pbmtoppa  -  convert  PBM  image to HP Printer Performance
       Architecture (PPA)


SYNOPSIS

       pbmtoppa

       [pbm_file [ppa_file]]


DESCRIPTION

       pbmtoppa converts page images in  PBM  format  to  Hewlett
       Packard's  PPA  (Printer Performance Architecture) format,
       which is the data stream format expected by some HP  "Win­
       dows-only"  printers including the HP Deskjet 820C series,
       the HP DeskJet 720 series, and the HP DeskJet 1000 series.

       pbm_file  is the file specification of the input file or -
       for Standard Input.  The default is Standard Input.

       The input file contains one or more PBM images, with  each
       one  being  a single page.  Each image must have the exact
       dimensions of a page (at  600  pixels  per  inch  in  both
       directions).    Significantly,  this  is  the  format  the
       Ghostscript produces.

       ppa_file is the file specification of the output file or -
       for Standard Output.  The default is Standard Output.

       To  print  Postscript  on  an  HP  PPA  printer,  just use
       Ghostscript with the pbmraw (or pbm) device driver.

       You can generate a test page for  use  with  this  program
       with pbmpage.

       You can also set up a printer filter so you can submit PBM
       input directly to your print queue.  See the documentation
       for  your print spooler for information on how to do that,
       or look in hp820install.doc for an example lpd print  fil­
       ter for Postscript and text files.

       Sometimes,  pbmtoppa  generates  a  file which the printer
       will not print (because pbmtoppa's input is  unprintable).
       When  this  happens,  all three lights blink to signal the
       error.  This is usually because there is material  outside
       of  the printer's printable area.  To make the file print,
       increase the margins via pbmtoppa options or a  configura­
       tion file.  See the CALIBRATION section below.

       -v version
              printer version (720, 820, or 1000)

              vertical offset adjustment in 1"/600

       -y yoff
              horizontal offset adjustment in 1"/600

       -t topmarg
              top margin in 1"/600    (default: 150 = 0.25")

       -l leftmarg
              left margin in 1"/600   (default: 150 = 0.25")

       -r rightmarg
              right margin in 1"/600  (default: 150 = 0.25")

       -b botmarg
              bottom margin in 1"/600 (default: 150 = 0.25")

       -s paper
              paper size: us or a4.  Default is us.

       -f cfgfile
              read parameters from configuration file cfgfile

       The -x and -y options accumulate.

       The  -v  option resets the horizontal and vertical adjust­
       ments to an internal default.


CONFIGURATION FILES

       You can use  configuration  files  to  specify  parameters
       rather  than  use  invocation options.  pbmtoppa processes
       the file /etc/pbmtoppa.conf, if it exists, before process­
       ing  any  options.   It  then processes each configuration
       file named by a -f option in order, applying  the  parame­
       ters  from  the configuration file as if they were invoca­
       tion options used in the place of the -f option.

       Configuration files have the following format:

       #Comment
       key1 value1
       key2 value2
       [etc.]

       Valid keys are version, xoffset, yoffset, topmargin, left­
       margin,  rightmargin, bottommargin, papersize, or any non-
       null prefix of these words.  Valid values are the same  as
       with the corresponding invocation parameters.

       Print a test pattern:

       pbmpage | pbmppa >/dev/lp1

       Print three pages:

       cat page1.pbm page2.pbm page3.pbm | pbmppa >/dev/lp1

       Print the Postscript file myfile.ps:

       gs -sDEVICE=rawpbm -q -dNOPAUSE -r600 \
          -sOutputFile=- myfile.ps \
       | pbmtoppa | lpr


CALIBRATION

       To be able to print successfully and properly, you need to
       tell pbmtoppa an X and a Y  offset  appropriate  for  your
       printer  to use when generating the page.  You can specify
       these offsets with the -x and  -y  invocation  options  or
       with the xoff and yoff parameters in a pbmtoppa configura­
       tion file.

       To determine the correct offsets, use the pbmpage program.

       If  while  trying  to  do  this  calibration,  the printer
       refuses to print a page, but just blinks all three lights,
       specify  large  margins  (e.g. 600 pixels -- one inch) via
       pbmpage invocation options while doing the calibration.

       For example:

       pbmpage | pbmtoppa >/dev/lp1
       or
       pbmpage | pbmtoppa | lpr -l
       (if your printer filter recognizes the '-l'  (direct  out­
       put) parameter).

       In the test pattern, the grid is marked off in pixel coor­
       dinate  numbers.   Unfortunately,  these  coordinates  are
       probably  cut  off  before  the edge of the paper.  You'll
       have to use a ruler to estimate the  pixel  coordinate  of
       the  left  and  top  edges  of  the  actual sheet of paper
       (should be within +/- 300, may be negative; there are  600
       pixels per inch).

       Add  these  coordinates  to  the X and Y offsets by either
       editing the configuration file or using the -x and -y com­
       mand-line parameters.

       When  pbmtoppa  is  properly  calibrated,  the center mark
       should be in the center of the paper.  Also,  the  margins

       the printer to choke with 'blinking lights syndrome'.


REDHAT LINUX INSTALLATION

       RedHat users may find the  following  tip  from  Panayotis
       Vryonis <vrypan@hol.gr> helpful.  The same should work for
       the 820 and 1000, but it hasn't been  tested.   Also,  use
       the pbmraw GSDriver if you have it; it's faster.

       Here  is  a  tip  to intergrate HP720C support in RedHat's
       printtool:

       Install pbm2ppa. Copy pbm2ppa to /usr/bin.

       Edit  "printerdb"  (in  my   system   it   is   found   in
       /usr/lib/rhs/rhs-printfilters  )  and append the following
       lines:

       ----------------------Cut here-----------------------
       StartEntry: DeskJet720C
         GSDriver: pbm
         Description: {HP DeskJet 720C}
         About: { \
               This driver supports the HP DeskJet 720C \
               inkjet printer. \
               It does does not support color printing. \
               IMPORTANT! Insert \
                    "- | pbm2ppa -" \
               in the "Extra GS Otions" field.\
             }
         Resolution: {600} {600} {}
       EndEntry
       ----------------------------------------------------

       Now  you  can  add  an HP720C printer just like any other,
       using printtool.


SEE ALSO

       pbmpage(1), pstopnm(1), pbm(5)

       pnm2ppa is not part of Netpbm, but does the same things as
       pbmtoppa except it also works with color and has lots more
       features.         See         <http://sourceforge.net/pro­
       ject/?group_id=1322>.

       The  file  INSTALL-MORE  in  the pbmtoppa directory of the
       Netpbm source code contains detailed instructions on  set­
       ting  up  a  system  to  use  pbmtoppa to allow convenient
       printing on HP PPA printers.  It was  written  by  Michael
       Buehlmann.

       distributed  pbm2ppa  program  from  which  pbmtoppa   was
       derived, see <http://www.httptech.com/ppa>.


AUTHOR

       Tim  Norman.  Copyright (C) 1998.  Licensed under GNU Pub­
       lic License

       Manual page by Bryan Henderson, May 2000.


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