Printing Raw EPL on the LP2844 from a Mac or Linux

Published
by
Ryan Alyea
on December 14, 2010
in Uncategorized
. 4 Comments

This is mostly a list for my own purposes, but I got a Eltron/Zebra LP2844 to print raw files generated on my Mac to send over USB.

First, you need to find the device URI:

$ /usr/libexec/cups/backend/usb
direct usb://Zebra/LP2844?serial=42J094403339 "Zebra LP2844" "Zebra LP2844" "SERN:42J094403339;MFG:Zebra ;CMD:None;MDL:LP2844 ;" ""

Add the printer to CUPS, accept, and enable it:

$ lpadmin -p zebra -v usb://Zebra/LP2844?serial=42J094403339
$ cupsaccept zebra
$ cupsenable zebra

(cupsaccept is for Mac, “accept” works on all other flavors of UNIX.)

Try a test:

$ lpr -P zebra test.raw

UPDATE:

If you are just on Mac, you can actually add it through the System Preferences. Add the EPL printer via Print & Scan, click the plus to add the printer, click on the printer, and search and select EPL2 as the driver.

To print raw EPL commands, first find the command line name of the printer. List all printers via this command:

$ lpstat -t

printer local_gx420d is idle.  enabled since Fri Jan 20 04:34:52 2012
printer Zebra_LP2844 is idle.  enabled since Fri Jan 20 04:36:28 2012

If Zebra_LP2844 was the printer you just added, then use this command to print:

$ lpr -P Zebra_LP2844 -o raw eplfilename.raw

4 Responses to “Printing Raw EPL on the LP2844 from a Mac or Linux”

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  1. 1 Ben
    February 5, 2011 at 8:26 am

    Hi, thanks for compiling access to the LP2844. I am having roughly the same issue with my new Mac mini… I use the LP2844 to print shipping labels for USPS from PayPal. The printer works using the EPL2 software included in OSX 10.6.6 but it prints on what the printer thinks is 8.5″x11″ paper, not 4×6″. Might you have any advice? Thank you again.

  2. 2 Ryan Alyea
    February 5, 2011 at 8:22 pm

    I just use Endicia, a separate program from Paypal’s system. However, a quick Google search provides the following:

    http://reviews.ebay.com/Printing-PayPal-Thermal-Shipping-Labels-Zebra-LP2844_W0QQugidZ10000000002513511

    1) Login to your PayPal account and click on the “Profile” tab/link to the far right near the top (second menu).

    2) Under the “Selling Preferences” area to the far right, please click on “Shipping Preferences”.

    3) Click on “Edit Printer Settings” under the “U.S. Postal Service Preference” header.

    4) Choose “Label Printer” by clicking the radio button next to it.

    5) Click on the “Select Printer and Paper Size” drop down menu and choose “Zebra LP2844-Z – 4.0″x 6.0″”. Even though you have the LP2844 without the -Z, this setting will work perfect. The 4.0″x6.0″ is the size of the labels you should be using. You can find blank ones on eBay by searching for thermal labels. Make sure to look for “unmarked” ones, that do not contain a company’s logo, such as UPS, which would not be allowed by USPS.

  3. 3 MW
    March 16, 2012 at 4:36 pm

    This works perfectly for EPL files. Couldn’t believe it. Totally saved my bacon. Thank you!

    (Now if only someone could find a way to read the weight from a USB Mettler-Toledo PS60 scale via the command line…)

  4. 4 Ryan Alyea
    March 16, 2012 at 5:49 pm

    @MW

    I updated this article with a simpler installation if you’re just on Mac. Double bonus: Printer installation works well with Endicia too.

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