Photo Image Print System Lite for Linux Description

Copyright (C) SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION 2005,2006.

Note :
     About the latest information, please refer to our Web page.
     http://www.avasys.jp/


Contents
1   License Agreement
2   Version Up Record
3   Products Description
4   Installation Method
5   Operation
5.1  ekpd
5.1.1  The operation method
5.1.2  Setup
5.2  ekpstm
5.2.1  The operation method
5.3   pipslite
5.3.1   The operation method
5.3.2    Specification for the options
5.3.3    Specification for pipsrc
6  Handling Instructions
7  Acknowledgement


1  License Agreement

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

All object code contained in the sources are Copyright EPSON AVASYS
Corporation and SEIKO EPSON Corporation.


2  Version Up Record

Contents moved to ./ChangeLog.


3  Products Description

This software is a Printer Driver (filter) for the high quality print
with SEIKO EPSON Color Ink Jet Printer from the Linux.

This product supports only EPSON ESC/P-R printers. Its function is 
same as Photo Image Print System.
Unlike Photo Image Print System, which requires different pakage for 
each printer model, only one pipslite package can be used for all 
EPSON ESC/P-R printers.

For detail list of supported printer, please refer to our Web page: 
http://www.avasys.jp/


4  Installation Method

(1).... Installing a rpm file
Executes the rpm command to complete the installation.
-----------------
rpm -i pipslite-1.0.0-1.i386.rpm
-----------------

Depends on the distribution, dependent errors may occur.
Execution of the rpm command shown below may helps you to avoid the
error.
-----------------
rpm -i --nodeps pipslite-1.0.0-1.i386.rpm
-----------------

(2).... Setting after the installation
It is necessary to describe a setup for using pipslite to
/etc/printcap.  Usually although it is automatically added at the time
of installation, when it is not described by a certain factor or setup
is changed, please execute Setup script.

Setup is interactively performed by setup script.
Execute the following commands and set up according to messages.

 # /usr/local/EPAva/LITE/setup

When you set up manually without using script, please refer to the
following.

Setting example
    1     lite:\
    2        :lp=/var/ekpd/ekplp0:\
    3        :sh:\
    4        :if=/usr/local/EPAva/LITE/filterlite:\
    5        :sd=/var/spool/lpd/lite:\
    6        :mx#0:

    1:Printer name
    2:Specify the printer port
    3:Control the cover sheet
    4:Specify the input filter
    5:Specify the spool directory
    6:Specify the maximum file size for spooling(Set 0 for the unlimited value)

Additionally, the following description is added to
/etc/services. This is also automatically added at the time of
installation.

    cbtd     35586/tcp

Finally, correct "PrinterDevicePath" entry of /etc/ekpdrc. Please
describe the path to the device driver of the port where the printer
is connected after '='.

(Example) Default setting value

          PrinterDevicePath = /dev/usb/lp0

* When LPRng is being used for a printing spooler, setup is not
  reflected if LPRng is not re-started after installation or a setup
  ,please be careful.

  The re-starting method of LPRng (It may change with systems.)
  -----------------
  (Redhat)
  /etc/rc.d/init.d/lpd restart

  (Debian)
  /etc/init.d/lpd restart
  -----------------


5  Operation

5.1  ekpd

5.1.1  The operation method

In order to use a printer, it is necessary to start ekpd first. ekpd
performs two-way communication with a printer. Usually, it starts
automatically when starting of Linux. When it has not started, please
execute the following commands by root authority.

  -----------------
  (Redhat)
  # /etc/rc.d/init.d/ekpd start

  (Debian)
  # /etc/init.d/ekpd start
  -----------------

There are the following options in a command.

    start       start ekpd
    stop        stop ekpd
    restart     restart ekpd

5.1.2  Setup

Setup of ekpd is described in /etc/ekpdrc. Setting items are as
follows. (The inside of a parenthesis is a default)

PrinterDevicePath
Path to the connection place device driver of a printer (/dev/usb/lp0)

DummyDevicePath
The path to FIFO file for a printing data input (/var/ekpd/ekplp0)

CommandServerPort
The port number for communication       (35586)

Interactive setting can also be used with setting script
(/usr/local/EPAva/LITE/setup).

5.2  ekpstm

5.2.1  The operation method

It can also start automatically when printing start. add the machine
to which the printer is connected to the access list of X servers by
xhost for starting automatically.  The following commands are executed
after login.

    # xhost <Machine name>

* This work may be required also when using  in a PC (local machine).
  Execute the following commands after login in case.

    # xhost $HOSTNAME

  We recommend you to write these commands to .xinitrc, since it is
  troublesome to execute them each time .

5.3   pipslite

5.3.1   The operation method

The utility(GUI) for the X-Window environment starts from the command line
'pipslite' on the X-Window environment.

* It is necessary to set up the locale at the time of printing after
  installation.  Start GUI utility, in order to set up the
  locale. Whenever it is started, it memorizes its language setup
  (LANG). At the time of printing, the setup is used for
  printing. Please notice that documents may cause character
  transformation when the locale is not correctly set up at the time
  of printing.

The 'common' button which performs following operations is located on the
bottom of the window.
  [Save]:Save the current settings and keep the settings for the next
  operation. All the users use the saved settings.
  [Print]: Start the print with the current settings.
  [Quit]: End the operation.

The following settings are available from the 'I/O Settings'.
  [Input]: Specify the PNG file(non-interlaced).
  [Output]: Specify the ESC/P code output file.

