Printing PDF-files via network extremely slow

Question

I encounter grave problems trying to print PDF-files, no matter whether I use Evince, Okular or any other linux program. The Documents are printed extremely slowly or even completely fail to print at all. I have tried printing from various Ubuntu-Installations on different network-printers (canon and lexmark), with the same result. On the other hand the same files are printed swiftly through Windows, which is a pity, since I do not want to use Windows.

Are there any solutions?

Thanks in advance!

Solution 1

Here are a few suggestions to try:

• use xpdf: i.e. xpdf <document name> should automatically direct to your default printer
• if its a laser printer try adding a printer with using "Generic" as the manufacturer, and "Generic PCL5e printer" as the model i.e. most lasers support PCL.
• When printing - print to a file - give it a name and print to a .ps file. Then open up the .ps file. It should reopen in evince. This time print it again to your printer.

source

Solution 2

Just for people to who it would also happen: I had the same problem, and in my case the solution was also to change the driver: more precisely change my footmatic/pxl color driver to the footmatic/postscript equivalent.

My printer was a Sharp MX-2300N, and the "Generic PCL5e printer" only enabled to print in grey scale, so I really had to stay on the manufacturer drivers.

Well, actually I have no idea why it worked, I just did it because an other printer on the network had also a postscript driver and was working perfectly well...

What's actually the difference between postscript and pxl drivers?

Comments

[Admin]

Is it just network printing? Can you print to a locally printer via xpdf - i.e. using LPR not CUPS. Possibly this old bug is still occurring - bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/poppler/+bug/382379

[Admin]

Printing pdf-files locally works but not at the speed it does under Windows. Is there a way to fix the problem?

[YSN]

Great, the "Generic PCL5e" driver works for me. Thank you so much! Cheers

[Julien Gorenflot]

Funnily enough, this page: link is proposing exactly the opposite solution to what worked with me...

[JasonWoof]

Don't try this with a Brother network laser printer.