Sign cutter

[Mikkel L. Ellertson]

Dr. Michael J. Chudobiak wrote:
> Frank Cox wrote:
>> We were discussing Linux and he told me that he has a Summa D60U sign
>> cutter
>> machine (basically a plotter) and uses a program called Flexi Sign and
>> Corel
>> Draw to lay out his signs.  He asked me if there was a Linux driver
>> for his
>> sign cutter so he could do his layouts with Scribus instead.  I said I
>> would
>> check on it.
>>
>> I can find no reference to Summa-anything on
>> http://www.linuxprinting.org; does
>> anyone know anything about this sign cutter machine and its Linux
>> support?  He
>> said that the machine "speaks" HPGL.
> 
> Linux print systems (like CUPS) don't support HPGL directly.
> 
> However, if your program can generate HPGL output, you could probably
> set up a "raw" print queue so that CUPS dumps the HPGL output "as is" to
> the plotter.
> 
> Also, you might be able to save HPGL files, and dump them to a parallel
> or serial port, depending on your plotter configuration.
> 
> I think QCAD, Scribus, Inkscape, VariCAD, and others offer some level of
> HPGL support. Varicad is supposed to have plotter support built-in, but
> I haven't tried it. (Varicad is not free).
> 
> - Mike
> 
I was fairly sure CUPS had HPGL support because so many printers use
it. I found this...

>From OpenPrinting/Database/EncadFAQ

If the plotter understand HP-GL/2, then it will probably work with
the oce9050 GhostScript driver.

I believe a lot of the Laserjet drivers will also output HPGL. Also,
CUPS has an input filter for HPGL to convert it to Postscript to
feed to other print drivers.

You may also find HPGL-Distiller handy.
http://pldaniels.com/hpgl-distiller/

Mikkel
-- 

  Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
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