LPR(1) General Commands Manual LPR(1)
NAME
lpr - off line print
SYNOPSIS
lpr [ -Pprinter ] [ -Ttype ] [ -single ] [ -tumble ] [ -transparency ]
[ -paper ] [ -staple ] [ -A3 ] [ -A2 ] [ -A1 ] [ -A0 ] [ -M ] [ -b ] [
-d ] [ -l ] [ -n ] [ -pnum ] [ -cnum ] [ -inum ] [ -mnum ] [ -tnum ] [
-hname ] [ -r ] [ -ooption_string ] [ -#num_copies ] [ -Hservername ] [
file... ]
DESCRIPTION
Lpr as installed on most CL machines is a wrapper to the underlying
version of CUPS lpr. It is used because the CUPS lpr options are some-
what confusing. The underlying CUPS lpr uses a spooling daemon to print
the named files when facilities become available. If no names appear,
the standard input is assumed.
Lpr accepts the following options:
-Pprinter Print on the specified printer. If this option is not
given, the printer is specified by the contents of the
PRINTER environment variable. If there is no PRINTER
environment variable set, the site's default printer is
used.
-Ttype Specify document type (e.g. text, ps, dvi, ...). This
allows the printer driver to determine how the file
should be printed. If this option is not given the
driver will attempt to guess at the filetype. It will
invariably get it right, so use of this option is depre-
cated.
-#copies Specify the number of copies to be printed. Default is
one.
-hheader Specify a title to be used on the banner page (if any).
Default title is the name of the file.
-r Remove the file after printing.
-M Manual feed. May be used for paper, transparencies or
thin card. Make sure the transparency used is suitable
for the printer otherwise it may melt or buckle. Some
sort of message will be printed on the display (varies
with printer type) indicating that paper should be fed
manually.
-p Add pr(1) style headers to each page (text only)
-n Add line numbers. (text only)
-ccols Print with cols columns on the page. (text only)
-ccolsxrows Print with cols columns across the page and rows rows
down the page. (text only)
-ilines Every page should contain only lines input lines. (text
only)
-b No banner. (text only)
-t[offset] Offset each physical line by offset characters. This
allows a margin to be set for binding. (text only)
-mlognum Print lognum pages per physical page. Normally one logi-
cal page is printed per physical page, however a range
of other formats are available which allow multiple log-
ical pages to be output on one sheet of paper. Logical
pages will be scaled accordingly and rotated (portrait
or landscape) in order to maximise the logical page
size. (type PostScript only)
-d For use with the -m option above. Do not separate multi-
ple logical pages with dividing lines. By default,
dividers are printed.(type PostScript only)
-ppagenum Print only page pagenum ( type dvi only)
-pfrompagenum:topagenum
Print a range of pages from frompagenum to topagenum (
type dvi only)
-l Print in landscape style. Normally, portrait style is
used. If using the -m option above, this will force
landscape orientation.
-ooption_string
pass the specified option string through to the underly-
ing CUPS lpr. Use with caution.
-Hservername Print using the named print server rather than the
default. This option is only useful for testing pur-
poses.
PRINTER SPECIFIC OPTIONS
Options relevant to specific printers vary. Here is the current list
of options available for different printers and file types:
Printers with duplex (double-sided) printing capability
Duplex printing will be the default option for these printers.
-single
-simplex These options are equivalent. Turn off duplex printing
(to give normal, single sided printing) on those print-
ers for which duplex is the default. Ignored on other
printers.
-tumble On printers with duplex capability, this option inverts
the reverse page (on other printers it is ignored). This
is useful if the pages to be printed are in landscape
format and the text needs to be in the same orientation
on both sides of the page, if printing a booklet, for
example.
Printers with a special input tray for non-standard paper sizes
-a3
-A3
-a2
-A2
-a1
-A1
-a0
-A0 This will suggest that e.g. the A3 paper tray is used.
Note that this is only a suggestion, if the utility
which produces the file inserts a command that tells the
printer to use A4 then A4 will be used. The A3 tray will
only be used if no other paper selection options are
made. If given an input formatted for A4 then it will be
scaled up. Note that scaling up sizes other than A4 is
not guaranteed to work.
Printers with a stapler attachment
-staple Note that this is only a suggestion, if the utility
which produces the file inserts a command that tells the
printer not to use the stapler output then this option
may be overridden.
Printers with a special input tray for transparencies
-transparency Print from the transparency tray.
-paper Print from the paper tray(s). This is the default.
EXAMPLES
Print the file foobar on the default printer with line numbers and pr
style headers:
lpr -p -n foobar
Print /etc/passwd on the printer called "elm":
lpr -Pelm /etc/passwd
SEE ALSO
lpq(1), lprm(1),
4th Berkeley Distribution LOCAL LPR(1)