Printing

Getting Started

Printing on Linux goes through CUPS, which provides two command families: System V style (lp, lpstat, cancel) and BSD style (lpr, lpq, lprm). Both talk to the same print system; use whichever you prefer. CUPS also has a web interface at http://localhost:631.

List Printers

Show available printers, the default printer, and full status.

$ lpstat -p -d

$ lpstat -t

Set the default printer.

$ lpoptions -d [printerName]

Print a file

Print to the default printer, or pick one explicitly: lp uses -d (destination), lpr uses -P.

$ lp [file]

$ lp -d [printerName] [file]

$ lpr [file]

$ lpr -P [printerName] [file]

Anything can be piped to the printer, and pr paginates plain text nicely first.

$ echo "Hello" | lp

$ pr -l60 [file] | lpr

Print Options

-n sets the number of copies; -o passes printer options.

$ lp -n 3 [file]

$ lp -o sides=two-sided-long-edge [file]

$ lp -o page-ranges=1-4,7 [file]

$ lp -o landscape -o fit-to-page [image.png]

Option	Description
sides=two-sided-long-edge	Duplex printing (long edge binding)
page-ranges=1-4,7	Print only these pages
number-up=2	Multiple pages per sheet
landscape	Rotate output 90 degrees
fit-to-page	Scale to fit the paper

View the Print Queue

$ lpq

$ lpstat -o

Cancel Print Jobs

Cancel a specific job by ID (shown by lpq or lpstat -o), your most recent job, or everything.

$ cancel [jobID]

$ cancel -a [printerName]

$ lprm [jobID]

$ lprm -

lprm - removes all of your own jobs. Cancelling other users' jobs requires root.

Manage Printers

Stop and start a printer's output, for example to clear a paper jam without losing queued jobs.

$ cupsdisable [printerName]

$ cupsenable [printerName]

Add a printer or list available drivers and connections with CUPS admin tools (root required).

$ lpinfo -v

$ lpadmin -p [printerName] -E -v ipp://[host]/ipp/print -m everywhere

Most modern network printers support driverless printing (IPP Everywhere), which is what -m everywhere sets up.