How do I set up multiple printing defaults for one printer?

Question

I have a printer capable of printing high res photos on photo paper, and duplex documents on plain A4.

I have set the printer up twice (i.e. two separate printers pointing to the same URI) using the CUPS interface at http://localhost:631, once called Documents, once called Photos. For each of these instances I have set up the appropriate defaults (media type, size, print quality, duplex...). CUPS seems to remember these fine but applications (e.g. LibreOffice, EOG, firefox ... under Gnome Shell FWIW) seem to have some weird other default that bears no resemblance to either the defaults I set up, nor the last settings I used with any particular application.

It's a problem because there are so many settings to change that it adds a couple of minutes to each and every print job. Inevitably I forget one or two and end up having to reprint the job.

Seems there must be somewhere that these defaults get stored? Anyone shed any light on it?

Answer 1

I have three CUPS print queues configured with the same printer URI. Queue "deskjet" is configured with my local standard paper, queue "Legal" is configured with "Legal" size paper, and queue "Envelopes" is configured for #10 Envelopes. "Legal" and "Envelopes" queues are stopped (via cupsdisable).

First, add the queue in CUPS (http://localhost:631), then use Administration->Modify Printer to change the paper type and other characteristics.

I use my setup like this:

# print to the Envelope queue ( select Envelope queue in your app)
envelope .envelope/addresses/Friend4 | lpr -PEnvelope 
cupsdisable deskjet
# remove regular paper, load envelopes
cupsenable Envelope
# wait until envelope is printed, then
cupsdisable Envelope
cupsenable deskjet