Re: Printing

[Андрей Парамонов]

2009/3/28 Michael Ekstrand <address@hidden>:
>> Having analysed mine and other users' experience, and having
>> examined how the printing works in modern applications, I propose
>> the following requirements for the Emacs printing mechanism:
>>
>> 1) Simple printing configuration should require no or almost no
>>    knowledge and effort. The only user input that might be required
>>    is the printer name.
>
> If you have your printer set up correctly on your system, this
> should be easy to do.

Yes, exactly, this should be easy. And it *is* easy in other
applications, namely GEdit, Firefox, etc. But unfortunately, it is not
easy in Emacs. That's why I've started the discussion.

Do you have a printer? If so, could you please print the contents of
Emacs 'Hello' buffer and tell us if all the characters you see on the
screen appear on the printed page as well?

>> 2) It should not be necessary to install additional packages/files
>>    solely for the Emacs printing.
>
> I hope you mean packages beyond the core things needed to get
> printing working on GNU/Linux systems in general (CUPS, GhostScript,
> hpijs for HP printers, etc.).

I mean that if you have all the fonts needed to render your text in
Emacs frame, and you can print that text using GEdit, you must not be
required to install anything else to be able to print from
Emacs. Currently, you must install so-called BDF fonts (in this case,
the quality would be inacceptably bad, but at least some non-Latin
characters would be printed), or you must install a web browser to be
able to use hfyview.el.

>> 3) Printing functionality should work equally good on PostScript
>>    and non-PostScript printers.
>
> Already covered in a properly configured environment (provided your
> printer is supported by GhostScript/gimpprint/foomatic).

I own a HP LaserJet 1018 which doesn't support PostScript directly, as
don't most of the consumer printers sold today. I'm not a PostScript
guru, but I'm pretty sure that my system indeed does some kind of
PostScript emulation, translating PostScript commands via GhostScript
and then telling the printer what to do in the language the latter
understands.

Maybe -- just maybe -- the Emacs printing works nicely on more
expensive printers which support PostScript directly. I can't tell for
sure because I don't have access to such a printer. As for my setup,
the printing functionality provided by Emacs works bad.

To clear things up: the problem is *not* in the printer, and *not* in
the drivers. Installing the printer on my system was a breeze. I've
encountered the only problematic application so far, and the
disappointing part is that it's Emacs.

Andrey Paramonov