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-
- <chapter><title>Gutenprint Utilities</title>
- <sect1><title>escputil</title>
- <para>
- <emphasis>escputil</emphasis> is a command line utility which
-allows the user to perform a variety of maintenance tasks on Epson
-Stylus inkjet printers. These tasks include head alignment, head
-cleaning, nozzle check, printer identification, and retrieval of the ink
-level from the printer. In order for many of the
-<emphasis>escputil</emphasis> functions to work, the user must have
-read/write access to the raw printer device (typically /dev/lp0,
-/dev/usb/lp0, and the like). In general, these operations should be
-performed by the root user. As always, the user must insure that the
-directory containing the <emphasis>escputil</emphasis> utility is
-listed in the &dollar;PATH environment variable, or that the full path is
-specified on the command line. The examples in this section will
-assume the former.
- </para>
-
- <caution>
- <title>Caution</title>
- <para>
- The <emphasis>escputil</emphasis> utility was designed for use
-ONLY with Epson Stylus inkjet printers supported by the Gutenprint
-software. It is possible that damage MIGHT occur to your printer if
-this utility is misused or if it is used with a printer other than an
-Epson Stylus inkjet printer. It is the sole responsibility of the
-user to insure that this utility is suitable for the task at hand.
- </para>
- </caution>
-
-
- <para>
- In this section, specific examples of common usage will be
-presented. A summary of the command line switches can be
-found in the <emphasis>escputil</emphasis>(1) man page.
- </para>
-
- <sect2><title>Determining Ink Level</title>
- <para>
- Perhaps the most basic function performed by
-<emphasis>escputil</emphasis> is that of determining the amount of ink
-remaining in the printer. To do this, the user must know the name of
-the raw printer device. This is usually /dev/lp0 for a printer
-connected to the parallel port, or /dev/usb/lp0 for a printer
-connected to the USB.
- </para>
- <para>
-If there are multiple printers connected, one of them may be referenced as
-/dev/lp1 or perhaps /dev/usb/lp1. In the event of uncertainty, and if
-CUPS is in use, view the following <ulink url="http://localhost:631/printers">URL</ulink>
-with a web browser. At that URL, look for a line which reads "Device
-URI". The author's USB printer is listed as "Device URI: usb:/dev/usb/lp0".
- </para>
- <para>
-For this example, assume that the raw printer device is a USB printer
-specified as /dev/usb/lp0. To get the ink level for this printer,
-issue this command and notice the output.
- </para>
-
- <programlisting>
- <![ CDATA [
-# escputil -r /dev/usb/lp0 -i
-
-Escputil version 4.3.0, Copyright (C) 2000-2001 Robert Krawitz
-Escputil comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details type
-'escputil -l'
-This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
-under certain conditions; type 'escputil -l' for details.
-
- Ink color Percent remaining
- Black 18
- Cyan 71
- Magenta 70
- Yellow 67
- Light Cyan 71
- Light Magenta 70
- ]]>
- </programlisting>
-
- <para>
-The user would substitute their own raw printer device for the one
-shown in the example after the "-r" switch. Notice that the printout
-shows the percent of ink remaining for each color of the author's
-Epson Stylus Photo 870. When the ink levels get too low, print
-quality will suffer. In the author's personal experience, ink levels
-approaching 10% begin to cause print quality degredation, but this
-will vary depending on the precise printer model.
- </para>
- </sect2>
-
- <sect2><title>Error During Ink Level Determination</title>
- <para>
- What? The example above did not work? An error message was
-printed? What does it mean? There are several possibilities,
-depending on the specific error message. If the error message is
-"Invalid argument" (see following example), the problem is that the
-2.4.x kernel is not configured with the CONFIG_PARPORT_1284 option enabled.
-
- <programlisting>
- <![ CDATA [
-# escputil -r /dev/lp0 -i
-
-Escputil version 4.3.0, Copyright (C) 2000-2001 Robert Krawitz
-Escputil comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details type
-'escputil -l'
-This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
-under certain conditions; type 'escputil -l' for details.
-
-Cannot read from /dev/lp0: Invalid argument
- ]]>
- </programlisting>
-
- Another possibile cause for error is that the raw printer device
-does not have both read and write permission for the user attempting
-to access the device. In this case, the error message will read
-"Permission denied". A final possibility is that the raw printer
-device specified is incorrect, in which case the error message will
-read "No such device".
- </para>
-
- </sect2>
-
- <sect2><title>Nozzle Check</title>
- <para>
- On an inkjet printer, there are several small holes on the
-bottom of each ink cartridge through which the ink must flow smoothly
-in order to create high quality images on paper. If these holes
-become clogged, the printed image will show small gaps where there
-should have been ink. One can easily test for the existence of this
-condition by running a nozzle check. One need not be the root user to
-issue this command. Note that as shown, the command will print a
-nozzle test pattern on the default printer. If there are multiple
-printers present, the desired printer must be specified with an
-additional "-P printer_name" switch, where "printer_name" is the name
-of the desired printer.
