How to send line feed to printer? <SOLVED>

[dcung]

In Windows, I used to regularly send 'nozzle check' pattern to my printer.
I keep the file that Epson maintenance software created - i.e. I grab it from Windows spooler.
It's only a 139 bytes file, that print this.

nozzle-check-1.png (54.32 KiB) Viewed 389 times

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So that I don't waste too much papers, I just have batch file that send line feed in between the nozzle pattern - and printed many repeatedly - filling the page.

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copy /b "Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL"  lpt1
echo. > lpt1
echo. > lpt1
echo. > lpt1
echo. > lpt1
echo. > lpt1
echo. > lpt1
echo. > lpt1
echo. > lpt1
copy /b "Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL"  lpt1
echo. > lpt1
echo. > lpt1
echo. > lpt1
echo. > lpt1
echo. > lpt1
echo. > lpt1
echo. > lpt1
echo. > lpt1
copy /b "Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL"  lpt1
... and so on...

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In linux, I tested that I can do equivalent of copy /b "Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL" lpt1 with this command

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lp Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL -d my-printer-name

I haven't figured out how to send line feed ( and I guess Form Feed afterward).
How do I do that?

[rcrsn51]

Using PeasyGlue, make a grid of the image and save it as a single file. Then print that file.

[dcung]

Using PeasyGlue, make a grid of the image and save it as a single file. Then print that file.

I don't know the validity of this (?).
I was led to believe that using the file will force all 255 nozzles of each color to be used. Since it is the same 'command' as if I use the printer panel to do maintenance.

Creating such image does not 'guarantee' such case. Otherwise, I would have done it.
FYI the image is something 'similar' I grab from the net. Not the actual pattern produced by my printer - ( which I could scan if I wanted to make exact pattern, but I don't).

So my preference is using the file I grabbed from (Windows) print spooler and line feed.
i.e. the exact command for this particular printer - from Epson directly.

[rcrsn51]

Then how about making a text file with some blank lines and sending that to the printer? Or would that generate separate pages?

Can you open Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL in a text editor? I am surprised that CUPS would print it directly.

Regarding the linefeeds, you can try: echo -e "\n\n\n\n\n" > /dev/usb/lp0

[dcung]

I have been wanting to 'improve' the way I did the maintenance, but as always 'laziness' gets in the way. I am thinking of doing something now.

I 'over-simplified' when I described my maintenance method above.
The Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL, prints the pattern and form-feed.
So, I have batch files print few blanks lines to advance the position and print the Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL again - reusing the same page.

So, it's sort of what you suggested.

I hardly use the printer (like most people, I guess), but prefer to have one.
This is how I keep the printer heads from clogging, by ensuring all nozzles are used (regularly) with minimal paper & ink wastage.

Back in the old days, I would have used Norton utilities to remove the form-feed from Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL binary file, replacing it with line-feed and then just print the modified file few times into a file to print a page full of the pattern.

I don't know how to do so in linux (yet). And I'm to lazy to dig the old Norton-Utils in Windows.
And I have 'migrated' to linux world 'full-time' anyway...
I guess there must be a (similar) binary editor in linux. I'm still learning/looking.
What's a good binary editor in linux?

Here is the nozzlecheck.SPL (remove fake gz)

Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL.gz

(139 Bytes) Downloaded 3 times

[rcrsn51]

You could also try: cat Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL > /dev/usb/lp0

[dcung]

You could also try: cat Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL > /dev/usb/lp0

I actually have came across and tested

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cat Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL > /dev/lp0
cat Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL > /dev/usb/lp0

didn't work. I thought they wouldn't.
I suppose they would work if I connect the printer to USB (or LPT1), but it's on the network (lpd://x.x.x.x:515/PASSTHRU).
What I didn't say was that, in Windows, I mapped my lpt1 to the printer network name.
Hence I could use > lpt1 in Windows.

[rcrsn51]

but it's on the network (lpd://x.x.x.x:515/PASSTHRU).

Try: cat Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL | busybox nc x.x.x.x 515
Or maybe: cat Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL | busybox nc x.x.x.x 9100

[dcung]

Or maybe: cat Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL | busybox nc x.x.x.x 9100

This works.
So same as lp Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL -d my-printer-name
[Edit] Why 9100 works and 515 doesn't. What's the difference?

But now I can do

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cat Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL | busybox nc x.x.x.x 9100
echo -e "\n\n\n\n\n" | busybox nc x.x.x.x 9100

like my old 'dumb' way in Windows.

[rcrsn51]

Does that end with a formfeed?

[dcung]

Does that end with a formfeed?

Yes

I need to figure out removing formfeed from Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL content.

[rcrsn51]

Maybe: cat Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL | tr -d "\f" | busybox nc x.x.x.x 9100

[dcung]

Maybe: cat Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL | tr -d "\f" | busybox nc x.x.x.x 9100

Wow..you're a God sent Bill!

I just tried this
cat Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL | tr "\f" "\n" | busybox nc x.x.x.x 9100
and...no form feed.

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cat Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL | tr "\f" "\n" |  busybox nc x.x.x.x 9100
echo -e "\n\n" | busybox nc x.x.x.x 9100

I think you just solved my problem...!! Thanks!

Meanwhile, I have been removing characters blindly from Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL with GHEX...to no avail!

2025-03-14-053401_922x423_scrot.png (77.44 KiB) Viewed 217 times

[rcrsn51]

Excellent. So after repeating that pair of lines, you could end with:
echo -e "\f" | busybox nc x.x.x.x 9100
and get a page eject?

[dcung]

Excellent. So after repeating that pair of lines, you could end with:
echo -e "\f" | busybox nc x.x.x.x 9100
and get a page eject?

I ended up doing

5x
cat Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL | tr "\f" "\n" | busybox nc x.x.x.x 9100

And the page eject by itself. - ie. page full
Bonus!

So I get 5 sets of pattern per page.
Be nice if I could remove (5 sets) Serial No, etc text, but I guess that's embedded in the native printer command.
And fit more pattern per page.
No such info (text) in Epson-nozzlecheck.SPL, but this is already more than I thought possible...