This morning, using Windows, I tried the 3 other emulation modes on the 4216. It would only accept ProprinterXL mode - but that worked fine under Windows. Since I never used them over the years, I have no idea when they began to fail, but I could not get the HPLaserjet mode up at all.
Tried Proprinter mode in 11.1. Printed a simple text line from Kate and got nothing but page after page of single dingbat characters.
Single line from OfficeWriter worked.
If OfficeWriter is the only software that can use the printer, might as well be in PostScript mode.
I’ve been doing a bunch of reading in CUPS manuals and nowhere do I see where it’s been decided to not support Level 1 PostScript printers. There are even some generic PostScript Level 1 PPD files available when you set up a printer. (They basically give me the same results as the one I’m using - but mine defines all the internal fonts.) I may go back and re-verify that statement, but I think I’m about at the end of my rope.
I was wrong. I set up 5 additional printers with each of the 5 postscript drivers provided in 11.1.
The 5 generic postscript .ppd files do NOT work at all. The error handler reports that every one gives me a syntaxerror, and that is with a simple text line to be printed.
When I look inside each ppd file, four of them have LanguageLevel set to “3” the fifth has LanguageLevel “2”. NONE of these indicate LanguageLevel “1” but most are selectable as supporting Level 1. Very misleading.
My take right now is that CUPS has abandoned Level 1 PostScript printers. Wish they would just say so if that’s the case. At least I can use the OpenOffice programs since they follow my ppd file and don’t seem to go through CUPS.
According to the IBM web page I provided a link for, your printer also accepts Printer Command Language (PCL), which was developed by HP and is an alternative to Postscript as a Page Description Language.
It seems switching is automatic, the printer looks at the first few characters and decides which personality to be.
So I suppose what you would do is declare to YaST that you have a PCL capable printer. It may even know about your model, who knows. YaST will also set up CUPS to convert Postscript to PCL by running the job through ghostscript. And ghostscript has no problems emulating a Level 2 or 3 printer.
In the worst case you treat the printer as a raster printer and ghostscript converts Postscript to a huge bitmap for the printer. Sure it will be slow to transfer, but at least you will get something out. Hopefully.
I went to the cups.org forum and asked about this topic. Received two replies, one from Till Kamppeter and one from Michael Sweet:
From: Till Kamppeter
Date: 17:24 Mon
Problem is here that most applications produce PostScript Level 2 and
CUPS does nopt convert it to level 1.
If the applications would send PDF, then the CUPS pdftops filter would
be called and AFAIK the one of CUPS 1.4 converts to the PostScript level
specified in the PPD file …
AFAIK KDE apps send PDF …
Till
Michael Sweet wrote:
> CUPS hasn’t done so specifically, however most current applications only
> support Level 2 and higher PostScript printers…
>
> On Mar 9, 2009, at 3:18 PM, Mike Cebula wrote:
>
>> Has CUPS abandoned old Level 1 printers where *"LanguageLevel: “1” is
>> the indicated option?
>>
>> Mike
>> _______________________________________________
>> cups mailing list
>> cups@easysw.com <mailto:cups@easysw.com>
>> http://lists.easysw…com/mailman/listinfo/cups
>
> ________________________________________
> Michael R Sweet, Senior Printing System Engineer
Yeah, you need a more capable printer, either with a new purchase, or by using ghostscript as a filter to PCL. I don’t know if ghostscript can be made to convert Level 2 to Level 1.
OK. You are talking about the 4216’s ability to emulate PCL, Proprinter and Diablo printers. Unfortunately, only the Proprinter emulation seems to be working.
The switching is not automatic. You have to send a specific .ps configuration file for one of the selected modes to the printer, then flip a switch on its backside. After that it should stay in that mode unless you flip the switch back.
I tried and re-tried all 3 modes in Windows and could only get the Proprinter mode to take. Not very useful for graphics, etc. Basically I no longer have the PCL choice.
And it looks like from what the guys on the cups.org forum have to say, I’m out of luck for Level 1 PostScript.
My birthday was 4 days ago. Maybe next year a printer…