Bug 93542

Summary: improvements to digiKam print interface
Product: [Applications] digikam Reporter: Richard Taylor <rjt-kde-bugs>
Component: Plugin-Generic-PrintCreatorAssignee: Digikam Developers <digikam-bugs-null>
Status: RESOLVED FIXED    
Severity: wishlist CC: caulier.gilles
Priority: NOR    
Version: 0.7.0   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: unspecified   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed In: 0.9.1
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Richard Taylor 2004-11-18 23:33:45 UTC 
Version:           0.7-beta1 (using KDE 3.3.0, Gentoo)
Compiler:          gcc version 3.3.3 20040412 (Gentoo Linux 3.3.3-r6, ssp-3.3.2-2, pie-8.7.6)
OS:                Linux (i686) release 2.6.8-gentoo-r3

Printing photographs in digiKam applications is a problem because the standard printer interface does not support the features that are needed for photo printing.

I think this is a problem with using the standard KDE print dialog for 
printing photographs. When I print a photograph there are three things I want 
to adjust:

1 - the print resolution
2 - the final print size
3 - the paper size (including custom sizes)

The KDE print dialog only provides the option of doing (1). 

Maybe there is a way for DigiKam to provide the additional settings somehow.

Setting custom paper sizes is important when using roll paper in a printer 
that has a cutter (e.g. the Epson 2100/2200). You want the cut to be made 
close to the edge of the print.

Because I need to set all of these settings I always print my photographs 
through The Gimp. The Gimp-print interface is the only one on Linux that I 
have found that will enable you to set these options. It's preview of the 
print and the "size slider" at the bottom of the dialog enable you to get the 
print size correct. The size of the print changes if you change the 
resolution but it is obvious from the preview.  The image is scaled just for 
printing.

If digiKam could provide a print dialog that supports the features of the 
gimpprint dialog then I think all users would be happy.

While I am at it, as this is a _wish_... It would be great to integrate the printing of multiple photographs at once into the same interface. Being able to choose the print size for the photos and then lay them out on a custom paper size would be a killer feature. It is something that no photo app, either Open Source or commercial, does well.

Regards

Richard
Comment 1 Dik Takken 2005-04-03 17:08:38 UTC 
You should try the printing wizard plugin for Digikam. It comes a bit closer to GIMP-Style printing.
Comment 2 Daniel Zuberbühler 2006-01-22 00:56:05 UTC 
*** This bug has been confirmed by popular vote. ***
Comment 3 Anders Lund 2006-01-22 01:31:56 UTC 
If you by 2 - the final print size mean the ability to set the size of the printed image you can do that in showfoto, digikams editor.

Paper sizes can be chosen in the printer properties, afaik custom page size is possible if the printer supports it. In any case this part of your wish should be pointed to kdeprint. Even if we want to make this option available in a more convenient place than the printer properties dialog, it still needs to be supported by the kdeprint library.
Comment 4 Lars Termansen 2006-01-31 10:48:20 UTC 
I completely agree that the gimp-print interface is far superior. On top of the size and paper selection colours are much nicer. I understand that this maybe a kde-print issue - but why use the inferiour printing system? Couldnt digikam or KIPI use gimp-print.

On the idea of multiple photos on a sheet - I enjoy having thumbnails printed so I can bring them with me on hard copy. But aspect is 1:1 in the wizard. Why not try to keep aspect ratios.

Basically I would something like the two steps in imagemagick:
convert -thumbnail 200 pic01.jpg thumb_pic01.jpg
convert -thumbnail 200 pic02.jpg thumb_pic02.jpg
...
convert -thumbnail 200 picxx.jpg thumb_picxx.jpg

montage -tile 5x7 -page a4 thumb_pic01.jpg thumb_pic02.jpg
thumb_picxx.jpg Contact_sheet.jpg

and then print the sheet.
Comment 5 sero4linux 2006-03-25 00:45:11 UTC 
I think this wish belongs to kipi-plugins and not digikam. We should move it there ... Btw the situation on devels in the kipi team didn't improve much. We should try to find more devels again!
Comment 6 Michael 2007-01-01 12:23:51 UTC 
I don't think this belongs to kipi-plugins, because gwenview has got the option "Print Wizard" using the kipi-plugins. So why can't have digikam have the same option?
Comment 7 Angelo Naselli 2007-01-01 19:51:05 UTC 
In reply to comment #6:
Michael print wizard is from kipi-plugins you can use it also 
from digikam. Maybe if you don't finf it you have to enable it
from the related page into the configure menu.

About the wish, digikam can print in such a way just install 
kipi-plugins and use print wizard from the export menu.

I believe this bug has to be closed, at least if you don't mean
using image editor. For that I sent in digikam ml a patch that
should improve the printing.
Comment 8 Michael 2007-01-01 21:24:47 UTC 
Hello Angelo,

thank you for this information. kipi-plugins were already installed (I already could print this way via gwenview), but I couldn't find the option in digikam. 

I was never searching this option in the "export" menu.

Now everything is clear and I'm really happy to print my photos with digikam.
Comment 9 Angelo Naselli 2007-01-01 21:27:13 UTC 
-> Now everything is clear and I'm really happy to print my photos with digikam.
Well, I would be very happy if you won't forget about gwenview ;)
Comment 10 Angelo Naselli 2007-01-08 15:33:08 UTC 
Printing from digikam has improved by using kipi-plugins 
(Menu Album->export->Print WIzard), and from image editor by using new
features (Menu File->Print)