Photo Image Print System for Linux

           Copyright (C) Seiko Epson Corporation 2005-2009.
                             14-May-2009


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 1 Contents
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1 Contents
2 Introduction
3 License Agreement
4 Revision History
5 Availability
6 Installation
    6.1 Software Installation
    6.2 Initial Setting
        6.2.1 Connecting the Printer
        6.2.2 Setting Changes for SELinux
        6.2.3 Printer device settings
    6.3 Uninstallation
7 Printer Setting Details
    7.1 Printer Registration in CUPS
8 Checking the Printer Status
    8.1 Checking the Status of the USB-connected Printer
        8.1.1 Description
        8.1.2 Initiation Method
    8.2 Checking the Status of the Network Printer
9 Printing Procedure
    9.1 Print Settings
    9.2 Printing Method
10 Communication Function Details
    10.1 Communication with the Printer
    10.2 Communication Service (ekpd)
        10.2.1 Description
        10.2.2 Initiation Method
    10.3 Communication Setting Tool (ekpd-tool)
        10.3.1 Description
        10.3.2 Initiation Method
        10.3.3 Setting Method
11 Printing Specification Details
    11.1 Printing
    11.2 Printing Filter (pips-filter)
    11.3 Print Settings with CUPS
        11.3.1 Setting Method
        11.3.2 Setting Items
12 Other Software
    12.1 Printer Maintenance Tool (espmntg)
        12.1.1 Description
        12.1.2 Initiation Method
        12.1.3 Functions
    12.2 Printer Maintenance Command (espmnt)
        12.2.1 Description
        12.2.2 Options
        



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 2 Introduction
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Photo Image Print System for Linux (hereafter "PIPS") is a printer driver 
(filter) for high quality printing from Linux using a Seiko Epson color 
inkjet printer.

This document explains the method of setting PIPS and the procedure for using 
it.
The content of this document applies to all printers. For information regarding
individual printers, refer to the documentation of the relevant printer. 
The printer documentation is installed at the following path.

/usr/share/doc/pips-<printer>-<version>/*_Manual.txt

In addition, for the latest information, visit the Avasys web site.

    Avasys download service for Linux
    URL <http://avasys.jp/english/linux_e/>


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 3 License Agreement
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This package contains source code covered by the GNU General Public
License and the GNU Lesser General Public License (see ./COPYING and
./COPYING.LIB for their terms) and object code distributed under the
terms of the AVASYS Public License (see ./AVASYSPL.en.txt for details).

All object code contained in the sources are Copyright AVASYS Corporation 
and Seiko Epson Corporation. These object code are distributed under 
the terms of the AVASYS Public License.

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 4 Revision History
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See the Change Log.


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 5 Availability
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You can download PIPS from the Avasys driver download page.

    Avasys download service for Linux
    URL <http://avasys.jp/english/linux_e/>

By entering basic information on the driver download page (your printer and 
distribution), you can obtain the correct software for your equipment.


The name of the PIPS installation file has the following format.

    # pips-<printer>-<distribution>-<keys>-<version>.install


The meaning of the parts shown in brackets ("< >") is as follows.

    Name         | Explanation
    -------------+----------------------------------------------------
    printer      | The name of the printer.
    distribution | The name of the distribution.
    keys         | Represents the functions contained in the file with 
                 | the first character of the package name. There may 
                 | be several keys included.
                 | The types of package described are Extension, GUI, 
                 | and Spooler.
    version      | The version of the software.


PIPS is provided with several packages of different functions in one package.
These consist of the following 5 types of function.

    Function name      | Explanation
    -------------+----------------------------------------------------
    Core         | Provides functions that are common to all printers.
    GUI          | Provides a graphical user interface (GUI).
    Spooler      | Provides functions for use from the print spooling system.
    Distribution | Provides functions for use by the various distributions.
    Printer      | Provides information and functions unique to each printer.


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 6 Installation
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Note:
   Do not connect the printer yet.
   Connect the printer after installing the software.
   If you connect the printer and it is registered to CUPS before installing 
   the software, once uninstall the printer.


