Printing from AEM/Enet Managed Unix Systems

Note: we have a print server running CUPS (http://www.cups.org/)

AEM/Enet has a number of printers available to our users. All of the AEM/Enet printers are postscript printers, meaning that any graphics you print to them need to be in Postscript (.ps) format. Additionally, most of the AEM/Enet printers can also print plain text, so you can print source code and other text files. Typically, most AEM/Enet applications that can print do so by creating a Postscript file.

Printing a File

To print a file, in this example 'file.ps' (note the file must be either a standard DOS TEXT file or a POSTSCRIPT file), you use the 'lpr' command:

lpr -P printername file.ps

where 'printername' is the name of the printer you wish to print to.

Printing to the Xerox DocuCentre Printers

To print a file, in this example 'file.ps', you use the 'lpr' command:

lpr -P printername -o acct=ACCT-CODE file.ps

or (to print Duplex, flipping on the Long side):

lpr -P printername -o 'acct=ACCT-CODE Duplex=DuplexNoTumble' file.ps

Printing to the Xerox DocuCentre printers requires the billing account code to be submitted with the job as above; in all other respects, the process should be the same as printing to any other AEM/Enet managed printer.

Checking on and Canceling Print Jobs

The print system works as a queue, where the first jobs submitted are the first jobs printed. To see the current status of the queue for a particular printer, do

lpq -P printername

which lists the current jobs waiting to be printed.

Occasionally you may wish to cancel a print job (it is printing incorrectly or you sent it to the wrong printer or something). To do this you use the lprm command:

lprm -P printername jobid

where jobid is the job number listed with the lpq command.

Currently, the available public lab printers are:

aem120, a 1200 dpi Black & White Printer (with duplexer) in AkerH 120
aem120color, a 1200 dpi Color Printer (with duplexer) in AkerH 120

Check the following links for information on:

Duplex Printing with CUPS
users are encouraged to use duplex printing when appropriate (i.e. source code, long text listings, etc.) as it conserves paper.
Color Printing.

How Much Have I Printed?

To see how many total pages you have printed this quarter on AEM/Enet printers, consult the print accounting page, http://cups.enet.umn.edu/print-stats/.

Printing Utility Programs:

Ghostview

Due to the cost of printing materials, it is recommended that you preview your files before printing them. To preview your files, send them to the "pdf" printer (lpr -P pdf filename.ps, also available on Windows) , or use Ghostview. On the Linux machines:

gv file.ps

to get a graphical view of what your file will look like when printed.

PS-Utilities

All AEM/AEM/Enet Unix/Linux platforms include the PS-utilities package, which includes such programs as 'psnup' (combines pages in a document for 2-up, 4-up, etc. printing), 'psselect' (extracts pages from a postscript file), and additional utilities. Read the 'psnup' and 'psselect' man pages for more information. These are especially useful for producing booklets with the duplex printer. See the Duplex Printing with CUPS for more info.

Poster

The 'poster' program (currently available only on Linux) enlarges an .eps file, converting it into a .ps file spanning multiple pages, which can be spliced together to form a single image. Useful for producing posters and large banners for conference posters, etc. 'man poster' for more information

Last Modified: 2026-05-26 at 12:30:27 -- this is in International Standard Date and Time Notation