The following settings are available from the 'Paper Settings'.
  [Paper Size]: Select the size of paper a printer is supporting.
  [Borderless Print]: Select the borderless print on or off.

The following settings are available from the 'Layout Setting'
  [Fit to Page]: Select to activate the Fit to Page setting.
  [Reduce/Enlarge]: Specify the enlargement or reduction of input image with %.
  (10 to 400)
  [Margin]: Specify the margin in millimeter. (0 to maximum value of right
  margin)
  [Multi Page]: Select the number of pages to print on one sheet of paper.

The following settings are available from the 'Main Settings'.
  [Media Type]: Select the paper type which is supported by the printer.
  [Quality]: Specify the print quality.
  [Ink]: Select the color printing or the monochrome printing.

The following settings are available from the 'Color Management'.
  [Brightness]: Adjust the brightness.(-50 to +50)
  [Contrast]: Adjust the contrast.(-50 to +50)
  [Saturation]: Adjust the saturation.(-50 to +50)

The following settings are available from the 'Utility'.
  [Status Monitor]: Activate status monitor.

Also, the setting can completed on the command line without starting
the GUI.  In this case,

 set the command
   [option] input_file
 or
  pipslite [option] < input_file

Then specify the PNG file for the input_file.
The output is a standard output. Depends on the combination of the
optional settings, settings may canceled or may not correctly effect
the system. Start the GUI and check the setting value.

If you can set the paper size from the application's property, set the
same size of the paper to the application's property as the setting
used in this software. The print job is proceeded with reference to
upper left corner of the paper. The print area set margin to the left,
right, top and bottom of the paper.
Please refer to '6. Paper size and Margin' for more details.

5.3.2    Specification for the options

- Start Mode
  Format    -ui n1
  Parameter  n1 =  X   Start the GUI
                   C   Operate on the command line
  Specify whether the GUI is started.

- Paper Size
  Format    -ms n1

- Borderless Printing
  Format    -bl n1
  Parameter  n1 = ON       Print without border
                  OFF      Print with border
  Select a borderless printing option. 

- Media Type
  Format    -mt n1
 
- Quality
  Format    -ql n1
  Parameter  n1 = DRAFT       Draft
                  NORMAL      Normal
                  HIGH        High
  Specify the quality of the print.

- Print Scale
  Format    -sc n1
  Parameter  n1 = [10 - 400]
  Specify the enlargement or reduction of input image.

- Ink
  Format    -in n1
  Parameter  n1 =  COLOR     Color
                   MONO      Monochrome
  Specify the color mode.

- Brightness
  Format    -br n1
  Parameter  n1 = [-50 - 50]
  Adjust the the brightness.

- Contrast
  Format    -co n1
  Parameter  n1 = [-50 - 50]
  Adjust the contrast.

- Saturation
  Format    -sa n1
  Parameter  n1 = [-50 - 50]
  Adjust the saturation.

- Margin
  Format    -mg n1 n2
  Parameter   n1 = [0 - right(maximum)]     Left margin
              n2 = [0 - bottom(maximum)]    Top margin
  Specify the margin in millimeter.

- Fit to Page
  Format    -ft n1
  Parameter   n1 = ON
                   OFF
  Specify whether the fit to page print is used.

- Multi Page
  Format    -mp n1
  Parameter   n1 = 1     Normal printing
                   2     Print 2 pages in one piece of paper
                   4     Print 4 pages in one piece of paper
  Specify whether the multi page print is used.
  This function is available only when printing a Postscript file
  using the lpr command. It cannot be available when printing using a
  GUI tool.


5.3.3    Specification for pipsrc

This product uses a text-base setting file called pipsrc so that the
user can save their optional setting values. To create the pipsrc file
in the directory, start the GUI from the root and press the save
button.

The pipsrc file is used for the supplementation of the items that is
not specified its option on the command line, and is also used for the
default setting value of GUI settings.

Do not change the data of pipsrc file directly. Change the settings
using the GUI. If you need to change the data of the pipsrc file
directly, refer to the list below.

The printer name is listed first in the pipsrc file. Two fields are
related to each lines with '=' .

   Paper size
       media size = n1
	
   Borderless Print
       borderlessprint = n1	

   Paper type
       media type = n1

   Quality
       quality level = n1

   Print scale
       scale = n1

   Ink
       ink = n1

   Brightness
       brightness = n1

   Contrast
       contrast = n1

   Saturation
       saturation = n1

   Margin
       margin = n1, n2

   Fit to Page
       fit2page = n1

   Multi Page
       multipage = n1


6  Handling Instructions

- The print data of this software may get large as it operates the
high-quality print, and lpr may return the error. In this case, add
the -rs option to lpr.  Please refer the lpr(1) on the manual about
the details on lpr. If still the problem is not solved, install the
extra memory or set the Swap. This is the end of this document.

(Example)
 $ lpr -rs -P <Printer> <PostScript File>

- When this product is used as a filter, the line not intended might
be printed.  This case is occured because the Postscript file is
converted into the PNG file with Ghostscript (henceforth GS) .It does
not depend on this product.  It is confirmed generating with GS v5.10
not with v5.50.


7  Acknowledgement

    We appreciate the following people who cooperate with us for the
    development of this product.

    Nobby N Hirano <nobby@nmail.hiug.ne.jp>
    Toshihiro Yamagishi <toshihiro@turbolinux.co.jp>
    Nozomi Satou <nozomi@esd.spr.epson.co.jp>

***End of file
