[sf-lug] Installing and configuring CUPS PDF printer (highly abridged instructions)

[RBV]

Hi:

At the last SF-LUG meeting I was asked how to enable "printing" to PDF files in Ubuntu.

Here's a highly abridged condensation of the instructions as given in the book "Ubuntu Hacks".

1. Use "sudo apt-get install cups-pdf" to install the PDF printer.

2. In the System menu, choose Administration > Printing to display the "Add a printer" dialog box.

3. In the "Add a printer" dialog box, choose Printer > Add a printer.
   The utility takes several seconds to read the printer database, then displays the first Add a Printer dialog box.

4. In the first Add a Printer dialog box, choose Local Printer, choose PDF Printer, then click Forward.
   The Add a Printer dialog box displays a second dialog box.

5. In the second Add a Printer dialog box, in the Manufacturer list choose Generic, then in the Model area choose postscript color printer.

6.  Click Apply to assert the changes.

Open a program, choose File > Print, then choose postscript-color-printer.  The printer driver will create a PDF and place it in <home>/PDF.

Note that you can also use System > Administration > Printing to select the postscript printer and from there find your way to the printer's configuration menu so as to print a PDF test page.

I find this method of printing to PDFs very useful...

Cheers & hope this helps,
Riley
SFO