6.1 Software Installation

Let's take installation of the driver for the Epson Stylus T20 as an example.

Switch to root privilege. 
    $ su

If your system uses Ubuntu, execute the following command.
    $ sudo bash

The downloaded file is a gzip compressed tar archive, so you have to
extract it first.  This can be done with a GUI utility such as File
Roller, or by executing the command below.

    # tar xfz pips-st20-Fedora9-3.7.0-CG.tgz

Execute the extracted file by clicking it from within the file manager
or with the following command.  Always install the files using root
privileges.

    # ./pips-st20-Fedora9-3.7.0-CG.install

When the files finish copying, the installer starts the communication setting
tool (ekpd-tool) for connecting with the printer.
This is necessary for connecting with the USB printer. 

In the case of connecting with the network printer, this process is not necessary. 
Therefore, you can end the ekpd-tool by clicking the cancel button.


    Setting item        | Explanation
    --------------------+-------------------------------------------------
    Printer Name        | Selects the printer to set.
    Connection Method   | Selects the connection method for the printer.
    Device Path         | Selects the connection path for the printer.
                        | For the version pips3.7 and later, a device is 
                        | automatically searched, so setting is not needed.
    Alias Name          | Defines the setting name when using the printer.

It is not normally necessary to change the alias name.
For details of the ekpd-tool, refer to "10.3 Communication Setting Tool 
(ekpd-tool)".



6.2 Initial Setting

Since the settings required for using PIPS are made during installation, 
you do not have to set them yourself (excluding the communication settings
using the ekpd-tool).

To change the settings after installation, refer to "7 Printer Setting 
Details".

The installer registers the printer to CUPS automatically.
The name registered here is the name of the printer driver.
For example, "Epson Stylus T20" is registered as "st20".

     6.2.1 Connecting the printer

     Connect the printer and turn on the printer. 
     The product name of the connected printer (USB Device ID) is 
     automatically registered to the system. 
     For example, Epson Stylus T20 is registered as "Stylus-T20".
     Normally, this printer is used for printing.
     If the printer name is not registered automatically,
     see "7 Printer Setting Details", and register the printer manually.


     6.2.2 Setting Changes for SELinux

     For distributions installing SELinux such as Fedora9, 
     you need special settings for SELinux.

     (1) Change SELinux settings to "Permissive".
     (2) Restart CUPS.

     The following procedures are examples of Fedora9. 
        
     [Fedora 9 GNOME]
     * Setting changes for SELinux.
     (1) From the menu, select [System] - [Administration] - [SELinux Management]. 
     (2) Select the [Status] page and change [System Default Enforcing Mode] 
         and [Current Enforcing Mode] to [Permissive].

         * Restart CUPS
         # /etc/init.d/cups restart


     6.2.3 Printer device settings

     Now you can print from the printer with settings above, but cannot acquire the printer 
     status during the printing process, nor print with the status monitor open. 
     To enable these functions, change the printer device URI as follows.
        
                "usb://EPSON/(Product name)"  
                - > "ekplp:/var/ekpd/ekplp0"        
         

     The following procedures are examples of Fedora9.
        
     [Fedora 9 GNOME]
     (1) From the menu, select [System] - [Administration] - [Printing]. 
     (2) Select Printer.
     (3) Press the "Change" button of the Device URI.
     (4) If you use the USB-connected printer, select "Epson Inkjet Printer #1"
         If you use the network printer, 
           (a)Select "LPD/LPR Host or Printer".
           (b)Enter "lpd://Printer's IP address" in [Device URI].
              For example, if Printer's IP address is 192.168.1.111, 
              enter "lpd://192.168.1.111".
     (5) Select "Apply".


6.3 Uninstallation

To uninstall PIPS, execute the special program.

    # /usr/local/EPAva/printer/<printer>/uninstall-<printer>.sh

    Example:  To uninstall Epson Stylus T20 driver

    # /usr/local/EPAva/printer/st20/uninstall-st20.sh

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 7 Printer Setting Details
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With CUPS, add, edit, or delete settings using the setting commands or the 
network interface provided with CUPS.
For how to connect the printer to the network, refer to the individual 
printer manual.  

