Very Computer

Hi,

I recently discovered that the departmental printer (an HP
laserjet8000) supports duplex (double sided) printing. However I don't
know how to access this facility from within linux (and haven't got
much joy by asking the linux users in the department on this front
either). Can anyone help?

James

--
James Hammerton, Department of Computer Science, University College Dublin
             WWW Pages: http://www.cs.ucd.ie/staff/jhammerton/
                        http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~james

[Snip...]

|> know how to access this facility from within linux (and haven't got
|> much joy by asking the linux users in the department on this front
|> either).

Perhaps because Linux itself doesn't care whether you print duplex or not?   :)

Kinda like asking a mechanic to redecorate your kitchen.   :)

|> Can anyone help?

[Snip...]

You can, by letting us know if this printer has a Postscript emulation mode
*and* you can use it for this particular task in this mode. Postscript will
allow duplex *on duplex enabled printers* with

%%BeginFeature:*Duplex
<</Duplex true>>setpagedevice        % 0 BeginPage
%%EndFeature

at the beginning of the print stream going to the printer.

I know you mentioned HP laserjet8000 but I haven't got the time to check it
for Postscript emulation, nor your ability to use that mode, if available.

HTH.

--

Regards, Weird (Harold Stevens) * IMPORTANT EMAIL INFO FOLLOWS *
Pardon the bogus email domain (dseg etc.) in place for spambots.
Really it's (wyrd) at raytheon, dotted with com. DO NOT SPAM IT.
Standard Disclaimer: These are my opinions not Raytheon Company.

HTH.

James

--
James Hammerton, Department of Computer Science, University College Dublin
             WWW Pages: http://www.cs.ucd.ie/staff/jhammerton/
                        http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~james

Somewhere on HP's web site are the PCL and Postscript commands
needed to make this printer do duplex (you may need to write a
print filter that check to see if a file is Postscript or not
in order to put the correct duplexing commands in it before
sending it to the printer).

But really, the printer should have duplexing on by default to
make things nicer for the users (easier to deal with duplexed
printouts) and save paper (money).  Only in the rare case of
printing things like labels is non-duplex preferable.

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[Snip...]

|> But really, the printer should have duplexing on by default to
|> make things nicer for the users (easier to deal with duplexed
|> printouts) and save paper (money).  Only in the rare case of
|> printing things like labels is non-duplex preferable.

[Snip...]

In general I agree, but rumors persist among some printer maintenance
folks that most lasers deteriorate more quickly in a perpetual duplex
mode. This is based on the mechanical sheet feed reversal needed with
most (all?) laser duplex, as well as an elevated thermal duty cycle.

However, I don't have substantial sources supporting this notion.

--

Regards, Weird (Harold Stevens) * IMPORTANT EMAIL INFO FOLLOWS *
Pardon the bogus email domain (dseg etc.) in place for spambots.
Really it's (wyrd) at raytheon, dotted with com. DO NOT SPAM IT.
Standard Disclaimer: These are my opinions not Raytheon Company.