This section applies only on non-Windows platforms when running the Motif IDE.
You can configure your LispWorks image for your printer, by selecting File > Printer Setup from any tool with printing capacities, for example the editor, and choosing Add Printer.
When configuring a printer, the CAPI printing library prompts for a PostScript Printer Description file (PPD), which defines such things as the paper size and the printable area of the page, in the form of a standard PostScript language header. The printing code splices this file into the PostScript produced from submitting a CAPI printing request.
The library on the LispWorks CD contains a generic PPD file, called generic.ppd, that defines these values conservatively to ensure that it should work with most printers. For accurate results, you should use the PPD supplied with your printer.
The PPD files are placed in the ppd subdirectory of the postscript directory in the lispworks library directory. Files added to the ppd directory are expected to have the extension ".ppd".
A PPD file contains a description of the attributes and capabilities of a given printer, such as paper sizes supported, the printable area of the page, the number and names of input paper trays, optional features such as additional paper trays or duplex units, and so on, together with the printer-specific PostScript language commands necessary to use the features.
The file generic.ppd defines a simple generic printer supporting A4, A3, US letter, and US legal paper sizes, and supporting manual feed. It defines conservative margins (1 inch all round), and the documents generated should be compatible with most PostScript printers. It is suitable for producing PostScript files when the destination printer is unknown, and may also be used if the appropriate PPD for the printer is not available.
However, for the best results, we recommend the use of the appropriate PPD for the printer. This allows you to specify which optional features (if any) have been installed on the printer, and ensures that the Print dialog provides access to appropriate printer capabilities such as multiple input trays and duplex printing. This also ensures that the CAPI uses the correct values for the printable areas of the page.
LispWorks® User Guide and Reference Manual - 01 Dec 2021 19:30:20