We have our own version of ppr running on the Institute's computers. To check which ppr you are running, type:
> which ppr > /astro/local/bin/ppr
/astro/local/bin/ppr is the right version.
Syntax
> ppr -P<name of printer> -D<data type> -X<parameters> -Y<local parameters> -#<number of copies> filename
Data types
If your file is in one of the formats gif, jpg, dvi or pdf, you can use this parameter for direct printing of these file types. If data type is not given, file extension will find the data type automatically. Data types can then be gif, jpg, jpeg, dvi, ps or pdf. All other types will be interpreted as text.
-X options
These are options that are default in PRISS (the University's printing system):
| Option | Default value | Possible values |
|---|---|---|
| duplex | true | true, false |
| landscape | false | true, false |
| size | no value | a3, a4 |
| tray | no value | 0, 1, 2 etc |
For example:
> ppr -Xduplex=false <filename>
-Y options
These are options that only are available with our local ppr wrapper (/astro/local/bin/ppr), and only for the printers astro_farge, astro_farge2 and astro_farge4.
| Option | Default value | Possible values, astro_farge | Possible values, astro_farge2 | Possible values, astro_farge4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| papertype | paper | paper, transparency, thick, labels | paper, transparency | paper, transparency, labels, greeting_cards, thin_cardboard, thick_cardboard |
| mode | standard | not available | draft, standard, enhanced, photo | not available |
| color_cor | auto | not available | auto, none, vivid, srgb, swop, euroscale, commercial, snap, bw | default, device, swop, dic, euroscale |
| smooth | off | not available | off, on | not available |
| orientation | portrait | not available, use landscape (-X) | not available, use landscape and/or duplex | portrait, landscape, rotated_landscape |
| duplex | true | true, false | true, false, long*, short**, none*** | true, false, long*, short**, none*** |
| tray | 1 (manual tray), 2 (paper), 3 (paper), default: 2 or 3 (auto) | 1 or upper (manual tray), 2 or middle (paper), 3 or lower (transparency), default: middle | 1 (manual tray), 2 (A4 paper), 3 (A3 paper), mpt (manual tray), default: 2 |
*Duplex, long edge binding (same as duplex=true)
**Duplex, short edge binding
***Simplex (same as duplex=false)
For example:
> ppr -Ymode=enhanced <filename>
Choosing the right parameters
You should normally use papertype and not tray to choose a tray. Special paper types such as cardboard or thick transparencies should be placed in the manual trays. You should then use the tray parameter to choose tray, and also set papertype to the right value.
Be aware that paper placed in the manual tray on astro_farge will abort jobs that are currently being printed. You should only do this when the printer is not in use.
Problems
If the parameters are not working as described above, please send an e-mail about the problem to torben.leifsen@astro.uio.no.