# Brother ptouch QL-550 Label printer is not working

## arnelj

Hi,

I try to set up a Brother QL-550 printer using CUPS and foomatic-filters and a driver from http://www.diku.dk/~panic/P-touch/.

After install I can see my printer but I can't get any output.

I have set up CUPS with a HP Photosmart P1000 printer and that one works perfectly.

I can get the QL-550 printer to work on 32-bit gentoo by using Brothers own driver from http://solutions.brother.com/bsc_ph/os/linux/linux_ql500550.html but this solution does not work with 64-bit gentoo.

So I have to figure out how to make CUPS and foomatic to work.

When I try to print the test page at the localhost:631 webpage I get this error: "/usr/libexec/cups/filter/foomatic-rip failed".

I have looked at /var/log/cups/error_log with LogLevel debug, but I have not find any useful information

I have this ppd file: /etc/cups/ppd/LabelPrinter.ppd

More information:

Description: QL-550

Location: 

Make and Model: Brother QL-550 Foomatic/ptouch (recommended)

Printer State: idle, accepting jobs, published. 

Device URI: usb://Brother/QL-550

I have also tested this setup:

Description: Brother QL-550

Location: Local Printer

Make and Model: Brother QL-550 Foomatic/ptouch (recommended)

Printer State: idle, accepting jobs, published. 

Device URI: file:/dev/usb/lp0

Here is some info from the LabelPrinter.ppd file

*FormatVersion:	"4.3"

*FileVersion:	"1.1"

*LanguageVersion: English 

*LanguageEncoding: ISOLatin1

*PCFileName:	"BRQ550PT.PPD"

*Manufacturer:	"Brother"

*Product:	"(QL-550)"

*cupsVersion:	1.0

*cupsManualCopies: True

*cupsModelNumber:  2

*cupsFilter:	"application/vnd.cups-postscript 0 foomatic-rip"

*%pprRIP:        foomatic-rip other

*ModelName:     "Brother QL-550"

*ShortNickName: "Brother QL-550 ptouch"

*NickName:      "Brother QL-550 Foomatic/ptouch (recommended)"

Here is some info about mu computer:

CPU: Intel Core 2 duo 1.66GHz

kernel: 64-bit 2.6.19-gentoo-r2

CUPS: 1.2.6

I need some guidance of how to troubleshoot this!

Thanks in advance

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## arnelj

Hi,

I have made some progress, by replacing the line "DeviceURI: usb://Brother/QL-550" with 

"DeviceURI file:/dev/usb/lp0" in file  /etc/cups/printers.conf and adding three soft links I was able to print.

The links are:

ln -s /usr/local/lib64/cups/filter/rastertoptch /usr/lib64/ppr/lib

ln -s /usr/local/lib64/cups/filter/rastertoptch /usr/lib64/ppr/interfaces

ln -s /usr/local/lib64/cups/filter/rastertoptch /usr/libexec/cups/filter

Next problem is that the automatic cutter do cut the labels 7mm to late.

I have made a error report to the author of the ptouch driver.

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## arnelj

Hi,

I think I have found a solution for the paper feed problem.

The manufacture of the printer, Brother says that the printer have 300 dpi resolution, but that is only true in one direction. The real resolution is 300x275 dpi.

By changing one row in the by cups generated .ppd file the printer will work as it should.

Change

*FoomaticRIPOptionSetting Resolution=300dpi: " -r300x300" to.

*FoomaticRIPOptionSetting Resolution=300dpi: " -r300x275".

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## arnelj

Here comes a simple guide for installing an Brother QL-550 label printer

#Install cups with foomatic filters

emerge foomatic-filters

#Install ptouch-driver-1.2

wget http://www.diku.dk/~panic/P-touch/ptouch-driver-1.2.tar.gz

tar zxf ptouch-driver-*.tar.gz

cd ptouch-driver-*

./configure

make

make install

#make a soft link to rastertoptch in /usr/bin:

ln -s /usr/local/lib64/cups/filter/rastertoptch /usr/bin/rastertoptch

#Now some actions to allow remote access to cups:

#add this text to /etc/cups/cupsd.conf. (My network as at 192.168.1.*)

```
DefaultEncryption IfRequested

# Allow remote access

Port 631

# Restrict access to the server...

<Location />

  Order allow,deny

  Allow localhost

  Allow 192.168.1.*

</Location>

# Restrict access to the admin pages...

<Location /admin>

  Encryption Required

  Order allow,deny

  Allow localhost

  Allow 192.168.1.*

</Location>
```

#execute this command to allow external access of cups via webinterface. (encrypted)

openssl req -new -x509 -keyout /etc/cups/ssl/server.key -out /etc/cups/ssl/server.crt -days 365 -nodes

#Start cupsd with commad:

/etc/init.d/cupsd start

#Go to localhost:631, 

#Go to Administration and add the QL-550 printer. ("Add Printer") and then mark these boxes:

    Show printers shared by other systems

    Share published printers connected to this system

    Allow remote administration

#Go to Printers, "Set Printer Options" and select the used labels

#Change the printer resolution in /etc/cups/ppd/*.ppd. (located at row 156)

*FoomaticRIPOptionSetting Resolution=300dpi: " -r300x275"

#Restart cupsd and these setting will take effect

/etc/init.d/cupsd restart

Now the printer is ready for use!

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