Re: [Printing-architecture] Number of copies in pure PDF workflow

[Tobias Hoffmann <lprint-list@thax.hardliners.org>]

On 04/10/14 19:36, Alex Korobkin wrote:
> cups-filters package ships with a couple of sample PPDs [2], [3] that 
> basically allow for inserting PJL commands into the job to change its 
> most common options: tray, duplex, etc.
> I'm trying to find out whether making manual copies via 
> cupsManualCopies is the only way to handle the number of copies. Can 
> pdftopdf or CUPS insert PJL SET COPIES=X into the job?
Yes (for resonably recent versions). But the string "PJL SET COPIES" (or 
whatever the printer needs) has to come *from the PPD*. Also the 
emit-jcl must not be disabled in pdftopdf's arguments (mostly relevant 
when pdftopdf is NOT the last filter).

> Can CUPS set the number of copies via IPP commands? There is also some 
> code in pdftopdf_jcl.cc [4] that is dealing with a Copies directive in 
> a PPD, but I don't quite understand what it does.
If the PPD does not specify cupsManualCopies, then the JCL commands *for 
that particular printer* have to be specified in the PPD.
Also keep in mind that the device might not support deviceCopies for 
certain collate settings; the PPD has to contain the necessary "logic" 
for that, too.

 From [4] it follows that certain PPD Attributes /can/ be necessary for 
deviceCopies:
   *JCLToPDFInterpreter, *pdftopdfJCLBegin, *pdftopdfJCLCopies, Copies

   Tobias