How to set printer margins?

[Rodolfo Medina]

Hi all.

With my Samsung ML-1915 I've been printing a .ps file simply with: `lp file.ps'
but part of the text at the beginning of each line is cut off, and so is the
top of the first line. The same file used to be correctly printed with my old
inkjet Epson.

I wish to set to zero the default printer margins but don't manage to.
Pointing the web browser to: `http://localhost:631' doesn't help because I
don't see any reference to margins there.

I tried to properly edit the file `/etc/cups/ppd/samsung.ppd' with no success.
The file presents the following entry:

*PageSize A4/A4: "<</Policies <</PageSize 7>> /.HWMargins [12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5] /PageSize [595 842] /ImagingBBox null>> setpagedevice"

I changed all occurrences of 12.5 to 0 but the problem remains.

Please help with this issue. In the internet I couldn't find any further help
apart from the suggestion to edit the ppd file in Ubuntu forums.

Thanks
Rodolfo

[Camaleón]

Post by Rodolfo Medina
With my Samsung ML-1915 I've been printing a .ps file simply with: `lp
file.ps' but part of the text at the beginning of each line is cut off,
and so is the top of the first line. The same file used to be correctly
printed with my old inkjet Epson.

(...)

Have you tried "man lp" for getting the "-o" options for setting the
margins when printing text?

Post by Rodolfo Medina
I wish to set to zero the default printer margins but don't manage to.
Pointing the web browser to: `http://localhost:631' doesn't help because
I don't see any reference to margins there.

Maybe a zero value is not allowed by your printer (i.e., hp laserjets
have a minimal value for margins I cannot avoid, it's just ignored).

Greetings,

[Rodolfo Medina]

Post by Rodolfo Medina
With my Samsung ML-1915 I've been printing a .ps file simply with: `lp
file.ps' but part of the text at the beginning of each line is cut off, and
so is the top of the first line. The same file used to be correctly printed
with my old inkjet Epson.
Have you tried "man lp" for getting the "-o" options for setting the
margins when printing text?

Yes, it doesn't do anything.

Post by Rodolfo Medina
I wish to set to zero the default printer margins but don't manage to.
Pointing the web browser to: `http://localhost:631' doesn't help because I
don't see any reference to margins there.
I tried to properly edit the file `/etc/cups/ppd/samsung.ppd' with no
*PageSize A4/A4: "<</Policies <</PageSize 7>> /.HWMargins [12.5 12.5 12.5 12.5] /PageSize [595 842] /ImagingBBox null>> setpagedevice"
I changed all occurrences of 12.5 to 0 but the problem remains.
Maybe a zero value is not allowed by your printer (i.e., hp laserjets
have a minimal value for margins I cannot avoid, it's just ignored).

It's just that minimum value that I wish to modify: isn't it impossible?

Thanks
Rodolfo

P.S.: Camaleón, as you see I followed your suggestion to buy a laser... Now
I see how bad inkjet print is. ;)

[Camaleón]

Post by Rodolfo Medina

Post by Camaleón
Have you tried "man lp" for getting the "-o" options for setting the
margins when printing text?

Yes, it doesn't do anything.

It should work at least for plain text files (no sure about PS or for
image formats) :-?

There are not many options in "lp" for handling paper, maybe you can try
with "-o fitplot" or "-o media=A4".

Post by Rodolfo Medina

Post by Camaleón
I changed all occurrences of 12.5 to 0 but the problem remains.
Maybe a zero value is not allowed by your printer (i.e., hp laserjets
have a minimal value for margins I cannot avoid, it's just ignored).

It's just that minimum value that I wish to modify: isn't it impossible?

Each printer has an unvoidable fixed margin set (although some inkjet
printers can make "0-margin" printings). Anyway, margins are defined in
ppd file and has to be honored, not sure why you don't get them right.

Have you tried to print your PS file from another application (i.e.,
evince)? Also, CUPS has a "print test" option where you can check if
margins are displaced.

Post by Rodolfo Medina
P.S.: Camaleón, as you see I followed your suggestion to buy a laser...
Now
I see how bad inkjet print is. ;)

After using laser printers, I couldn't return to the inkjet odessy, but
in linux, postscript based printers performs the better support :-)

Greetings,