Better Printing with Gutenprint 5.2.1
The Gutenprint project develops filters for the Common UNIX Printing System (CUPS) to operate with a range of commercial printers. Gutenprint 5.2.1 is now available with numerous changes and improvements.
As can be seen in the release notes, Gutenprint 5.2.1 supports hundreds of new printers, including a huge list of b&w laser printers and tons of Epson inkjet printers (many in the Stylus series), alongside improved support of the PIXMA models from Canon. (Meanwhile, Canon itself is also supplying drivers for Linux.)
The current release requires GIMP 2.0 (2.2 recommended) for the Print plugin, and dropped support for Mac OS X 10.2 in favor of 10.3. Users who created profiles in Gutenprint 5.1 should recreate them in 5.2. Under the covers, the generic PostScript driver was brought closer to functionality of the native printer drivers, with all PPD file options now supported and the CMYK input handled correctly. Moreover, the PostScript driver now recognizes Gutenprint PPD files.
Not least of all Gutenprint 5.2 offers additional printer driver options. Quality presets were added to PCL laser printer drivers along with extended page formats. Individual resets can be made without affecting global settings. Gutenprint developers also improved PPD data localization.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.
-
Debian 13.0 Officially Released
After two years of development, the latest iteration of Debian is now available with plenty of under-the-hood improvements.
-
Upcoming Changes for MXLinux
MXLinux 25 has plenty in store to please all types of users.
-
A New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle, a Linux AI assistant, works with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.
-
Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
-
Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.