7.1 Printer Registration in CUPS

    *** Adding settings with the command line ***
    
    Execute the following command with root privilege.
    
    # lpadmin -p st20 -E -v ekplp:/var/ekpd/ekplp0 -m ekst20.ppd

        Option       | Explanation
        -------------+------------------------------------------------
        -p <printer> | Specifies the printer setting name.
        -E           | Enables the printer settings.
        -v <path>    | Specifies the driver used for connection and the
                     | destination.
        -m <ppd>     | Specifies the setting file (PPD).


    Note) The above command is an example when registering the PPD file 
    for Epson Stylus T20 on Fedora9. The syntax of the above command varies 
    by the CUPS version, distribution, the PPD file you are using and 
    the printer connection.
    For details of the tool, refer to the manual page lpadmin(8). 

    
    *** Adding settings using a web browser ***

    CUPS is provided with a CGI for settings, so that printer settings can
    be performed in a browser. To add a printer, use the following procedure.

    (1) Start the web browser.
    (2) Enter the URL "localhost:631" to display the CUPS setting screen.
    (3) Click "Add Printer".
    (4) Enter the printer setting name in "Name", and click "Continue".
        The other items are not essential, so enter them as necessary. 
    (5) If you wish to use the USB printer, 
        set "EPSON Inkjet Printer #1 (Photo Image Print System)" in 
        "Device", and click "Continue".
        If you wish to use the network printer,  
        set "LPD/LPR Host or Printer" in "Device" and click 
        "Continue".
        However, if you find a printer name as below in this step, 
        select this option. 
          
              Epson Stylus T20 192.168.1.111 (Epson Stylus T20)
 
        Enter the IP address "lpd://(IP address of the printer)" in 
        "Device URI", and click "Continue". 
            
              lpd://192.168.1.111"
 
    (6) Set "EPSON" in "Make", and click "Continue".
    (7) Set the printer name in "Model", and click "Continue".


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 8 Checking the Printer Status
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8.1 Checking the Status of the USB-connected Printer

    8.1.1 Description

    You can check the status of the printer, ink remaining and so on when 
    it is connected. In addition, if an error has occurred in the printer, 
    you can cancel the error.

    8.1.2 Initiation Method

    Execute the following command to start the status monitor.

    $ ekpstm

8.2 Checking the Status of the Network Printer

    Enter the IP address of the printer in the web browser and display the 
    status screen.
       
    For example, if IP address of the printer is 192.168.1.111,
    enter the following URL into the address bar of the browser.
       
            http://192.168.1.111
       
    To check the current status of the network printer, see 
    "Printer Status" on "General" page. 
    To check ink remaining, see "Consumables" page.

    To display the current status, click "Refresh" button on 
    "General" page, or reload the current page of the browser.

9.1 Print Settings

The print settings for PIPS differs according to the spooling system.
In addition, the items that can be set differ according to the printer used.

For details of the settings, refer to "10 Printing Specification Details".

With CUPS, PIPS performs the settings using the tool that comes with CUPS.
The setting method with CUPS includes the following 3 main types.

    - Setting using the command line
    - Setting using a web browser
    - Setting when printing

For details of the settings, refer to "10.3 Print Settings with CUPS".


9.2 Printing Method

There are 2 main methods of printing.

    *** Printing from the Command Line ***

    In the command line, use the lpr (or lp) command to specify and print the
    file directly. The file formats that can be entered are as follows.

        PostScript, text, PDF, various image types, and the image 
        formats supported by CUPS. For the types supported, refer to the
        CUPS documentation.

    
    *** Printing from the Application ***

    Use the printing function provided in the application. Each application
    may have its own print settings. For details, refer to the manual of the
    relevant application.

Note:
    With applications that have a paper size setting, make sure that the 
    setting is the same as for paper size in PIPS. The setting in the 
    application is not reflected in PIPS.

    In addition, the top left is the reference for printing in PIPS, and 
    margins are added to the left and right, top and bottom of the paper size. 
    With printing in some applications, the edges of the paper may be cut off. 


