XPR(1)

📦
version 1.2.1 · 2 versions
, in arch rolling, nixpkgs unstable

💖 NAME 💖

okay so this is xpr(1) from X Version 11, and it prints an X window dump. periodt. 🎀

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

Here's the whole invocation vibe, bestie:

xpr [-device devtype] [-scale scale]
    [-height inches] [-width inches] [-left inches] [-top inches]
    [-header string] [-trailer string] [-landscape] [-portrait]
    [-plane number] [-gray] [-rv] [-compact]
    [-output filename] [-append filename] [-noff] [-split n]
    [-papertype format] [-pheight size [units]] [-pwidth size [units]]
    [-psfig] [-density dpi] [-cutoff level] [-noposition]
    [-gamma correction] [-render algorithm] [-slide] [filename]

xpr -help|-version

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So xpr takes a window dump file made by xwd(1) and formats it for output on PostScript printers, the IBM PP3812 page printer, the HP LaserJet (or other PCL printers), or the HP PaintJet. If no file argument is given, standard input is used. By default, xpr prints the largest possible representation of the window on the output page. The options let you add headers and trailers, specify margins, adjust the scale and orientation, and append multiple window dumps to a single output file. Output is to standard output unless -output is specified. 💅

🎀 Command Options 🎀

okay bestie, here's the whole option menu — no skips, no summarizing, we're covering every single one. 🫶

  • -device devtype — picks the device on which the file will be printed. Currently supported:
    • ljet — HP LaserJet series and other monochrome PCL devices such as ThinkJet, QuietJet, RuggedWriter, HP2560 series, and HP2930 series printers
    • pjet — HP PaintJet (color mode)
    • pjetxl — HP PaintJet XL Color Graphics Printer (color mode)
    • pp — IBM PP3812
    • ps — PostScript printer

The default is PostScript. -device lw (LaserWriter) is equivalent to -device ps and is provided only for backwards compatibility.

  • -scale scale — affects the size of the window on the page. The PostScript and HP printers are able to translate each bit in a window pixel map into a grid of a specified size. For example each bit might translate into a 3x3 grid. This would be specified by -scale 3. By default a window is printed with the largest scale that will fit onto the page for the specified orientation. slay.
  • -height inches — specifies the maximum height of the page.
  • -width inches — specifies the maximum width of the page.
  • -left inches — specifies the left margin in inches. Fractions are allowed. By default the window is centered in the page.
  • -top inches — specifies the top margin for the picture in inches. Fractions are allowed.
  • -header string — specifies a header string to be printed above the window.
  • -trailer string — specifies a trailer string to be printed below the window.
  • -landscape — forces the window to be printed in landscape mode. By default a window is printed such that its longest side follows the long side of the paper.
  • -portrait — forces the window to be printed in portrait mode. By default a window is printed such that its longest side follows the long side of the paper.
  • -plane number — specifies which bit plane to use in an image. The default is to use the entire image and map values into black and white based on color intensities. 🌈
  • -gray 2 | 3 | 4 — uses a simple 2x2, 3x3, or 4x4 gray scale conversion on a color image, rather than mapping to strictly black and white. This doubles, triples, or quadruples the effective width and height of the image.
  • -rv — forces the window to be printed in reverse video.
  • -compact — uses simple run-length encoding for compact representation of windows with lots of white pixels.
  • -output filename — specifies an output file name. If this option is not specified, standard output is used.
  • -append filename — specifies a filename previously produced by xpr to which the window is to be appended.
  • -noff — when specified in conjunction with -append, the window will appear on the same page as the previous window.
  • -split n — this option allows the user to split a window onto several pages. This might be necessary for very large windows that would otherwise cause the printer to overload and print the page in an obscure manner. dramatic but real.
  • -papertype format — specifies the output paper format. Currently supported:
    • letter — letter size 8.5x11 inches
    • legal — legal size 8.5x14 inches
    • A0 — A0 size 841x1189 mm or 33.11x46.81 inches
    • A1 — A1 size 594x841 mm or 23.39x33.11 inches
    • A2 — A2 size 420x594 mm or 16.54x23.39 inches
    • A3 — A3 size 297x420 mm or 11.69x16.54 inches
    • A4 — A4 size 210x297 mm or 8.27x11.69 inches
    • A5 — A5 size 148x210 mm or 5.83x 8.27 inches
    • A6 — A6 size 105x148 mm or 4.13x 5.83 inches
    • A7 — A7 size 74x105 mm or 2.91x 4.13 inches
    • A8 — A8 size 52x74 mm or 2.05x 2.91 inches
    • A9 — A9 size 37x52 mm or 1.46x 2.05 inches
    • A10 — A10 size 26x37 mm or 1.02x 1.46 inches
    • B0 — B0 size 1000x1414 mm or 39.37x55.67
    • B1 — B1 size 707x1000 mm or 27.83x39.37 inches
    • B2 — B2 size 500x707 mm or 19.69x27.83 inches
    • B3 — B3 size 353x500 mm or 13.90x19.69 inches
    • B4 — B4 size 250x353 mm or 9.84x13.90 inches
    • B5 — B5 size 176x250 mm or 6.93x 9.84 inches
    • B6 — B6 size 125x176 mm or 4.92x 6.93 inches
    • B7 — B7 size 88x125 mm or 3.46x 4.92 inches
    • B8 — B8 size 62x88 mm or 2.44x 3.46 inches
    • B9 — B9 size 44x62 mm or 1.73x 2.44 inches
    • B10 — B10 size 31x44 mm or 1.22x 1.73 inches
    • C0 — C0 size 917x1297 mm or 36.10x51.06 inches
    • C1 — C1 size 648x917 mm or 25.51x36.10 inches
    • C2 — C2 size 458x648 mm or 18.03x25.51 inches
    • C3 — C3 size 324x458 mm or 12.76x18.03 inches
    • C4 — C4 size 229x324 mm or 9.02x12.76 inches
    • C5 — C5 size 162x229 mm or 6.38x 9.02 inches
    • C6 — C6 size 114x162 mm or 4.49x 6.38 inches
    • C7 — C7 size 81x114 mm or 3.19x 4.49 inches
    • C8 — C8 size 57x81 mm or 2.24x 3.19 inches
    • C9 — C9 size 40x57 mm or 1.57x 2.24 inches
    • C10 — C10 size 28x40 mm or 1.10x 1.57 inches
  • -pheight size [ units ] — lets you specify a specific paper height. The default units are in inches (in), but may be overridden with cm or mm for centimeters or millimeters respectively.
  • -pwidth size [ units ] — lets you specify a specific paper width, but may be overridden with cm or mm for centimeters or millimeters respectively.
  • -psfig — suppresses translation of the PostScript picture to the center of the page.
  • -density dpi — indicates what dot-per-inch density should be used by the HP printer.
  • -cutoff level — changes the intensity level where colors are mapped to either black or white for monochrome output on a LaserJet printer. The level is expressed as percentage of full brightness. Fractions are allowed.
  • -noposition — causes header, trailer, and image positioning command generation to be bypassed for LaserJet, PaintJet and PaintJet XL printers.
  • -gamma correction — changes the intensity of the colors printed by a PaintJet XL printer. The correction is a floating point value in the range 0.00 to 3.00. Consult the operator's manual to determine the correct value for the specific printer.
  • -render algorithm — allows a PaintJet XL printer to render the image with the best quality versus performance tradeoff. Consult the operator's manual to determine which algorithms are available.
  • -slide — allows overhead transparencies to be printed using the PaintJet and PaintJet XL printers.
  • -help — prints the program usage information and exits.
  • -version — prints the program version information and exits.

