Printing a BIG5 File to an Epson Dot Matrix Printer

Traditional Chinese Solaris software provides a configuration file that defines for zh_TW.BIG5 files the built-in fonts in the Epson dot matrix printers. Modify the configuration file according to your printing equipment before using it. The contents of the /usr/lib/lp/files/big5.epson.conf configuration file can be as follows:

# @(#)big5.epson.conf	1.6 96/05/06 SMI; ALE
#
# Big5 Print Filter Configuration File for Epson Dot Matrix Printers
#

ACCEPT CODE RANGE:
	PLANE 1:
		0xA140 - 0xA3E0
		0xA440 - 0xC6A1
		0xC940 - 0xF9D5

FONT FILES:
	PLANE 1:
		/usr/openwin/lib/locale/zh_TW.BIG5/X11/fonts/75dpi/mingL1B5-24.pcf.Z

You can use an lpfilter command line such as the following to print files of a format that is not supported by the printer.

# lpfilter -f filter-name -F filename

The above command tells LP that a converter called filter-name is available through the filter description file named filename.

The following is an example of a filter description file called big5.epson.fd for a an Epson dot matrix printer that references a converted called big5.epson.filter.

Input types: simple
Output types: BIG5
Command: big5.epson.filter

This filter takes the default type file input and converts it to a dot matrix data stream by using the big5.epson.filter.

For example, the following command sequence installs the printer lp2 on the bidirectional parallel port /dev/bpp0. The commands also tell the LP printer service that printer lp2 accepts only zh_TW.BIG5 format files. See the lpadmin(1M) man page for more information.

# lpadmin -p lp2 -v /dev/bpp0 -I BIG5
# accept lp2
# enable lp2

To print a file that contains Chinese characters in zh_TW.BIG5 format to an Epson dot-matrix printer, use the following command:

system% lp -d lp2 BIG5-filename