Using large format paper with Linux and the Epson WorkForce WF-7520 printer

Update: Nope, I can’t get this to work any more.

I have an Epson WorkForce WF-7520, and I really like it: excellent built-in duplex large format scanner with ADF, CIFS network storage, giant paper bins, photo quality printing up to 330×482 mm, only slightly expensive print cartridges… Under Linux, though, it’s not so well behaved, especially if you want to print on large format paper. This is the workaround I developed:

  1. Put the B-size/11×17″ paper in Tray 1 (the upper one), and the Letter paper in Tray 2. This, unfortunately, matters — the driver that can print large format can only access the upper tray. On the setup menu on the printer console, tell the printer which tray holds what size of paper.
  2. Install the epson-inkjet-printer-escpr driver; it should be in the standard Ubuntu repos. Define a printer (wf7520-lf, for example) that uses this driver. Set the paper size to “US B 11 x 17 in”.
  3. Ensure that the lsb and lsb-printing packages are installed:
    sudo apt-get install lsb lsb-printing
  4. Download and install the non-free epson-201115w driver from the EPSON Download Center. Define a printer (I used wf-7520 for the name) using this driver, making sure that the correct PPD (epson-inkjet-printer 1.0.0-1lsb3.2 (Seiko Epson Corporation LSB 3.2)) is used. Set it up to use Letter paper, and (important!) set the source to Paper Cassette 2. You might want to make this printer the system default.

To print to large format, use the command:

lp -d wf7520-lf -o PageSize=USB file.pdf

To print regular size, just send the job to the wf-7520 device.

(modified from my Ask Ubuntu question/answer: Selecting Large Format Paper: what printing options work?)

Update for the (rightly) confused: Epson appear to have hoiked US B / 11×17″ support for this printer. Here are my PPDs:

Copying PPDs from one driver to another may not work, but you’ve likely nothing to lose.

And that’s that …

There’s something satisfying when your computer tells you, “The software was installed definitely.” I’d forgotten how ropey the translations were on Epson software, and I got this as I installed my new Epson WorkForce WF-7520 printer.

Haven’t had enough time to really dig into it, but it seems quite a fun unit. Duplex printing and scanning up to A3/Tabloid. Wireless printing (including AirPrint direct from an iOS device). Scans to flash storage, which is available as a network share. All good stuff.