Adding functionality to a printer driver

[FireArse]

Hi guys,

Wonder if some of you can help me. I bought a HP Photosmart 7960 from Costco UK maybe 2/3 years ago. The printer is great. Soon after my purchase I bought a duplexer for this unit from eBay - it was a steal. Drivers in Windows XP worked great.

Recently made all the computers in my house Macs.

HP have a nice set of (Intel) drivers for this unit, but there isn't an option to check duplex in system preferences under the printer section. This is the most up to date version available.

Presumably HP didn't add the Duplex functionality to this driver. Excuse my ignorance, but can I edit a line somewhere which adds this functionality? Can I edit the PPD in use by OS X? I plan to share this printer with my other Macs in the LAN - and eventually accross my Airport Express.

Many thanks,

FireArse

 

[FireArse]

Right

Well I think I'm getting somewhere - I have the PPD version 1.1 here from the HPIJS group http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=HP-PhotoSmart_7960

I have found the area to edit for the Duplex, but whatever I try doesn't add the functionality to my Printer Preferences in OS X.

Any ideas for what the following should say?

*OpenUI *Duplex/Double-Sided Printing: PickOne
*FoomaticRIPOption Duplex: enum CmdLine A
*OrderDependency: 120 AnySetup *Duplex
*DefaultDuplex: None
*Duplex DuplexNoTumble/Long Edge (Standard): "%% FoomaticRIPOptionSetting: Duplex=DuplexNoTumble"
*FoomaticRIPOptionSetting Duplex=DuplexNoTumble: " -dDuplex=true -dTum&&
ble=false"
*End
*Duplex DuplexTumble/Short Edge (Flip): "%% FoomaticRIPOptionSetting: Duplex=DuplexTumble"
*FoomaticRIPOptionSetting Duplex=DuplexTumble: " -dDuplex=true -dTumbl&&
e=true"
*End
*Duplex None/Off: "%% FoomaticRIPOptionSetting: Duplex=None"
*FoomaticRIPOptionSetting Duplex=None: " -dDuplex=false"
*CloseUI: *Duplex

*CloseGroup: General

I'd appreciate all your help,

FireArse

 

[mkrishnan]

For most printers, you use the lay-outs -> Two-sided section of the printing dialog (if you pick either long or short edge binding, it will be depicted visually and order the printer to duplex). If your printer is ignoring this, I don't think there's any easy way to mod the printer driver. If the Gutenprint operation has a driver for that printer, their driver probably has source, and you've got a better shot.

But then also, I've never used (or seen for that matter) an inkjet with duplexing. I've only ever used laser printers that duplex. I don't see why that should be relevant -- lasers that duplex also frequently duplex by virtue of an expansion that's bought separately -- but who knows....