how to use a Brother QL-1100 label printer in Arch Linux
I just bought a Brother QL-1100 label printer. I set it up in Arch Linux using the following steps:
-
install the CUPS package, and systemctl start
cups.service -
install the QL-1100 printer driver, which is available in the brother-ql100 AUR package
-
configure the printer using the
lpadmincommand below (where the USB device URI was determined with$ lpinfo -v, and the ppd file was determined with$ lpinfo -m):$ lpadmin -p QL-1100 -E -v "usb://Brother/QL-1100?serial=000L0Z58359" -m brother_ql1100_printer_en.ppd -
print a label pdf with this command:
$ lpr -P QL-1100 /path/to/file
However, when I try to print something, the light above the power button goes from solid green to blinking red, and nothing prints. How do I get it to print?
1 answer
I figured this out myself. The problem was that I was using DK-1241 labels, which are 102mm x 152mm. However the page/media size was configured to be a different value, which prevented the printer from printing. So I listed the available media sizes as follows:
$ lpoptions -p QL-1100 -l
which showed me a 102x152 option, which I selected as follows:
$ lpadmin -p QL-1100 -o PageSize=102x152
Note that the lpadmin command above will modify the /etc/cups/ppd/QL-1100.ppd file.
Also note that the page size can also be set using the CUPS web interface (i.e., by going to http://localhost:631 in a web browser).
I was then able to print using this command:
$ lpr -P QL-1100 /path/to/file
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