Adding Printers in Ubuntu

Printers are one of the most common types of external device. Today, many computer manufactures bundle printers with new computers-it's hard not to have a printer. Printers used to come with one of two types of connectors: serial or parallel. Today, USB printers are very common. In corporate and small-office/home-office (SOHO) environments, networked printers are common. Ubuntu supports an amazing number of printers; making Ubuntu work with most printers is relatively easy.

Changing Paper Size
Before you install your first printer, be sure to set the system's default paper size. This is found in the file /etc/papersize. The default paper size probably says A4 or letter-this depends on the geographical location you selected during the installation. If the default paper size is not set right, then every printer you add to the system will be configured with the wrong default paper size. Changing /etc/papersize after you create a printer will not alter any already existing printers. If you have multiple printers that take different paper sizes, set the value in /etc/papersize before adding each printer.

To change the default paper size, edit the /etc/papersize file and change the value. Common values are A4, letter, and legal. A4 is a commonly used standard paper in Europe. Letter and legal refer to the 8.5" × 11" and 8.5" × 14" paper sizes common in the United States. Less common paper sizes that I have come across include A5, B2, C2, ledger, and 10 × 14.

Paper sizes, such as A0, A1, A2, B3, C4, and D4, refer to ratios from a larger piece of paper. For example, A0 has a total area of one square meter. The A0 dimensions are 841 × 1189 mm. A1 is half of A0's longest direction: 594 × 841mm. A2 is half of A1 (420 × 594), and so on. As a result, 16 sheets of A4 cover a surface area of 1m2. Other paper types follow the same ratios-four sheets of B2 can fit in one B0 sheet. B0 is 1000 × 1414 mm and C0 is 917 × 1297 mm.

Specific fields use different paper sizes. For example, A is common in publishing and C is used in construction for building plans. If you have a large printer or plotter, be sure to set up /etc/papersize with the right default before adding the printer.


Adding a Printer
Adding a printer under Ubuntu is straightforward. Go to System -> Administration Printing to open the printer applet. From there, you can double-click New Printer to configure the device.

The first step in adding a printer requires specifying which kernel device communicates with the printer. The default choices are a local printer using a USB or parallel port, or a network printer. Although the local printer configuration is easy (simply select the detected USB printer or parallel port), networked printers require additional information.
• CUPS Printer (IPP)-The Common Unix Printing System allows the sharing of printers between different Unix computers. You will need to provide a URL for the printer, such as ipp://server/printer_name.

• Windows Printer (SMB)-More common than CUPS are Windows printers. In small offices, a user with a printer directly connected to their Windows host can share the printer with the network. You will need to provide the Windows host name, printer name, and any user name and password needed to access the device.

• Unix Printer (LPD)-The Line Printer Daemon protocol is one of the oldest and most reliable network printing options. Most stand-alone network printers support LPD. For this option, you will need to provide the host name and the name of the LPD print queue.

• HP JetDirect-This is another common protocol for stand-alone printers. You only need to provide the host name (and port number if it's not the default 9100).

The second step for adding a printer enables you to specify the type of printer. If your exact printer model is not listed, chances are good that there is a model that is close enough. In the worst case, you can always select one of the generic printer options. Finally, you should name the printer. Give it something descriptive so you can recognize it later.

>>> Read more about Sharing Printers in Ubuntu <<<

Source of Information : Hacking Ubuntu Serious Hacks Mods and Customizations