Printing from Inkscape (X11)

Hi
I am not sure if you will see this, but there was no email listed in your profile. I just had the same problem (not being able to print from Inkscape). Did you ever get a good answer? I ended up using David Astling's svg2key script to convert svg into .key files then printed from keynote (I had to import bitmaps manually). I have some other ideas, but I did not want to re-invent the wheel if you already had a good answer.
thanks
robin

There are two options for printing from Inkscape.

The first option is to save your file in .EPS format then print the typical way from Preview. When saving from Inkscape be sure to select the "convert text to paths" option in the dialog box. This solves some compatibility problems with fonts and special symbols.

The other option requires some effort but allows you to print from Inkscape directly. Inkscape (at least for version 0.42), prints via the normal Unix commands (i.e. lpr). When you choose Print from Inkscape a dialog box opens giving you many options. First select "Print using PostScript operators" to get the most from your vector graphics. Next type the unix command "lpr -P <printer name>" in the text box and click print. I was successful in printing to a USB inkjet printer and to a IP networked lazerjet printer.

The trick to this second option is discovering which <printer name> to use. I went about this using the "Printer Setup Utility" application (found under /Applications/Utilities). Select the printer you want to use and select "Show Info". Use the "Queue Name" in place of the <printer name>. For example, my USB printer has a queue name of "photosmart 7600series", so to print from Inkscape I would type "lpr -P photosmart 7600series" in the dialog box.

Alternatively, you can get a list of available printers via the CUPS printing system: http://localhost:631/printers

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For the more curious, here are a few useful commands for managing print jobs from the command-line:

To print a file from the command line, type:

lpr -P <printer name> filename.eps

You can check the print queue by typing:

lpq -P <printer name>

You can use the lprm command to remove a print job from the queue by specifying the job number. It's often useful when used in conjunction with the lpq command. For example:

[MacintoshHD:~] david% lpq -P photosmart7600series
photosmart7600series is ready and printing
Rank Owner Job File(s) Total Size
active david 28 file1.eps 49152 bytes
1st david 29 file2.eps 49152 bytes
2nd david 30 file3.eps 49152 bytes
[MacintoshHD:~] david% lprm 29
[MacintoshHD:~] david% lpq -P photosmart7600series
photosmart7600series is ready and printing
Rank Owner Job File(s) Total Size
active david 28 file1.eps 49152 bytes
1st david 30 file3.eps 49152 bytes

To get a list of available printers type:

lpstat -a

Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.3.9)