• Printing from UNIX
  • Setting your PRINTER variable
  • Sending PostScript to a Color Printer
• Transparencies
• PostScript from a Macintosh
  • The Easy Way
  • The Save-to-File Way
    • Create PostScript File
    • Move PostScript File to UNIX
      
• PostScript from Windows
  • Configure "Print-to-File"
  • Create PostScript File
  • Move PostScript File to UNIX

Printing from UNIX

For information about using ITC's dye-sublimation printers in the hospital area, check the ITC-ACHS printer web page.

If you are using a UNIX application such as Matlab and want to use the color printers, please read the next section before printing. If you have a PostScript file to print, please scroll down to the section entitled Sending PostScript to a Color Printer.

Setting your PRINTER variable

When you print from any UNIX application, the program uses your PRINTER setting - part of your UNIX shell environment. To be able to print from an application, the PRINTER variable must already be set. To set this variable type the following command at the UNIX prompt:

PRINTER=printer_name; export PRINTER

where printer_name is the either "small_c1" for the printer in Small 102 or "thn_c1" for that in Thornton E225. In UNIX, you must press the Enter key after typing the command..

NOTE: If you are using an X-windows environment, the PRINTER value is known only for the xterm window in which you typed this command. Only print commands given within this window and all the applications that you launched from this window inherit the assignment.

Sending PostScript to a Color Printer

• Log into your UNIX account. If you use the Umenu, select the option "Go to UNIX" .
• When you are at the "$" prompt, type

lpr -Pprinter_name filename

• The printer_name is either "small_c1" if you are printing in the Small 102 lab, or "thn_c1" for the Thornton E225 lab. The filename is the name of your PostScript file.
• Color printing takes a long time. Your job may take 10-30 minutes, depending on the complexity of your document, so please be patient. Since color PostScript files are large, you may want to delete your PostScript file using the command "rm myfile.ps".

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Transparencies

ITC does not supply thermal transparencies. You must use special thermal transparencies from OCE (or other office supply source), Part #TTT-GEN-50, or use thermals specifically for the Tektronix 740 printers. Non-approved transparencies could ruin the printer by melting onto the rollers.

• Log on to a workstation near the printer. Depress the "Manual Feed" button on the printer. Enter your print command at the Unix workstation.

• Watch the LCD display on the printer and when it says INSERT PAPER, verify that your print job is the one currently printing by using the lpq command on the Unix workstation:

  lpq -P thn_c1 lists all the jobs queued up for the printer named thn_c1. Depress the "Manual Feed" button on the printer.

• If the current job is not yours, depress the "Manual Feed" button to release the printer, and it will use the paper tray.
  
  
• If lpq lists your job at the top, place a transparency in the paper tray on top of the paper. Note that one corner of the transparency is rounded. Orient the transparency according to the diagram on the manual feed tray. Depress the "Manual Feed" button again to turn off manual mode and the printer will take your transparency from the paper tray. If another user forgets to turn off manual mode and the printer displays INSERT PAPER, just depress the "Manual Feed" button.

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PostScript from a Macintosh

Printing a PostScript file from a Macintosh application should be short and simple. If you need to configure your printer to have access to these color printers, please refer to IP Printing for Macintosh.

The Easy Way

If you are off-Grounds, save the file in your Home Directory account. Printing should be done on-Grounds where you have ethernet access to the Small or Thornton Hall color printers. To use the color printers in the UNIXlabs:

• Go to the Chooser and select the Laserwriter 8 icon
• In the AppleTalk Zones section of the chooser window
  • select Small Unixlab 4
  • under "Select a Postscript Printer" choose small_c1 or thn_c1
• Click on the Setup button
• A list of PPD's ( page printer description) will appear. Click on the Generic button from the column on the right. A color symbol will appear next to the printer you have selected.
• Close the chooser window.
• In your application, print as usual with the menus File-->Print

You changed your printer setting, so to go back to using your previous printer

• Find your previous printer icon on your desktop and click on it (select it)
• Go to the Printer menu at the top of your screen and select Default Printer

The Save-to-File Way

Create the PostScript File

• Open the document that you want to print.
• Go to the File --> Print... Click on "Destination" and select "File".
• Click on "Save".
• Name the file that you are going to send to the color printer and click "OK".
• Quit your application

Move the PostScript File to UNIX

Either use your Home Directory account or use the NiftyTelnet application on your Mac. With Home Directory, you can drag & drop the file into your account (same as blue.unix), and then follow the instructions above to print from blue.unix. With NiftyTelnet you send the file to your blue.unix account, or to one of the UNIX hosts in Small or Thornton Halls. To print your file, follow the sending PostScript to a color printer section of this document.

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PostScript from Windows

First have your PC generate a PostScript file, and then send that file to the printer by way of your UNIX account. If the application will not create a PostScript file by request, you will need to configure a "printer" that will send its output to a file before proceeding.

Configure "Print to File"

To configure a "printer" that will send the output to a file, click on the Start --> Settings --> Printers. Double-click the "Add Printer" icon.

• When the Wizard opens, select "Local printer", uncheck "Automatically detect and install my Plug and Play printer", and click "Next". As shown in the dialog box below, scroll down the list of ports and select "FILE":

• Continue by clicking "Next". Select the Manufacturer and Model of the printer you will be using. In the Small and Thornton Hall UNIX labs they are Tektronix Phaser 740 Color Printers, thus:

• Name the printer and do NOT set it as your default printer:

• In the succeeding dialog boxes, choose "Do not share this printer", then "Next", followed by "No" (to "Do you want to print a test page"), "Next", then "Finish" to complete the process.

Create PostScript File

• Open the document that you want to print
• Go to the File --> Print...
• In the Printer selection box, choose the file as named above, and click the checkbox next to "Print to File". Click "Apply" and then "Print":

• Another dialog box opens allowing you to name the file. Use a full path name, such as C:\myPSfile.ps to place it on the Desktop, or put it in a particular folder. The file is lost if you do not at least give a hard drive specification:

• Click on "OK"
• Exit the application from which you obtained the PostScript file

Move PostScript File to UNIX

Either use your Home Directory account, as mentioned above, or use SecureFX (recommended) or AbsoluteFTP (unsecured) from your PC. Send the file to your blue.unix account or to one of the UNIX hosts in Small or Thornton Halls. To print your file, follow the Sending PostScript to a Color Printer section of this document.

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