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 10 Communication Function Details
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10.1 Communication with the Printer

In PIPS, all communication with the printer is via the communication service
program (ekpd). The status monitor (ekpstm) and print filter (pips-filter) 
do not access the printer directly, performing all requests through ekpd 
instead.
ekpd manages these requests, transmitting the print data to the printer, 
getting the status and so on.
For details of ekpd, refer to "10.2 Communication Service (ekpd)".

    Printing             pips-filter ----> ekpd ----> printer

    Status acquisition        ekpstm <---- ekpd <---- printer


In order to communicate with the printer, the correct settings are necessary.
The dedicated communication setting tool (ekpd-tool) is used to make the 
communication settings.
For details of the ekpd-tool, refer to "10.3 Communication Setting Tool 
(ekpd-tool)".

If the communication settings are correct and communication with the printer 
is possible, the status information of the printer can be displayed using the 
status monitor (ekpstm).


10.2 Communication Service (ekpd)

    10.2.1 Description

    ekpd is a service program that connects to the printer and manages all 
    communication with the printer. PIPS communicates with the printer through
    ekpd from the port assigned by ekpd.

    Note:
        ekpd only handles one printer at a time.


    10.2.2 Initiation Method

    ekpd is normally started automatically when Linux starts up, so you do not
    have to start it yourself.
    If it does not start, start "ekpd" with the service management tool 
    provided with the distribution, or execute the following command with root
    privileges.

    # /etc/rc.d/init.d/ekpd start

    Note:
        The above command may differ according to the distribution. Refer to 
        the manual of the distribution.

    The above command has the following options.

        Option     | Explanation
        -----------+--------------------------------------------------
        start      | Starts ekpd.
        start      | Stops ekpd.
        restart    | Restarts ekpd.


10.3 Communication Setting Tool (ekpd-tool)

    10.3.1 Description

    ekpd settings can be made. ekpd setting information is saved in the 
    setting file (/etc/ekpdrc), and is enabled the next time ekpd is started.

    Note:
        Do not edit the setting file directly. Always change the settings 
        using the ekpd-tool. If the file is edited incorrectly, ekpd will not 
        work properly.


    10.3.2 Initiation Method
    
    To start ekpd-tool from the command line, execute the following command
    with root privilege.

        # ekpd-tool


    10.3.3 Setting Method

    The setting items are as follows.

        Setting item       | Explanation
        -------------------+---------------------------------------------------
        Printer Name       | Selects the printer to set.
                           | The other setting items are applied to the printer
                           | specified by this printer name.
        Connection Method  | Selects the connection method for the printer.
        Device Path        | Selects the connection path for the printer.
        Alias Name         | Defines the setting name for registering in the
                           | spooling system and when using the printer.
        Default Printer    | Checks the printer setting to use.
                           | When ekpd starts, the checked printer settings 
                           | are used for communication.

    Note:
        Alias name cannot be changed when using CUPS.

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 11 Printing Specification Details
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11.1 Printing

For printing, the document data passed from the spooling system is converted 
by the print filter (pips-filter) into the various print data of the printer, 
and is transferred to the printer. The printer decodes the transferred print 
data, and prints it on the paper.

PIPS can set the size of the paper for printing and various settings 
regarding print quality using the tool that comes with CUPS. 

In addition, since the capacity of each printer is different, the items that 
can be set and the values that can be specified differ. For the details of 
each printer, refer to the manual of the relevant printer.
The printer documentation is installed at the following path.
/usr/share/doc/pips-<printer>-<version>/*_Manual.txt



11.2 Printing Filter (pips-filter)

Converts documents for printing into printer data.
pips-filter gets the setting value information from CUPS and generates print 
data according to those settings.

Normally, pips-filter is started from the spooling system, so you do not have 
to launch it yourself.


11.3 Print Settings with CUPS

    11.3.1 Setting Method

    Perform the settings using the tool that comes with CUPS. The setting 
    method with CUPS includes the following 4 main types.
    
        *** Setting using a GUI tool ***
        [Fedora 9 GNOME]
        (1)Select System - Administration - Printing. 
        (2)Select Printer. 
        (3)Click "Printer Options" Tab.
        (4)Select Printer Options.
        (5)Click "Apply".

