Print eps files through lpr
This document will provide directions on how to print eps files through lpr.
Background
Eps (Encapsulated PostScript) is a file standard which many applications use (typically for graphs). On our older backend server hardware, .eps files used to just print without any thought. However, due to recent server upgrades, these files no longer print. Printers which have cover-pages enabled print the cover page, but no actual data. The reason for this is that the newer server software properly handles files whereby previously it did not. More on this is in the next section.
Problem
The reason for this is really fairly simple. The eps file typically has what is referred to as a showpage command at the end. This tells the printer to (obviously) show the page after it has received the data. What is going on is that that command is not found so the printer receives the data, doesn't show the page as it wasn't told to, and then it is done. Technically the printer did everything it was supposed to do.
Solution
The solution for this is actually simple although somewhat counter-intuitive. The eps file must be converted to an eps file and then it can be printed. The conversion adds the appropriate showpage command to the end of the file.
> eps2eps input_file.eps output_file.eps > lpr -Pprinter output_file.eps
Note that this is a quick solution to get eps files printing again through lpr until a more permanent solution can be found after more research.