DRV_Z42 ======= What is it? ----------- This project is a driver / configuration program for the Lexmark Z42 printer. The printer driver was reported to work with the Lexmark Z43, and the Compaq IJ1200 also (which is basically a relabeled Z42). The configuration program should work with these printers, and also with the Lexmark Z52. I think the Z42 is a very nice printer. Unfortunately Lexmark did not make a Linux driver for the Z42, so I had to write my own. It's a strange thing: hardware manufactorers not releasing protocols: you do want to sell as much devices as possible? Also I read there are some problems with recent distributions: the other Lexmark drivers for Linux won't link with some dynamic libraries... Who did it? ----------- Reverse engineering and programming: Alwin Stolk. Disclaimer ---------- This program is not guaranteed to do anything. If if destroys your printer, burns down your house, kills your cat or does something else wrong, I am not responsible. The driver works ok for me though. How --- Lexmark has not released their printer protocol. It was reverse-engineered by letting the original lexmark driver print to a file. The commands for changing and aligning the cartridges were snooped from the USB. Status ------ At the moment this project is considered stable. It can print BLACK, CMY and CMYK. The supported resolutions are: 300dpi, 600dpi & 1200 dpi (horizontal). The driver supports a few ghostscript paper sizes. The vertical resolution is always 600dpi. The driver was tested with both USB and the parallel printer port. I used Linux 2.4.0-test11 for USB printing, but I got reports it also runs on Linux 2.2.16 (SuSE 7.0). This driver is now integrated in gimp-print, to make use of the excellent dithering code and colour correction. Get the latest gimp-print 4.2 from CVS. And last but not least: the gimp-print version supports photo cartridges and 2400 dpi!. ( http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net ) Printing -------- gs -dSAFER -r300x600 -sPAPERSIZE=a4 -q -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH \ -sDEVICE=bitcmyk -sOutputFile=output.cmyk nicepicture.ps z42_cmyk size=a4 hdpi=300 bidi=1 mode=cmyk <output.cmyk >/dev/printer Parameters: size (Paper size) Supported sizes, default=a4: a4, a5, a6, legal, letter, isob5, isob6 jisb5, jisb6, c5, c6, flsa, flse, halfletter hdpi (Horizontal DPI) Possible values (default=600): 300, 600, 1200 bidi (Bidirectional printing) Boolean, default=1. Almost twice as fast at 300 DPI. mode (Printing mode, default=k) Possible values: k = black only. cmy = colour cartridge only, 'fake' black. cmyk = colour and black cartridges. Or you change your printer filter accordingly. Keep a border of 1mm at the top, left, and right. Keep a border of 14.5 mm at the bottom. Contact ------- If you can't get your printer to work I suggest you visit "www.linuxprinting.org". They have _excellent_ documentation available. If you have trouble with USB, then check out "www.linux-usb.org". If you found a bug or made an enhancement: mail me. You can mail me in English, Dutch or German. Replies will be in English or Dutch. pastolk at xs4all dot nl