Print 11 x 17 inches on Canon ip8720 (Mostly Solved)

[Jerry N]

Does anyone know how to print 11 x 17 pages on a Canon ip8720 using Linuxmint Mate 18.3? I downloaded what should be the latest drivers. No 11 x 17 shows up on the list of sizes. In Windows, 11 x 17 shows up near the top of the list. I sent a query on this to Canon support but I haven't heard anything back from them yet.

Jerry

[pdc_2]

I understood these types of values (paper size) were stored in the ppd files

In linux, the installed ppds are in /etc/cups/ppd. The database is in /usr/share/ppd. For more information, try 'locate ppd' in a terminal;

so if I look in the database for the ppd for our MG3100, the paper size section seems to as in the enclosed photo;

looks like the Canon values are metric; so you would need to convert;

paper_size.png

I would have thought if you edited the ppd file; added what you want; saved the changes; rebooted; that you might have a new option?

would be

Code: Select all

gksudo gedit /etc/cups/ppd/ip8720.ppd

..... but ensure that is the right filename for the ppd

[Jerry N]

I checked my .ppd files and they look much like yours. In mine and yours, the sizes given seem to be some sort of points, not mm. Roughly 72 points per inch of dimension. My .ppd files show a Ledger size, which is about 9.5 by 11 inches. However ledger size does not show up in the list of paper sizes when I look at the printer properties in Control Panel. Curious. Also in Mint, I seem to need to set up the print size in control panel. In an application such as Libeoffice Writer, I cannot change the paper size at print time. I bought this printer specifically to print 11 x 17 and 11 x 14. I haven't tried editing the ppd files (there are two of them) and it looks like I might have to add a new size at more that one place in these files.

Right now, I revert to WIndows to use the printer for big prints. This is my first attempt at using a Canon printer and at this point I am very disappointed in the Canon drivers. I should have stayed with HP or Epson!

Jerry

[pdc_2]

have a look at turboprint http://www.turboprint.info/printer_Cano ... P8720.html

email them to see if they support what you want

[Jerry N]

TurboPrint looks interesting but I am not sure that it is worth $34 to me. Canon Support has gotten back to me with the message that they only support Windows and Mac, even though the printer is advertised as working with Linux. Are all Canon products that poorly supported on Linux? Another lesson learned: Stick with HP.

Jerry

[Jerry N]

The paper dimensions in the PPD files seems to be 72 units per inch. I seem to remember that this is a size in Picas. I will try adding or modifying one of the entries in the PPD file to 792 by 1224 for 11 x 17 inches.

Jerry

[pdc_2]

I will try adding or modifying one of the entries in the PPD file to 792 by 1224 for 11 x 17 inches.

.. that sounds great; let us know how it goes

that they only support Windows and Mac,

your whole entry there makes it sound grumpy and irritated; frustrated; brassed off;

the statement

only support Windows and Mac

means you can't get on a phone and grizzle to them; with linux, you have to post on a forum and talk to folks who use linux; it is remarkable; quite a few folks who ask for help on forums learn more about their computers; and can advance with that help; that is true for me: I try to take an interest in printers, but there are vast areas where I know nothing; but I can get marvellous pointers from others;

sort of like the internet in general: you will find in various diseases; in fact probably all diseases; that there are articulate forums providing support and are often more advanced in their science, than mainstream;

Another lesson learned: Stick with HP.

good luck with that one: if you watch the forums, you will find more folks distressed at times with their HP than other printers;

linux is sort of like owning a car (petrol); it can help to know how to check the water in the battery; check the oil; and maybe even know how to fill the tank with petrol; so iwith linux, if folks can open a terminal; know how to paste commands into it; they can do some diagnostics to help themselves; or read through the forum every so often; so they can post easily when they need help; or maybe even just read some stuff so they learn; the moderators here are very good at ensuring a good culture on the forum; helping; supporting

if you get it all sorted; editing the ppd file; you can help others; do some googling on the topic; develop some special knowledge

[Jerry N]

Actually in addition to the Canon that I bought only for printing 11 x 17 and 11 x 14, I have an HP Laserjet 1320 (monochrome, getting a bit old), an HP Color Laserjet Pro 451, an HP Officejet Pro 8216, and a quite old but still working HP Photosmart 7960. Unfortunately, HP no longer makes ink cartridges for the 7960. The HP 8216 produces prints almost as good as those from the old 7960 but a whole lot faster. Beside that the 8216 was cheap! All these HP printers work just fine with linux and my only real complaint is the cost of ink/toner.

I did some experiments with the Canon ip8720 in June and digging back I find that I indeed got it to print 11 x 17 prints in Linux. (I'm old, I forgot about what I had already done) However, Gimp and Okular are the only applications that I have tried that would print 11 x 17. The Libreoffice applications won't even recognize the possibility of printing 11 x 17 and Gnumeric seems to be the same way.

About being grumpy - you are correct! At 82, I may not have a lot of time left and I don't consider fighting driver problems to be a good use of that time. I have other things to tinker with, like the Raspberry Pi, the Parallax Propeller, and my 3D printers. I complain to Afinia too, because their 3D printers only talk to Windows and to (ewwwwww!) Macintosh.

Jerry

[pdc_2]

thanks Jerry; you must get a lot more done in a day than me! best wishes with editing the ppd file if that is next course of action; we hope for good results

[Jerry N]

I am actually getting somewhere! I can connect the ip8720 by USB to two different computers, both using Mint 18.3. I have been playing the "why can't I print 11 x 17" game on both of them and just came to the realization that as of a few days ago I was using different printer drivers on the two computers. The printer driver automatically installed by Mint 18.3 DOES NOT have 11 x 17 in the list of page sizes. However, the printer driver downloaded from the Canon web site DOES HAVE 11 x 17 capability. That would be the printer driver that the all knowing support folks at Canon says they do not support. Since I have been hopping back and forth between the primary and secondary computer in search of the holy grail, 11 x 17 printing, I had managed to thoroughly confuse my self (actually, not hard to do). So I installed the Canon driver on the secondary computer and 11 x 17 now shows up on the list of page sizes, both normal and borderless. Libreoffice still flatly refuses to recognize 11 x 17 which is a shame because it is easy to put multiple pictures on a page using Libreoffice Writer. In addition to Okular and GIMP, XnviewMP also recognizes 11 x 17.

Jerry

[pdc_2]

well done Jerry; as you have found, if you right-click on each icon for a printer; in the PRINTERS folder; you can see the section called MAKE & MODEL and that tells us ............ what the driver is.

So Mint offers Gutenprint drivers; http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/ which are open source drivers;

Glad you can now print from some programmes; I guess if contact the folks at LibreOffice, they might offer some help

That would be the printer driver that the all knowing support folks at Canon says they do not support.

gosh, sounds like it is irritating you; sorry if you feel that way; support from these companies means if you ring them, someone can talk you through issues; linux is a sort of "tower of babel": eg Canon produce THREE variants of drivers for linux: rpm and debian and source code; ...... so on Mint, .. folks can tell you about debian packages; on OpenSuse, .. they could guide you on rpm; and someone else can talk you through source code; some would say it is asking a lot for some soul answering a telephone to be trilingually fluent with the variants of linux; so instead ... all of the manufacturers offer drivers; and updates; support is provided by the forums; linux is both free as in beer; and free as in speech; so the free beer side doesn't offer a lot of support for salaries

<<<
so 11x17 inches would be 27.94x43.20cms?
using this guide, https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question ... aper-size/
I set up the page size; I don't have as good a printer as yours; so I can't test it: but this is what you did; and it will not work? We would like to help you on this one

11x17.png