problems printing pdf files

[doctordruidphd]

I'm trying to print a large pdf file (instruction manual), and the only way to reduce it to a rational number of pages is to reduce it to 4 pages per print.

Okular doesn't cut it - it reduces the size of the pages to postage stamp size.

Evince reduces the pages properly, but pulls an error or printing - it says "/usr/lib/cups/filter/pdftoraster failed." Seems to me I have seen this error before, but don't remember the fix, or if there is one.

lpr pulls the same error.

Is there a fix for the pdftoraster problem (just saying "failed" isn't much of a diagnosis), or is there some other program that will work for this?
Maybe it is a cups configuration problem?

[slush1000]

Re: problems printing pdf files

or is there some other program that will work for this

If you're open to it, isntall Adobe Acrobat Reader

[claydoh]

Re: problems printing pdf files

the error is a problem with cups, the printer subsystem. I had this problem, and seem to have fixed it by removing the printer from within system settings and letting it re-discover it. Adobe reader would still produce the pdftoraster error iirc. I have NOT tried printing any pdf's lately, and i am out of paper atm so can't really test right now.

you can also manage printing from a web browser by navigating to http://localhost:631

you also could try choosing a different driver as usually there are a couple of alternative ones for each model.

[SIR_Taco]

Re: problems printing pdf files

Doc,

I did find this in a bug report, which may be helpful:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/fedora/+s...08/comments/46

Seems you should be fine converting it to a postscript (.ps) file and then printing it. (ie: pdf2ps myfile.pdf myfile.ps) as the pdftoraster from Ghostscript seems to choke on some PDF formats.


Cheers

[doctordruidphd]

Re: problems printing pdf files

Here is what I've found so far:

Remove/Reinstall the printer fixes the pdftoraster problem.

Evince will print two pdf pages per print page, but prints a lot of what looks like layout information along with it (which it should not). Okular shrinks everything down so small it is unreadable.

The pdf2ps conversion worked, and it seems to be printing better, though not perfect. I can probably mess with it and get it right eventually.

gpr works, but again is shrinking the page size.

I guess this means it will take some experimenting. I THOUGHT I had it all worked out...