Re: configuring zathura's print preview

[Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk>]

On Sun 09 Jul 2023 at 10:42:52 -0700, Paul Scott wrote:
 
> On 7/9/23 4:40 AM, Brian wrote:

[...]
 
> > The file displayed by zathura is not the file that is sent to the printing
> > system. The latter can be viewed by using Print to File.
> > 
> > The print dialog converts your PDF to a new PDF with Cairo Graphics. Scaling
> > is also done by Cairo Graphics. CUPS is not involved.
> 
> That's good to know and seems somewhat illogical!  Would it be reasonable to
> ask if you know why?

Zathura uses the GTK print dialog, as do many other applications. GTK has
to deal with a variety of file formats that the application can dispay.

Let's take firefox. It can display html files. Sending an html file to
the printing system is a recipe for disappointment (usually). CUPS is
unable to process and render it as displayed. GTK produces a PDF of the
page. CUPS is happy.

The same comment also applies to PNG files.

> Pdffonts does indeed tell me that there are illegal characters in the PDF
> created by Print to File.
> 
> Now that I know that the paper size is correct I see that "lp" prints my
> file perfectly.

The fonts are embedded in the original PDF. CUPS prints what it is given.

> If the file were not the correct size I would have liked to use the scaling
> and page choices in the print dialog.
> 
> Does
> 
> lp -o "letter"
> 
> scale the document?

This is an option unknown to CUPS. It will be ignored.

-- 
Brian.