Hi again,
So continuing on from issue #6. I am testing / trying to use lprint with my xprinter xp-460b
with the driver named zpl_4inch-203dpi-dt
. Because that is the only one of the Zebra devices which seems to generally match my printer.
However it's not feeding right, and flashing after 1 print (as if the feeding is broken). And it only prints out the first 4 inches of the print.
Anyhow I wanted to try setting some of these printer options. In the hopes that it will then make the feeding work better etc. And maybe resolve some of these issues. Unfortunately this is not something that is working for me yet. And I'm not really sure why.
Here is the full list of print options I see getting reported back to me when i query lprint option
$ lprint options
Print job options:
-n COPIES
-o media=oe_4x6-label_4x6in (default)
-o media=oe_1.25x0.25-label_1.25x0.25in
-o media=oe_1.25x2.25-label_1.25x2.25in
-o media=oe_1.5x0.25-label_1.5x0.25in
-o media=oe_1.5x0.5-label_1.5x0.5in
-o media=oe_1.5x1-label_1.5x1in
-o media=oe_1.5x2-label_1.5x2in
-o media=oe_2x0.37-label_2x0.37in
-o media=oe_2x0.5-label_2x0.5in
-o media=oe_2x1-label_2x1in
-o media=oe_2x1.25-label_2x1.25in
-o media=oe_2x2-label_2x2in
-o media=oe_2x3-label_2x3in
-o media=oe_2x4-label_2x4in
-o media=oe_2x5.5-label_2x5.5in
-o media=oe_2.25x0.5-label_2.25xin
-o media=oe_2.25x1.25-label_2.25xin
-o media=oe_30859-paint-can-label_2.25x3.125in
-o media=oe_2.25x4-label_2.25x4in
-o media=oe_2.25x5.5-label_2.25x5.5in
-o media=oe_2.38x5.5-label_2.38x5.5in
-o media=oe_2.5x1-label_2.5x1in
-o media=oe_2.5x2-label_2.5x2in
-o media=oe_2.75x1.25-label_2.75x1.25in
-o media=oe_2.9x1-label_2.9x1in
-o media=oe_3x1-label_3x1in
-o media=oe_3x1.25-label_3x1.25in
-o media=oe_3x2-label_3x2in
-o media=oe_3x3-label_3x3in
-o media=na_index-3x5_3x5in
-o media=oe_3.25x2-label_3.25x2in
-o media=oe_3.25x5-label_3.25x5in
-o media=oe_3.25x5.5-label_3.25x5.5in
-o media=oe_3.25x5.83-label_3.25x5.83in
-o media=oe_3.25x7.83-label_3.25x7.83in
-o media=oe_3.5x1-label_3.5x1in
-o media=oe_4x1-label_4x1in
-o media=oe_4x2-label_4x2in
-o media=oe_4x3-label_4x3in
-o media=oe_4x4-label_4x4in
-o media=oe_4x5-label_4x5in
-o media=na_index-4x6_4x6in
-o media=oe_4x6.5-label_4x6.5in
-o media=oe_4x13-label_4x13in
-o media=roll_max_4x39.6in
-o media=roll_min_0.75x0.25in
-o media-source=main-roll (default)
-o media-top-offset=0in (default)
-o media-top-offset=-15mm to 15mm
-o media-tracking=mark (default)
-o media-tracking=continuous
-o media-tracking=web
-o media-type=labels (default)
-o media-type=continuous
-o media-type=labels-continuous
-o orientation-requested=none (default)
-o orientation-requested=portrait
-o orientation-requested=landscape
-o orientation-requested=reverse-landscape
-o orientation-requested=reverse-portrait
-o print-color-mode=monochrome (default)
-o print-color-mode=bi-level
-o print-content-optimize=auto (default)
-o print-content-optimize=graphic
-o print-content-optimize=photo
-o print-content-optimize=text-and-graphic
-o print-content-optimize=text
-o print-darkness=-100 to 100
-o print-quality=normal (default)
-o print-quality=draft
-o print-quality=high
-o print-speed=1in to 12in
-o printer-resolution=203dpi
-t 'TITLE'
Printer options:
-o label-tear-offset=-15mm to 15mm
-o printer-darkness=0 to 100
-o printer-geo-location='geo:LATITUDE,LONGITUDE'
-o printer-location='LOCATION'
-o printer-organization='ORGANIZATION'
-o printer-organizational-unit='UNIT/SECTION'
Ok... so I try to use lprint modify ...
to change some of the paper feeding options. The change does not seem to have any effect.
Ok... so I try to append the options manually each time I print something, by adding them directly to the lprint submit
command. Like this:
$ lprint -o printer-resolution=203dpi -o media-tracking=continuous -o media-type=labels-continuous -o media=na_index-4x6_4x6in -o orientation-requested=portrait pdf-label_portrait.png
lprint: Unable to print 'pdf-label_portrait.png' - Unsupported printer-resolution resolution value.
And it won't accept the option. Ok so does that mean
-
it's not supported by the driver i selected?
-
Or does it mean that lprint has tried to communicate with my printer (using ZPL) and then via ZPL language the printer I have here will not let lprint
to set that option to it?
-
Or is this supposed to be a global (not printer specific option), does it mean some other problem?
OK so resolution is not supported. When I remove that option I just get a different error for the other settings:
$ lprint submit -o media-tracking=continuous -o media-type=labels-continuous -o media=na_index-4x6_4x6in -o orientation-requested=portrait pdf-label_portrait.png
lprint: Unable to print 'pdf-label_portrait.png' - Unsupported media-col collection value.
$ lprint submit -o media-type=labels-continuous -o media=na_index-4x6_4x6in -o orientation-requested=portrait pdf-label_portrait.png
lprint: Unable to print 'pdf-label_portrait.png' - Unsupported media-col collection value.
$ lprint submit -o media=na_index-4x6_4x6in -o orientation-requested=portrait pdf-label_portrait.png
lprint: Unable to print 'pdf-label_portrait.png' - Unsupported media-col collection value.
It finaly accepts just the last portrait option in the list of options that were tried:
$ lprint submit -o orientation-requested=portrait pdf-label_portrait.png
xprinter-xp-460b-3
This then prints out the first 4 inches of this PNG test label image, who's specs are:
$ identify pdf-label_portrait.png
pdf-label_portrait.png PNG 812x1218 926x1389+52+166 8-bit Gray 256c 55293B 0.000u 0:00.000
And the red light is flashing. At least the feed mechanism seems to have stopped at approximately the correct tear off point. I tear the label off and press the feed button once, that is currently flashing red. The printer then feeds out about 1.5 labels worh approx (these are 4x6 labels in a roll). And makes a positive chirp noise through it's internal speaker. The red light around the button is still flashing.
So that's usually the point where I power cycle the printer and manually re-feed the labels back onto the roll. So they don't all get wasted.
I don't suppose you happen to have any ideas / suggestions?
Currently my other option currently is to perhaps abandon lprint
for now and try instead this https://github.com/kylemacfarlane/zplgrf python project. Which claims to fix the dithering by being a CUPS filter. So you plug it into CUPS ppd file. And see. Unfortunately that other project I cannot try it out yet. As cannot find the executable comdline program which it claims to install! Which is a shame because that is really my only issue with using the TSC driver over in CUPS that the dithering is broken.
Still hoping we can get lprint
working at some point too. As this is also a very important piece of software going forwards.