File Content Type

The file content type tells the LP print service what types of files you can print directly on each printer. Print requests can ask for a type, and the LP print service uses this type to match jobs to printers. Most printers can print two types of files:

•  The same type as the printer type (for example, PS for PostScript)

•  The type simple (an ASCII file)

Some printers can accept and print several types of files. You can specify the names of the content types as a list. Table 11-4 lists some common file content types for local printers.

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NOTE:  If you specify more than one printer type, you must specify simple as one of the content types.

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Content type names may look like printer names, but you are free to choose content type names that are meaningful to you and the users of the printers. You use the following command to specify the file content type:

lpadmin -p printer-name -I file-content-type

The content types to use for a Solaris 2.x print client are any, simple, and PS. If you omit the content type, the default is any, which filters files on the print server. The type PS filters files on the client.

Table 11-5 lists the printer type and content type for frequently used PostScript printers.

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NOTE:  The name simple means ASCII file, and any means any file content type. Be sure to use them consistently. The name terminfo is reserved as a reference to all types of printers.

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All printers in Table 11-5 are either PS or PSR. PS prints a banner page first, and prints the document from front to back. PSR reverses the pagination, printing the pages in reverse order, with the banner page last. File content type is PS for all these models.

Table 11-6 lists additional non-PostScript printers and shows the printer type to use for configuring each printer. The file content type is simple for all these printers.

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^*New in this edition

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