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

💀 LIMITATIONS 💀

  • Support for PostScript output currently cannot handle the -append, -noff, or -split options. so don't try it, bestie.
  • The -compact option is only supported for PostScript output. It compresses white space but not black space, so it is not useful for reverse-video windows.
  • For color images, it should map directly to PostScript image support.

💅 HP PRINTERS 💅

Okay bestie, printer time — this part is all about HP hardware and the little details that matter. If you don’t pass -density on the command line, xpr assumes 300 dots per inch for ljet and 90 dots per inch for pjet. The allowable density values for a LaserJet printer are 300, 150, 100, and 75 dots per inch. For other printers? Consult the operator’s manual to figure out which densities they support, fr fr.

If no -scale is specified, the image gets expanded to fit the printable page area. The default printable page area is 8x10.5 inches. Other paper sizes can be accommodated using the -papertype option or the -height and -width options.

Cute size note: a 1024x768 image fits the default printable area when processed at 100 dpi with scale=1. The same image can also be printed using 300 dpi with scale=3, but that will require considerably more data be transferred to the printer. 💀

xpr may be tailored for use with monochrome PCL printers other than the LaserJet. To print on a ThinkJet (HP2225A), xpr could be invoked as:

xpr -density 96 -width 6.667 filename

or for black-and-white output to a PaintJet:

xpr -density 180 filename

The monochrome intensity of a pixel is computed as 0.30*R + 0.59*G + 0.11*B. If a pixel’s computed intensity is less than the -cutoff level, it will print as white. This maps light-on-dark display images to black-on-white hardcopy. The default cutoff intensity is 50% of full brightness. Example: specifying -cutoff 87.5 moves the white/black intensity point to 87.5% of full brightness. ✨

A LaserJet printer must be configured with sufficient memory to handle the image. For a full page at 300 dots per inch, approximately 2MB of printer memory is required. No skipping the memory check, bestie.

Color images are produced on the PaintJet at 90 dots per inch. The PaintJet is limited to sixteen colors from its 330 color palette on each horizontal print line. xpr will issue a warning message if more than sixteen colors are encountered on a line. xpr will program the PaintJet for the first sixteen colors encountered on each line and use the nearest matching programmed value for other colors present on the line.

Specifying the -rv, reverse video, option for the PaintJet will cause black and white to be interchanged on the output image. No other colors are changed. Periodt.

Multiplane images must be recorded by xwd in ZPixmap format. Single plane (monochrome) images may be in either XYPixmap or ZPixmap format.

Some PCL printers do not recognize image positioning commands. Output for these printers will not be centered on the page, and header and trailer strings may not appear where expected.

The -gamma and -render options are supported only on the PaintJet XL printers.

The -slide option is not supported for LaserJet printers.

The -split option is not supported for HP printers.

The -gray option is not supported for HP or IBM printers.

🫶 AUTHORS 🫶

These are the icons who made it happen:

  • Michael R. Gretzinger, MIT Project Athena
  • Jose Capo, MIT Project Athena (PP3812 support)
  • Marvin Solomon, University of Wisconsin
  • Bob Scheifler, MIT
  • Angela Bock and E. Mike Durbin, Rich Inc. (grayscale)
  • Larry Rupp, HP (HP printer support)
  • Jay Hobson, Sun Microsystems (papertype support)

That’s the whole page, bestie 💖 This one’s from xpr 1.2.1, dated 2025-04-06, and it’s the XPR(1) manual — go print something iconic ✨

📦 where this page comes from