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.pdf

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liwiral553
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PostScript Printer Description - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/PostScript_Printer_Description

PostScript Printer Description


(Redirected from Printer description file)
PostScript Printer Description (PPD) files are
PostScript Printer Description
created by vendors to describe the entire set of
features and capabilities available for their Filename .ppd
extension
PostScript printers.
Internet text/plain,
A PPD also contains the PostScript code (commands) media type application/vnd.cups‐
used to invoke features for the print job. As such, ppd
PPDs function as drivers for all PostScript printers, Magic number *PPD-Adobe
by providing a unified interface for the printer's Developed by Adobe Systems
capabilities and features. For example, a generic PPD
file for all models of HP Color LaserJet contains:

*% =================================
*% Basic Device Capabilities
*% =================================
*LanguageLevel: "2"
*ColorDevice: True
*DefaultColorSpace: CMYK
*TTRasterizer: Type42
*FileSystem: False
*Throughput: "10"

which specifies that the printer understands PostScript Level 2, is a color device, and so forth. The
PPD can describe allowable paper sizes, memory configurations, the minimum font set for the
printer, and even specify a tree-based user interface for printer-specific configuration.

A PPD is also often called PostScript Page Description instead of Printer Description, this is
because PostScript has the concept of Page Devices where the PostScript page description
configuration is read from or saved as a PPD file.[1]

CUPS
CUPS uses PPD drivers for all of its PostScript printers, and has even extended the concept to allow
for PostScript printing to non-PostScript printing devices, by directing output through a CUPS
filter. Such a file is no longer a standard PPD, but rather a "CUPS-PPD". CUPS clients usually read
the current PPD file from the server every time a new print job is created. It is located in /usr/
share/ppd/ or /usr/share/cups/model/.

/usr/share/ppd

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PostScript Printer Description - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PostScript_Printer_Description

├── cupsfilters
│ ├── Fuji_Xerox‐DocuPrint_CM305_df‐PDF.ppd
│ ├── Generic‐PDF_Printer‐PDF.ppd
│ ├── HP‐Color_LaserJet_CM3530_MFP‐PDF.ppd
│ ├── pxlcolor.ppd
│ ├── pxlmono.ppd
│ └── Ricoh‐PDF_Printer‐PDF.ppd
├── cups‐pdf
│ ├── CUPS‐PDF_noopt.ppd
│ └── CUPS‐PDF_opt.ppd
└── custom

Windows
Microsoft Windows also uses PPD files but converts these to a binary .BPD file format before using
them. These, both PPD and BPD, are normally stored in %WINDIR%
\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3 on an x86 system, or %WINDIR%
\System32\spool\drivers\x64\3 on a 64 bit system.

Updating a PPD file requires four steps:

1. stop the spooling service;


2. edit the existing PPD file in place or replace it by an updated version;
3. remove the old BPD file;
4. restart the spooling service.
This will automatically generate a new BPD from the updated PPD.

MIME type
The MIME type for the CUPS variant of PPD is application/vnd.cups-ppd.[2]

References
1. PostScript Language Reference Manual Chapter 6.1 Using Page Devices page 393.
2. IANA: https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/application/vnd.cups-ppd

External links
Adobe PostScript Language Specifications (https://web.archive.org/web/20160901200541/htt
p://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/ps/index_specs.html)
Adobe Tech Note 5003: PostScript Printer Description (PPD) File Format Specification,
hosted on MIT (https://web.mit.edu/PostScript/Adobe/Documents/5003.PPD_Spec_v4.3.pd
f)
Adobe Tech Note 5645: Update to PPD Specification Version 4.3, hosted on MIT (https://we

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PostScript Printer Description - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PostScript_Printer_Description

b.mit.edu/PostScript/Adobe/Documents/5645.PPD_Update.pdf)

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