If there are no printers configured on your machine, the first screen that appears is figure 14-15. If not, the first screen presents a menu with all printers already configured plus three additional options:
Printers on Remote Servers: To browse all printers served by other cups servers on the local network. Those printers are accessible for printing, without reconfiguring them.
Add Printer: To configure a new printer
Done: For when you have finished configuring or reconfiguring the printers.
Additionally, there are two buttons:
OK: To accept the choice,
Expert mode: If you want to choose an uncommon driver for a printer, or get some more functionalities. We will not speak any more about this mode here.
Choosing a printer and clicking OK displays a menu where you can choose actions to take on that printer, as shown in figure 14-14. Each option gives access to a particular step of the wizard we are going to describe here in the case of a new printer, but with predefined values in all fields, which you may update.
Choosing Add starts the new printer wizard: to go from one step to the next one, click the OK button. You will first be presented the list of available connections (figure 14-15). We assume here that you have a local printer connected to the parallel port (the most common scenario). Choose the connection that fits the printer you wish to install, and then move to the next step.
local printer: a printer directly connected to a serial/parallel/USB port of your computer. In most cases the printer model will be auto-detected.
Printer on remote CUPS server: a printer already served by another machine on a cups server[1].
Printer on remote lpd server: a printer already served by another machine on a lpd server.
Network printer (socket): a printer directly connected to your local network.
Printer on SMB/Windows 95/98/NT server: for printers already connected to a computer running an OS that serves printers with the SMB protocol, including Samba printers (the Samba package has to be installed in this case).
Then, you need to provide a name for your printer, to easily identify it if you need to, and optionally a Printer description and a Physical location (figure 14-16).
You are then presented the list of supported printers. It is a tree view with the manufacturer's name first and then the printer's model. Select the printer you have or a compatible one (figure 14-17).
After that you are presented the options associated to the chosen driver (figure 14-18). It is important you select the proper paper type and the ink type currently installed. Indeed, if those settings are not correct, the printing may fail.
![]() | For settings regarding the printout quality, keep in mind that higher quality levels make the printer substantially slower. |
![]() | If you have already one or more configured printers, you will then be asked whether you want to use the printer being configured as the default or not. If you say No, the former printer default will remain. |
Finally, you are asked whether you want to test the printer or not. It is advisable to do so, so that you can immediately correct the parameters if something goes wrong (figure 14-19). After a moment, the printer should begin to print, and you will be asked whether the printing was successful or not.
If the printing was successful, answer Yes, and you will be returned to the printers list, congratulations, you are ready to print! If not, you'll get into the printer configuration menu (figure 14-14) so that you can correct any setting.
Your printer will then appear on the list of configured printers.
[1] | If the printer is already served by another cups server on the network, it is not necessary to reconfigure it on your machine: it will be automatically accessible from your applications. It is enough to configure your default printer with, for example, qtcups, or XPP. |