Chapter 8. Printing, Faxing and Scanning

Table of Contents

Printing
Faxing
Scanning

Printing

Most printers will be automatically supported by Xubuntu. The Printer Configuration application allows you to add printers, as well as modify their settings. You can also use this application to share the printer with other computers on a network, disable the printer, or restart it.

Local Printing

A local printer is one which is directly connected to your computer (as opposed to a network printer, discussed in the following section).

To setup a new local printer, plug your printer into your computer and power it on. Most printers will automatically be detected an configured. Once detected, a printer icon will appear in the notification area and after waiting a few moments, you should get a popup with the text Printer is ready for printing.

If your printer was not detected after a few moments, then you will need to follow these steps:

  1. Obtain the model name of your printer.

  2. Ensure the printer is turned on.

  3. Choose ApplicationsSystemPrinting

  4. Click ServerNew Printer.

  5. Your printer should be automatically detected and displayed in the Device window, click on your printer and press Forward.

  6. Your computer will search for and install drivers for your printer.

  7. You can enter a description and location for your printer.

  8. Press Apply.

  9. Your printer should be properly configured at this point and you will be prompted if you want to print a test page.

  10. If you press the Print Test Page button, a test page will print and you can verify if it printed correctly, or you can press Cancel. Either way, your printer is ready to print.

If your printer was not automatically detected, you can try to select the port and printer driver manually. Some printers need further setup. Search the databases at The Linux Foundation or check the Xubuntu Wiki Printer page for information on your printer.

Network Printing

You can also configure your Xubuntu system to send print jobs to a remote print server. Remote printers are hosted somewhere on a network. To configure a remote printer:

  1. Obtain the model name of your printer.

  2. Ensure the printer is turned on.

  3. Choose ApplicationsSystemPrinting

  4. Click ServerNew Printer.

  5. Click on Network Printer in the Device window.

  6. If your printer is directly connected to a Windows machine on your network, choose Windows Printer via SAMBA. Otherwise, select the protocol your printer uses to communicate.

  7. Insert the details of the network printer and press Forward.

  8. Select the printer manufacturer and then press Forward.

  9. Select the printer model and driver then press Forward.

  10. You can enter a description and location for your printer in the corresponding fields.

  11. Press Apply.

  12. Your printer is properly configured at this point and you will be prompted to print a test page, press Cancel or Print Test Page depending on your preference.

[Note]

If you do not know the protocol or details of your network printer, you should consult your network administrator.

Testing a Printer

To check if your printer works correctly:

  1. Choose ApplicationsSystemPrinting

  2. Right click on the printer's name in the list.

  3. Click Properties.

  4. Under the Settings tab, press Print Test Page. A page will then be printed if your printer is working correctly.

How can I check the ink levels of my printer?

To find out how much ink is left in your printer, follow the instructions which apply to your printer:

  • Hewlett-Packard (HP) printers: Install the hplip-gui package, then press Alt+F2, type hp-toolbox and press Run. Select the Supplies tab in the HP Device Manager window which appears to view a summary of ink levels.

  • Epson and some Canon printers: Install the mtink package and click ApplicationsAccessoriesmtink to check your ink levels.

  • Some other Epson and Canon printers: Install the inkblot package, press Alt+F2, type inkblot and press Run. A printer icon will appear in the notification area on the top panel; click it to view ink levels.

For printers from other manufacturers, the best chance of viewing ink levels for your printer in Xubuntu is to install an official Linux printer driver from your manufacturer if one exists.