- </para>
- <para>
- The printer will print a series of black (and colored) slanted
-lines on the paper. Observe these lines carefully. If there are gaps
-or spaces in these lines, then the corresponding nozzle is clogged and
-the print head must be cleaned. However, if there are no gaps, the
-nozzles are clean.
- </para>
- <programlisting>
- <![ CDATA [
-# escputil -n
-Escputil version 4.3.0, Copyright (C) 2000-2001 Robert Krawitz
-Escputil comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details type
-'escputil -l'
-This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
-under certain conditions; type 'escputil -l' for details.
-
-Running nozzle check, please ensure paper is in the printer.
- ]]>
- </programlisting>
- </sect2>
-
- <sect2><title>Clean the Print Head</title>
- <para>
- If the printed output is showing gaps where there should have
-been ink, it is likely that one or more nozzles are clogged and the
-print head is in need of cleaning. One can verify this by first
-running a nozzle check and looking for gaps in the printout. To clean
-the print head, issue the following command. One need not be the root user to
-issue this command. Note that as shown, the command will clean the
-print head on the default printer. If there are multiple
-printers present, the desired printer must be specified with an
-additional "-P printer_name" switch, where "printer_name" is the name
-of the desired printer.
- </para>
- <programlisting>
- <![ CDATA [
-# escputil -c
-Escputil version 4.3.0, Copyright (C) 2000-2001 Robert Krawitz
-Escputil comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details type
-'escputil -l'
-This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
-under certain conditions; type 'escputil -l' for details.
-
-Cleaning heads...
- ]]>
- </programlisting>
- <para>
- Nothing will be printed on the paper. The printer will make
-some noise as it cleans the print head. Wait until the printer is
-finished cleaning the print head. Afterwards, execute another nozzle
-check and insure that the print head is indeed completely clean. Note
-that the process of cleaning the print head causes ink consumption, so
-do not clean the print head any more than necessary.
- </para>
- <para>
-For severely clogged nozzles, one may have to execute two or three cycles
-of nozzle check followed by a cleaning of the print head. If the
-printer had gone unused for a long time, the nozzles may be so clogged
-with dried ink as to be unrecoverable, in which case, the best course
-of action is to replace the ink cartridge.
- </para>
- </sect2>
-
- <sect2><title>Align the Print Head</title>
- <para>
- To insure the highest quality printouts, the print head must
-be in proper physical alignment. One can check and realign the print
-head by running this interactive alignment test.
- </para>
- <para>
-The <emphasis>escputil</emphasis> utility must know the exact printer model in
-use. One may specify the model on the command line using the "-m"
-switch, or the utility can detect the printer model if the user passes
-the "-r" switch and the name of the raw printer device.
- </para>
- <para>
-Note that an unprivileged user may use this command with the "-m" switch, but that
-(in general) the root user may only use the "-r" switch (which
-requires read/write access to the raw printer device). In the case of
-multiple printers in use, the "-P" switch is required to align the
-print head on the non-default printer.
- </para>
-
- <caution>
- <title>Caution</title>
- <para>
-This utility lets you align the print head of your Epson Stylus inkjet
-printer. Misuse of this utility may cause your print quality to degrade
-and possibly damage your printer. This utility has not been reviewed by
-Seiko Epson for correctness, and is offered with no warranty at all. The
-entire risk of using this utility lies with you.
- </para>
- </caution>
-
- <para>
- Aligning the print head is an interactive process. The utility
-will print out a set of instructions and ask you for responses. Please
-read the instructions carefully and follow them precisely. A single
-sheet of paper will be needed (one can print on both sides to save paper).
- </para>
- <para>
-The following example illustrates the alignment process when issued by an
-unprivileged user who specified the printer model on the command
-line. (To obtain a list of printer models, issue the "escputil -M"
-command). Of course, your responses will vary and should be
-substituted for the responses shown in the following example.
- </para>
- <programlisting>
- <![ CDATA [
-
-*** NOTE - 870 is an illustrative example! ***
-*** You MUST use the proper printer model! ***
-*** Run: escputil -M for a listing of ***
-*** supported printer models! ***
-
-linuxpc> escputil -a -m 870
-Escputil version 4.3.0, Copyright (C) 2000-2001 Robert Krawitz
-Escputil comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details type
-'escputil -l'
-This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
-under certain conditions; type 'escputil -l' for details.
-
-Please read these instructions very carefully before proceeding.
-
-This utility lets you align the print head of your Epson Stylus
-inkjet printer. Misuse of this utility may cause your print
-quality to degrade and possibly damage your printer. This utility
-has not been reviewed by Seiko Epson for correctness, and is
-offered with no warranty at all. The entire risk of using this
-utility lies with you.
-
-This utility prints 3 test patterns. Each pattern looks very
-similar. The patterns consist of a series of pairs of vertical
-lines that overlap. Below each pair of lines is a number between
-1 and 15.
