[xubuntu-users] Printer Epson LX300 - is it possible to use A4 paper in Linux?

[James Freer]

On Tue, Jul 3, 2012 at 2:35 AM,  <theuteck at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Monday, July 02, 2012 10:56:30 PM James Freer wrote:
>> My Inkjet cartridge has decided to die on me this evening just as i
>> desperately need to print out some letters for posting tomorrow.
>>
>> I do have a spare printer, an Epson LX300 for tractor paper which also
>> has an A4 feeder but i've never been able to get it to print. Seems
>> linux doesn't have the drivers for A4. [Wish i hadn't junked my old
>> windows machine now].
>>
>> Anyone 'know' printers and able to advise.
>>
>> thanks
>> james
>
> I have seen A4 paper size as an option for just about every printer I have
> used, so I am not sure why you cannot see it unless you are useing the wrong
> driver.
> According to the Open Printing website the LX-300 has not been added to the
> database. http://www.openprinting.org/printer/Epson/Epson-LX-300
> But the LX-300+ is, http://www.openprinting.org/printer/Epson/Epson-
> LX-300plus.  Which do you have?  The 300+ is listed as working fine with the
> ibmpro driver, so you could try that on the 300.
>
> Here are instruction for adding the printer along with the PPD file for it.
> http://free-linux-trick.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-install-printer-driver-
> epson-lx.html  But I am too sure about the site were the file is hosted.
>
> If you do want a new printer, HP has good open source support and they release
> drivers for their newest printers when they ship.

Thanks folks for your replies. I've always managed to set printers up
without trouble in the past. When i used windows (win 98 2nd edition
in my case... that long ago) one just selected the model number.

In xubuntu it lists things a bit differently which is why i was
unsure. It does a generic 9 pin and 24 pin which work but only for
tractor paper and only in the dot characters ratehr than the extra
making a full letter form. It lists Epson LQ 570+ which is the same
driver [at least it is in windows]. But this is the LX300 not the LX
300+ or the model after that.

Having now spent some time experimenting i found the following.
- the driver in the link you gave worked fine but he confuses things
[to me!] as after selecting from the database he then downloads
another ppd. As i understand it one has two choices a] select the
printer from the database b] select the PPD from one's hard drive
which one has downloaded. He seems to do both.
- the strange thing is that the driver which is an ESC/P driver (i
know this from windows) is in the database but in two different places
same PPD file.
In the New printer window one can choose between Generic where the
ESC/P drivers are listed, and under Epson--Dot matrix. [The
.....foomatic/epsonC and ......foomatic/epson don't seem to work]

Does seem a bit odd and not really logical - but i've got her working!
I decided to start using a dot matrix again as i've got several unused
ribbons and don't do much printing. I really have got fed up with
inkjet cartridges; I've had a Deskjet 400 which worked for about 10
years and had one cartridge filled about 20 times [excellent
printer!], and then used a HP PSC 500 which was expensive on
cartridges as there was colour and black.

thanks
james