LPR Does Not Print PostScript Files Correctly

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51 and 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51 and 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When you use LPR from the command line to submit print jobs to a LPD print server, PostScript files may print out as PostScript source code files instead of a normal printout. In addition, a print job sent to a PCL printer may reset the printer, losing any previous setting to origination and fonts.

CAUSE

The command line LPR prefixes the print job with a reset command. This is a common practice as many print jobs do not clean their settings concerning origination and fonts. This would cause the next job to print incorrectly.

Some print queues, including Windows NT, try to determine if an incoming print job for a PostScript printer is already in PostScript form or not. If not, the queue assumes it is a text print job and converts it into PostScript form. If it is in PostScript form, the job prints out as PostScript source code instead of the intended form.

The reset command can cause the queue to incorrectly identify the incoming print job as a text file. Some PCL printer queues may have a Separator Page defined to change font information and origination. This may be done to print large text files in a meaningful manner. The reset command added by the LPR causes the changes to be wiped out of the printer and set back to the default settings.

RESOLUTION

To correct this problem, do one of the following:

• Use the LPR command line with a -o switch. This causes the LPR command not to prefix any information to the print job.

  Example:

        LPR -S <server> -P <printer> -o <filename>.PS
  

  -or-

• Create a print queue set to use the LPR command through Print Manager. Configure this queue to be shared. Now the file can be copied to the UNC name of the printer.

  Example:

        COPY <filename>.PS \\<server>\<printer>