-
-When you inspect the pairs of lines, you should find the pair
-of lines that is best in alignment, that is, that best forms
-a single vertical line. Inspect the pairs very carefully to
-find the best match. Using a loupe or magnifying glass is
-recommended for the most critical inspection. It is also
-suggested that you use a good quality paper for the test, so
-that the lines are well-formed and do not spread through the
-paper. After picking the number matching the best pair, place
-the paper back in the paper input tray before typing it in.
-
-Each pattern is similar, but later patterns use finer dots for
-more critical alignment. You must run all of the passes to
-correctly align your printer. After running all the alignment
-passes, the alignment patterns will be printed once more. You
-should find that the middle-most pair (#8 out of the 15) is the
-best for all patterns.
-
-After the passes are printed once more, you will be offered the
-choices of (s)aving the result in the printer, (r)epeating the
-process, or (q)uitting without saving. Quitting will not restore
-the previous settings, but powering the printer off and back
-on will. If you quit, you must repeat the entire process if
-you wish to later save the results. It is essential that you
-not turn your printer off during this procedure.
-
-This procedure assumes that your printer is an Epson Stylus Photo
-870. If this is not your printer model, please type control-C now
-and choose your actual printer model.
-
-Please place a sheet of paper in your printer to begin the head
-alignment procedure.
-Press enter to continue >
-Please inspect the print, and choose the best pair of lines in
-each pattern. Type a pair number, '?' for help, or 'r' to repeat
-the procedure.
-Pass #1> 8
-Pass #2> 8
-Pass #3> 8
-Attempting to set alignment...succeeded.
-Please verify that the alignment is correct. After the alignment
-pattern is printed again, please ensure that the best pattern
-for each line is pattern 8. If it is not, you should repeat the
-process to get the best quality printing.
-Please insert a fresh sheet of paper.
-Press enter to continue >
-Please inspect the final output very carefully to ensure that your
-printer is in proper alignment. You may now:
- (s)ave the results in the printer,
- (q)uit without saving the results, or
- (r)epeat the entire process from the beginning.
-You will then be asked to confirm your choice.
-What do you want to do (s, q, r)?
-> s
-This will permanently alter the configuration of your printer.
-WARNING: this procedure has not been approved by Seiko Epson,
-and it may damage your printer. Proceed?
-Please confirm by typing 's' again that you wish to save the
-settings to your printer:
-> s
-About to save settings...succeeded!
-Your alignment settings have been saved to the printer.
- ]]>
- </programlisting>
- <para>
- The following example shows what will happen if an unprivileged
-user attempts to align the print head by specifying the raw printer
-device on the command line.
- </para>
-
- <programlisting>
- <![ CDATA [
-linuxpc> escputil -a -r /dev/usb/lp0
-Escputil version 4.2.0, Copyright (C) 2000-2001 Robert Krawitz
-Escputil comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details type
-'escputil -l'
-This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
-under certain conditions; type 'escputil -l' for details.
-
-Attempting to detect printer model...
-Cannot open /dev/usb/lp0 read/write: Permission denied
- ]]>
- </programlisting>
-
- <para>
- This next example illustrates the results obtained when the root
-user issues an alignment command while specifying the raw printer
-device. Note that the output is truncated and only shows the printer
-detection output.
- </para>
-
- <programlisting>
- <![ CDATA [
-# escputil -a -r /dev/usb/lp0
-Escputil version 4.3.0, Copyright (C) 2000-2001 Robert Krawitz
-Escputil comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details type
-'escputil -l'
-This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
-under certain conditions; type 'escputil -l' for details.
-
-Attempting to detect printer model...Stylus Photo 870
-
-Please read these instructions very carefully before proceeding.
- ]]>
- </programlisting>
-
- </sect2>
-
- <sect2><title>Printer Identification</title>
- <para>
- The printer identification command will query the printer for
-make and model information. This command requires read/write access
-to the raw printer device (generally limited to the root user).
-Substitute your own raw printer device in place of the /dev/usb/lp0
-shown in the example. The output will vary depending on the precise
-printer model.
- </para>
-
- <programlisting>
- <![ CDATA [
-# escputil -d -r /dev/usb/lp0
-Escputil version 4.3.0, Copyright (C) 2000-2001 Robert Krawitz
-Escputil comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details type
-'escputil -l'
-This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
-under certain conditions; type 'escputil -l' for details.
-
-@EJL ID
-MFG:EPSON;CMD:ESCPL2,BDC;MDL:Stylus Photo 870;CLS:PRINTER;DES:
-EPSON Stylus Photo 870;
- ]]>
- </programlisting>
-
- </sect2>
-
- <sect2><title>More Information</title>
- <para>
- For more detailed information about the command line switches
-accepted by the <emphasis>escputil</emphasis> utility, please consult
-the man page which is supplied with the Gutenprint software. The user
-may also issue the "escputil --help" command to get a listing of supported
-command line switches. The command requires no special privileges to execute.
- </para>
-
- </sect2>
-
- </sect1>
-
- </chapter>