VMware Communities: Message List - Fusion 2.0 - Thinprint drivers and color printing

Re: Fusion 2.0/2.01 - Thinprint drivers and color printing

Technogeezer — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 21:02:05 GMT

Somehow, it's timing out and also defaulting to the A4 paper size glitch.

There are entries in the ppd that control the default paper selection and printable area. They may be set to A4. You can get those defaults more reasonable. For example, there's probably a line in the PPD that's similar to

*DefaultPageSize iso-a4

and a group of lines that say

*PageSize xxx/yyy:
...
*End

Simply change that DefaultPageSize to one of the "xxx" entries (before the slash) that represents the default page size you want.

The same goes for DefaultPageRegion, DefaultImageableArea, and DefaultPaperDimension settings if they exist.

Now, if you get any brainstorms how to add all the Canon utility functions such a nozzle checks, head cleaning, ink levels to the PPD file.... I would be very grateful.

I'm afraid if you want those function to work, you'll have to stop using the ThinPrint functionality (disabling Printers in the VM's Settings), logically connect the USB printer to the VM when you wish to use it, and use the Canon drivers and other software in the VM. PPD settings don't control those utility functions.

Note that USB devices can only be in use by one OS at a time (either the guest or the Mac).

Re: Fusion 2.0/2.01 - Thinprint drivers and color printing

JHP123 — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:55:13 GMT

WOOHOO!!!! IT WORKS!!!!

Had to reboot VM & host. The printer preferences in VM added a tab for color properties & I was even able to add my photo paper profiles. Only glitch is that the printer stops/paused several times & has to be manually restarted. Somehow, it's timing out and also defaulting to the A4 paper size glitch.

Now, if you get any brainstorms how to add all the Canon utility functions such a nozzle checks, head cleaning, ink levels to the PPD file.... I would be very grateful.

I've spent almost 3 days fiddling with ThinPrint/Canon drivers to print color pics of my Son's Memorial service. ThinPrint really needs to start coming up with patches for correct this - the global idea is great, but the actuality of use stinks!

Many thanks!
J

Re: Fusion 2.0/2.01 - Thinprint drivers and color printing

Technogeezer — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:16:44 GMT

The PDE files don't seem to matter to ThinPrint. The .ppd files do. So the problem isn't as much with ThinPrint as the way the ppd is set up on the Mac.

It looks to me like some printers don't have a very useful ppd file - for example, the ppd for the Epson printer I have doesn't have the right default paper size or color device setting. I had to hack it to add the right PostScript comments.

On the Mac, add the following line to the .ppd file for your printer found in /etc/cups/ppd (oh, save a copy of the original first).

*ColorDevice: True

A good place for this is early in the file, preferably before the first line that starts with *OpenUI, as the following example shows:

*PPD-Adobe: "4.3"
*%Auto Generated PPD from Tioga workset
*FormatVersion: "4.3"
*FileVersion: "1.0"
*LanguageEncoding: UTF-8
*LanguageVersion: English
*PCFileName: "AutoMake.PPD"
*Manufacturer: "EPSON"
*Product: "(EPSON CX4800 Series (1))"
*LanguageLevel: "3"
*PSVersion: "(3011.104) 0"
*ModelName: "EPSON CX4800 Series (1)"
*ShortNickName: "EPSON CX4800"
*NickName: "EPSON CX4800 Series (1)"
*cupsVersion: 1.1
*cupsManualCopies: True
*cupsFilter: "application/pdf 0 /System/Library/Printers/Libraries/PrintJobMgr/Contents/MacOS/PrintJobMgr"

*ColorDevice: True

*% Paper Handling ===================
*OpenUI *PageSize: PickOne

Re: Fusion 2.0/2.01 - Thinprint drivers and color printing

JHP123 — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:35:33 GMT

Found this dialogue - also having trouble w/ 2.01 & color printing.

The printer test page says Color = No.

The PPD file does not have any entries with color device or default color space. But it does have a PDE file which won't open w/ text edit.

Attached is the printer file.

How the heck do I make this work? There are NO clues on the ThinPrint site - do they even know this is a problem???

I've also tried in vain to add the canon driver to this virtual port, but still no color or just a failure to install.

Running WinXP SP3 on MacBookPro 10.5.6 - Color printing ok from OSX w/ airport extreme USB connection. Canon Pixma4200

Thanks in advance for your help.

J

Re: Fusion 2.0 - Thinprint drivers and color printing

Technogeezer — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 01:04:56 GMT

Bingo. The PPD does not indicate ColorDevice. I hacked the ppd to add the ColorDevice command, and the thinprint drivers now think they can print in color.

Re: Fusion 2.0 - Thinprint drivers and color printing

mudaltsov — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:26:11 GMT

I'm not sure where ThinPrint reads the properties, but it's probably from the PPD file. Does the PPD file for your printer report that it's a color printer? I think you can look in /etc/cups/ppd for the actual PPD files installed for your printers, and look for "ColorDevice" in the file.

Re: Fusion 2.0 - Thinprint drivers and color printing

Technogeezer — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:11:49 GMT

Prints fine in color from Mac OS X. Hmmm.

Could the ThinPrint drivers be picking up color capability out of the Mac's PPD file for the printer? I've noticed default paper settings being picked up from there.

Re: Fusion 2.0 - Thinprint drivers and color printing

mudaltsov — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:07:18 GMT

Right, the Features list is another way to see the Color property, I just didn't notice it when I looked at the printers I have.

If you print a test page from OS X, does it print in color? (Go to System Preferences -> Print & Fax -> Open Print Queue, then Printer -> Print Test Page menu).

Re: Fusion 2.0 - Thinprint drivers and color printing

Technogeezer — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:58:06 GMT

There is no paper/quality tab when I bring up the Printing Preferences. If I right click on the printer and select "Properties", I see that under the features, it says "Color: No".

Re: Fusion 2.0 - Thinprint drivers and color printing

mudaltsov — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:12:27 GMT

The ThinPrint driver should match the properties of the host printers, including color. But it's possible that your printer is somehow detected as grayscale incorrectly. Could you try to check the printer properties in Windows to see if it's installed with support for color?

Go to Start -> Printers and Faxes, right-click on the printer and choose Printing Preferences..., then look in the Paper/Quality tab. Color printers should have a selection for Black & White vs Color, while grayscale printers don't.

Fusion 2.0 - Thinprint drivers and color printing

Technogeezer — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:06:20 GMT

I've been using the ThinPrint drivers inside an XP virtual machine, trying to print to a color inkjet printer (Epson CX4800) attached to my Mac.All the output comes out monochrome, and there doesn't appear to be any preferences in the driver to accomodate color printing.

Can the Windows ThinPrint drivers generate color output, or are they restricted to black/white/greyscale only?