units / (Q) Quit > e

Here you can select the following items.

To edit the custom paper size, enter e. The Edit Menu is displayed, and you can edit the custom paper size.

To save the changes in the PPD file, enter s. The changes up to that point overwrite the relevant parts of the PPD file.

To apply the changes to CUPS, enter a. The changes up to that point are applied to the printer registered in CUPS.

7.5 Edit Menu

Printer: lq2680k / File: eplq2680k-custom.ppd
No. Name                                     [Units: cm]    Width   Height     
  1 A4 Wide                                                 22.00    29.70
  2 A4 Long                                                 21.00    30.00




 (A) Add / (C) Change / (R) Remove / (U) Units / (F) Finish > 

Here you can select the following items.

7.6 How to add a custom paper size

Enter the paper name and paper size.
If you enter only Enter, the values in the square brackets are used.

 (A) Add / (C) Change / (R) Remove / (U) Units / (F) Finish > a
 Name > A4 Wide
 Width (min 2.54, max 42.00) [42.00 cm] > 21.5
 Height (min 2.54, max 55.88) [55.88 cm] > 29.7

Name: A4 Wide
W:    21.50 cm  H:    29.70 cm

Register? [y/N] y

When you have finished entering items, the items entered are displayed again.
Entering y for "Register? [y/N] " applies the changes to the paper list.
Entering n cancels the changes and returns to the Edit Menu.

7.7 How to edit the custom paper size

Enter the number of a custom paper size to change. Enter the paper name and paper size.
If you enter only Enter, the currently set values in the square brackets are used. Enter only values that you want to change.

 (A) Add / (C) Change / (R) Remove / (U) Units / (F) Finish > c
 (1-2) Custom paper / (C) Cancel > 1
 Name [A4 Wide] > 
 Width (min 2.54, max 42.00) [21.50 cm] > 22
 Height (min 2.54, max 55.88) [29.70 cm] > 

Name: A4 Wide
W:    22.00 cm  H:    29.70 cm

Register? [y/N] y

When you have finished entering items, the items entered are displayed again.
Entering y for "Register? [y/N] " applies the changes to the paper list.
Entering n cancels the changes and returns to the Edit Menu.

7.8 How to remove a custom paper size

Enter the number of a custom paper size to remove.

 (A) Add / (C) Change / (R) Remove / (U) Units / (F) Finish > r
 (1-2) Custom paper / (C) Cancel > 1
Really delete the selected entry? [y/N] y

Entering y for "Really delete the selected entry? [y/N] " removes the specified custom paper size from the paper list.
Entering n cancels the changes and returns to the Edit Menu.

7.9 How to switch the display unit

You can select the display and input units for paper size.

 (E) Edit / (S) Save / (A) Apply to Printer / (U) Units / (Q) Quit > u
 (C) cm / (I) inch > i

8 Cautions and Restrictions

8.1 Special notes about startup

1. If you open several versions of the editor at the same time, do not edit the same printer or the same PPD file at the same time.
2. Depending on your distribution, the launcher may not be displayed in the desktop menu or may fail to start from the desktop menu.

8.2 Special notes about applying the changes to CUPS

1. To apply changes to a printer registered in CUPS, you must have CUPS administrator privileges. If you start the editor without CUPS administrator privileges, you cannot apply the changes to CUPS.
   If you intend to apply the changes to CUPS, first check that you have CUPS administrator privileges before you start editing settings.
2. Before applying changes to a printer registered in CUPS, first stop printing from the relevant printer in CUPS. If you apply the changes to CUPS without stopping printing, the print results may not be satisfactory.
3. When applying settings in CUPS, do not add or remove CUPS printer definitions with the lpadmin command or CUPS WebAdmin when this program is running.
4. You can only add and edit the custom paper size of local printers. Registering custom paper sizes for remote printers is not supported.

8.3 Special notes about saving the PPD file

1. Changes made with the editor overwrite the relevant parts of the PPD file. Before editing a PPD file, make a backup of the original PPD file.
2. The only save operation possible with PPD files is overwriting. If a user who starts the editor does not have privileges for the directory where the PPD file is to be edited and saved, the changes will not be saved.
   Before starting to edit files, check that you have privileges for the directory where the PPD file is to be edited and saved.

8.4 Special notes about PPD files that you can edit with this editor

1. PPD files that do not meet the following conditions cannot be edited with the editor.
   • Files that meet the PPD file specifications.
     
     • * ModelName and other items must be set correctly.
   • The following items must be set correctly.

     Keyword	Note
     *MaxMediaWidth	The maximum value that can be set for paper width
     *MaxMediaHeight	The maximum value that can be set for paper height

   • Items added or edited with the editor must not be changed by means other than the editor.
2. gzip compression format PPD files cannot be edited in versions of CUPS before Ver.1.2. To edit files in earlier versions, first decompress the PPD files.

8.5 Special notes about editing the custom paper size

1. Up to 20 custom paper sizes can be added.
2. Paper sizes can be entered to more than 3 decimal places.

   The values for paper size are shown on the screen up to only 2 decimal places, but when saving the paper size in the PPD file, convert them to PostScript standard units to save the values in the form that they are entered as far as possible.

3. The minimum paper width is fixed at 1 inch (2.54 cm).
4. The minimum paper height is fixed at 1 inch (2.54 cm).
5. Colons (:) and inequality symbols (< >) cannot be used in paper names.
   Also, kanji and other multi-byte characters cannot be entered.
6. Duplicated paper names cannot be registered.
7. The IDs in the paper list are the paper IDs set in the PPD files.
8. The paper margins cannot be set or edited.
   

   Custom paper sizes added with the editor will use zero margins.

9. When adding custom paper sizes that have the same size as predefined ones, the margins and position of the printed output may change when using the predefined paper size. Should this happen, please remove the offending custom paper size.

— Copyright © SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION 2008.