Bug 125758

Summary: KDE4: Consider per application driver settings (or make creation of "printer instances" more easy/obvious)
Product: [Unmaintained] kdeprint Reporter: Dik Takken <kde>
Component: generalAssignee: KDEPrint Devel Mailinglist <kde-print-devel>
Status: RESOLVED UNMAINTAINED    
Severity: wishlist CC: jlayt
Priority: NOR    
Version: unspecified   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Gentoo Packages   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Dik Takken 2006-04-17 20:23:13 UTC 
Version:            (using KDE KDE 3.5.2)
Installed from:    Gentoo Packages
OS:                Linux

Sometimes, when I hit the 'Print' button in KMail, it takes 2 minutes before my 10-line email message is printed, because I printed a photograph from DigiKam yesterday at high quality settings. 

Some other time, I hit the 'Print' button in DigiKam which produced a 10-second draft print, because I printed some quick notes from KWrite using draft settings the day before.

It would be convenient to have per application printer quality settings. Personally, I would like KWrite and KMail to always print in draft quality, while DigiKam should always print in high quality. This will also save the user from having to visit the printer driver settings very often.
Comment 1 Cristian Tibirna 2006-04-18 01:12:36 UTC 
On 17 April 2006 14:23, Dik Takken wrote:
> It would be convenient to have per application printer quality settings.
> Personally, I would like KWrite and KMail to always print in draft quality,
> while DigiKam should always print in high quality. This will also save the
> user from having to visit the printer driver settings very often.


This was thoroughly discussed in Printing Linux Summit's Usability sessions 
(see 
http://groups.osdl.org/workgroups/dtl/desktop_architects/desktop_printing). 
We are pondering now how we could do this best.

Thanks for your suggestion.
Comment 2 Cristian Tibirna 2006-04-18 01:14:54 UTC 
But until then, you might consider not to save the current settings (i.e. don't push "Save", just push "OK"). An application remembers its printing settings as long as it runs. Only pushing "Save" saves these settings in the global user's settings.
Comment 3 Dik Takken 2006-04-18 12:07:22 UTC 
Yes, I know. That would save me from having to visit the settings for some applications, but other applications would still require changing the settings every time you use them.

Good to hear that people are thinking about this issue.
Comment 4 Michael Goffioul 2006-04-19 09:24:23 UTC 
There is still the possibility to use instances (combination of a real printer and a set of pre-defined print options). This is the main purpose of the concept of instances. You can create instances from the print manager.

Michael.
Comment 5 Dik Takken 2006-04-19 10:16:03 UTC 
Ah, that sounds interesting. I will have a look at the instances feature asap.
Comment 6 Kurt Pfeifle 2007-01-09 05:18:34 UTC 
Dik,

did you get CUPS printer instances to work for your purposes?
Comment 7 Dik Takken 2007-01-09 13:21:35 UTC 
Yes. I got this setup working on my machines, and it works great. Thanks a lot!
Comment 8 Kurt Pfeifle 2007-01-09 18:42:42 UTC 
I'll convert this bug report into a wishlist item for KDE4 then. Also change the $summary to reflect better the intentions.

(old summary: "Per application driver settings")
Comment 9 ric 2008-01-28 16:20:25 UTC 
Another request very similar, though not per application. 

More a drop box to choose which user defined driver settings 'profile' to use.

ie: I switch between printing images, text and transparencies a lot, it would be nice to switch between the profile rather than change a whole load of driver settings everytime I want to print to a different media.

Ive just tried the instances which work very well, but wouldnt have known about them if I hadnt read this post.

Thanks
Comment 10 John Layt 2011-05-27 18:16:48 UTC 
KDEPrint is obsolete, unmaintained and will never be revived.  Closing all open bugs.