        *** Setting with the command line ***
    
        Use the CUPS print setting tool lpoptions. For details of the tool,
        refer to the manual page lpoptions(1).
        The following is an example of a setting with PIPS.
    
            Example: When changing the setting to Page Size=A4_AUTO, 
                     quality=PLAIN_Q
    
            $ lpoptions -p st20 -o media=A4_AUTO -o quality=PLAIN_Q
    
        *** Setting using a web browser ***
        
        CUPS has a network interface (CGI) for displaying print settings and
        jobs.
    
        (1) Start the web browser.
        (2) Enter the URL "localhost:631" to display the CUPS setting screen.
        (3) Click "Printers".
        (4) Click "Set Printer Options" for the relevant printer to display 
            the printer options setting screen.
        (5) Select a setting and click "Set Printer Options".
    
        *** Setting when printing ***
    
        With CUPS, the printing options can be changed with the same options
        (-o) as lpoptions in the lpr or lp command. For details, refer to
        manual page lpr(1) or lp(1).


    11.3.2 Setting Items

    The items that can be set with CUPS are as follows.
    
    In the table below, options in the explanation marked (*) are options for
    which the values that can be specified differ according to the printer. 
    For the values to specify for these options, refer to the manual of the
    relevant printer.

    Option     | Display name  | Explanation
    -----------+---------------+-----------------------------------------
    ink        | Ink           | Specifies the print color. For color 
               |               | printing, set "COLOR" and for grayscale
               |               | printing, set "MONO".
    media      | Paper Size    | Specifies the paper size. (*)
    quality    | Print Quality | Specifies the quality. (*)
    inkset     | Inkset        | Selects the inkset being used. (*)
               |               | The inkset information is normally obtained
               |               | automatically from the printer, but with CUPS,
               |               | since it must be set as an option, you must
               |               | specify it in advance.


    In addition, there are many settings other than the above supported 
    by CUPS.
    For example, CUPS itself supports functions such as multi page. For this
    reason, these functions are not provided by PIPS. 
    For details of the functions supported by CUPS, refer to the CUPS
    documentation.

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 12 Other Software
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12.1 Printer Maintenance Tool (espmntg)

    12.1.1 Description

    You can perform the Nozzle Check, Head Cleaning and Print Head Alignment from GUI.
    When you start the commands, the "Epson Printer Utility" window will be displayed.
    If you click the Nozzle Check, Head Cleaning or Print Head Alignment button, 
    corresponding utility will start.


    12.1.2 Initiation Method

    Execute the following command.

        $ espmntg


    12.1.3 Functions

    You can perform the Nozzle Check, Head Cleaning and Print Head Alignment.

    *** Nozzle Check Pattern ***
    You can print the nozzle check pattern to confirm that the heads are clean.
    Follow the instructions on the screen after clicking the "Nozzle Check" button.

    *** Print Head Cleaning ***
    If your printouts are unexpectedly light, or dots are or lines are missing, 
    you may need to clean the print head. 
    The printer head (Nozzle) is cleaned by discharging and vacuuming ink.
    Therefore, Print head cleaning uses inks. 
    Follow the instructions on the screen after clicking the "Head Cleaning" button.

    *** Aligning the Print Head ***
    When printing in bi-directional mode, if your printouts contain misaligned vertical lines, 
    or you see light or dark horizontal banding, you may need to align the printer head. 
    Follow the instructions on the screen after clicking the "Print Head Alignment" button.


12.2 Printer Maintenance Command (espmnt)

    12.2.1 Description

    You can perform the Nozzle Check, Head Cleaning and Print Head Alignment from the command line.
    These functions are available only when connecting the printer via USB. 

        espmnt [ -p <printername> ] -e <func> [ -v <value> ]
       

    12.2.2 Options 
    Option       | Explanation
    -------------+-----------------------------------------------------
    -p <printer> | Specifies the printer name. If not specified, the default printer will be used.
    -e <func>    | Specifies the utility to perform. 
                 | See each printer driver manual for selectable values.
    -v <value>   | Specifies the parameters of the utility to perform.


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