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Setting Up StarOffice Printers


StarOffice uses the standard Linux printing system to print your documents. However, StarOffice also enables you to set up different printer drivers to take advantage of additional printer features.

Note - All the printers that StarOffice supports natively are PostScript printers. If you need to use a non-PostScript printer, configure your Linux system to use a filter program such as GhostScript.


If you have printing already set up on your Linux system, you can begin using StarOffice and print documents without using the steps in this section. Using more advanced features of your printer, such as changing paper trays or duplex printing mode, can all be done using the Printer Setup utility described here.

Using the Printer Setup Utility

Use the Printer Setup utility to select a default printer, configure it, and work with the printer fonts. You can start this utility by double-clicking on the Printer Setup icon on your StarOffice desktop. (See Figure 4.18.)

You can also run this program by starting the psetup program from a graphical command line. The psetup utility is located in the same directory as the main StarOffice program.

Tip - If you installed StarOffice using the Network/Workstation installation method, you might not be able to alter the printer setup; however, you can review it using the Printer Setup icon.


Figure 4.18
Double-click on the Printer Setup icon on the desktop to begin configuring StarOffice printers.

When you start the Printer Setup program, the Printer Installation dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 4.19.

Figure 4.19
You can select and configure printers using the Printer Setup utility.

By default, a single Generic PostScript printer is selected for use on the default Linux printer queue. Learning all about Linux printing is a huge task, so just take a look at how to use the key features of this dialog box to set up printers for StarOffice.

Adding Another Printer Type

To add a printer from the list of existing printers (for which StarOffice has some driver support), double-click on the printer name in the Existing printer drivers list. That printer is moved to the Installed printers list, where it can be configured for use.

Setting the Default Printer

The default printer is the one to which StarOffice automatically prints when you print any document.

To make one of the installed printers the Default printer, select that printer in the Installed printers list by clicking on it. Then choose the Default Printer button under the Installed printers list.

Changing the Print Queue Used by a Printer

A print queue is a named location where files that are to be printed are placed. You might find it useful to set up multiple print queues if you have a printer with regular and letterhead paper, or if several users are sharing a printer and you want to keep their print jobs separate.

Any printer can be connected to any print queue. If printer A is connected to print queue B, when a user prints a file to print queue B, the physical device printer A (and its associated printer driver) are used to print the file.

To set the print queue for any installed printer, follow these steps:

1. Select a printer from the Installed printers list by clicking on it.

2. Choose the Connect button. The dialog box in Figure 4.20 appears.

3. Select an existing print queue from the list shown by clicking on it.

4. Choose OK to connect this installed printer to the selected print queue.

The default name for the Linux print queue (which is used by default on the generic printer that is automatically installed) is lpr. You'll see a definition for a print queue called lpr when you view the Connect dialog box. All the print queue definitions are taken from your Linux printing configuration file (usually /etc/printcap).

Figure 4.20
From the Connect dialog box, select the print queue that an installed printer services.

Configuring a Printer

You can set configuration information for any installed printer. Just follow these steps:

1. Select the printer that you want to configure by clicking on its name in the Installed printer list.

2. Choose the Configure button. The dialog box in Figure 4.21 appears.

3. Select the settings that you want as the default for all documents printed to this printer and print queue.

Tip - These settings can be overridden for any document using features on the StarOffice menus. If you set the defaults that you prefer here, however, you don't have t../style/blstrbkg.gif every document you create.


Unfortunately, StarOffice doesn't use standard PostScript printer definition files. The options available with ../style/blstrbkg.gif printers are very limited.

that arindex.htm by the printer. To view and edit the font information, select../style/dot.gifom the Installed printer list andbkindex.htm Edit Font Attributes button or the Add Fonts button.

Figure 4.21
The Configure dialog ../style/dot.gifto define default settings for every document printed to the selected printer.

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