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openprinting:database:gettinghelpfaq

Information Resources FAQ

General Questions

In which **forum** should I ask questions?

Where can I get a **complete list** of working printers?

Where can I look up **specific** printer models?

Where can I look up printer models by **Manufacturer**?

What if my printer is **not listed**?

Many printers are derivative models of a printer currently listed in theOpenPrinting database.

Here are some common brand name associations.

  • Apollo == HP
  • IBM == Lexmark
  • Konica == Minolta == QMS
  • Ricoh == Infotec == Gestetner == Lanier == NRG == Savin
  • And so on…

If you make a match or get your printer otherwise working, please make a new printer entry using our printer input form. To get to the form click on “Add a similar printer” on the page of a printer similar to yours (saves you a lot of typing, as many fields are already pre-filled) or go directly to theempty form. Type in the printer characteristics and write in the comment field how you got your printer to work. Do not forget the driver URL if you use a driver which is not listed on openprinting.org. See also our Contribution page.

Report any questions to the appropriate forum and bugs to the bug tracker (Product: OpenPrinting).

Information Resources

Where is the best place to ask specific questions?

All printing-specific questions are dealt with in a forum specific to the manufacturer of the printer, specific to an operating system, or for general discussion. Currently there is only web-based access. Perhaps we will add e-mail-based access later.

Where are the archives of the former forums/mailing lists?

They are accessible from theMailing List Page. Click on the list name, and then the archive link.

The archives can be searched by downloading and greping for keywords, or they can be searched with a major search engine.

What FAQ's are available?

What HOWTO's, hints, and Documentation are available?

Where is the Mac OSX Software?

How can I help?

Getting Help

How do I get help?

OpenPrinting support is done via the forums.

How do I get a response?

The best way to get a response is to be prepared. Read all the documentation, and keep records of the results. A good question is short, and preceded by less than a page of text.

We don't need to know every step you have taken, and every line of debugging output you have generated. Try to be concise, simple, and include only relevant information.

How do I get in touch via email?

We use the forums because they are public, and the answers can help everyone. Most privately sent emails get deleted, so don't be surprised if you never get a response to a private request.

How come I never get an answer in the forums?

There are several reasons your post will not get a reply.

  • You obviously haven't Read The Fine Manuals.
  • You've posted more information than anyone wants to look at. (Hint, we don't need the entire error_log, we don't need to know every step you've taken).
  • You've replied to a post when you should have started a new thread.
  • You've posted in the wrong forum (we correct this, but not always immediately).
  • You've cross-posted. We read all the forums, we don't want to read the same message multiple times.
  • You've replied to yourself.
  • You've made your posting difficult to read, for example by adding text files as compressed attachment instead of copying them inline
  • Add patches as uncompressed attachment, as they often break when inserted into a posting by copy and paste.
  • We don't know the answer.

It is unfortunate that there are far more people asking printer-related questions than there are experts for those printers. Very few people own more than one printer, so becoming knowledgeable in many models is nearly impossible.

We need as much help making printers work as we can get. If you can

  • Add printer entries
  • Debug PPDs and Foomatic data
  • Add printer options to the database
  • Post new printer information
  • Report unlisted but working models
  • Provide any other helpful information

Please post this information to the forums and add new printers via the printer input form.

openprinting/database/gettinghelpfaq.txt · Last modified: 2017/09/12 14:52 by sampablokuper