# [SOLVED] Print from iPad using Gentoo's PPD file

## roytheman

Hello Gentoo forums,

I have an iPhone iOS9 and an iPad iOS9 and I can print with these devices to my HP printer using a technology called Air Print from Apple with no problem using my wifi network. But the problem for me is that these two Apple devices uses their own PPD file which does not offer some settings I want, like Econo-Print.  I can print using Econo-Print using my desktop computer with Gentooo installed using CUPS but Econo-Print is not available when using these two Apple devices. In other words, when I print from an Apple device, I want to be able to use the PPD flle in Gentoo (CUPS) and not the PPD file in the Apple devices when printing from an Apple device. Is there a way to accomplish this? I've heard the Mac computer offers some programs like Handy Print that can solve my problem but I don't have a Mac. I have an IBM compatible desktop computer with Gentoo installed.

I might add I am presently using avahi (like Bonjour) in Gentoo to broadcast my printer to my Apple devices  ( http://www.productionmonkeys.net/guides/print-server/airprint ) but even that does not use the CUPs PPD file in Gentoo so I still do not have the Econo-Print option.

My question would be Is there a Linux package that is equivalent to Mac's "Handy Print" that would allow me to use my Gentoo's PPD files when printing from one of my Apple devices? If I could use Gentoo's PPD file when printing from my iPad, I'm sure Econo-Print would then be available. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

RoyLast edited by roytheman on Sun Apr 17, 2016 3:04 pm; edited 3 times in total

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## NeddySeagoon

roytheman,

Air Print does not use your PC at all. Its a protocol directly between supported devices.

You would need to change the Apple devices.  If you want to do that, you probably have to buy Apple.

To use your PC, you would need to transfer the file to be printed to the PC, then print it from there.

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## roytheman

UPDATE

I have downloaded half a dozen printing utilities on my Apple device but only one of them actually reads the PPD file in Gentoo's CUPS and the name of that app is called Print Utility version 2.9.1. I do not know how it does it but if I have Econo Print enabled in my Gentoo's CUPS web interface on my desktop computer, this app (Print Utility on my iPhone) will print in Econo Print and if I disable Econo Print in the CUPS web interface on my desktop computer, that same app will print a standard print and not Econo Print. So the Apple's Print Utility on my iPad or iPhone device actually reads the PPD file that resides on my Gentoo desktop computer, thanks to Gentoo's avahi package, which apparently  does involve my Linux desktop and is different from Apple's Air Print. Printing this way does not use Air Print but uses avahi to publish my printer to the Apple device.

Maybe this can help somebody who wants their Apple device to print using Linux's CUPS PPD file instead of the PPD file supplied with the Apple device. Of course, both Apple and Linux are always making changes in their software so I don't know how long this will last.

All the best,

Roy

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