How to install and configure network printer and scanner in Linux Mint

Because of sustainability, I would like to use old Laptop/Printer/Scanner devices. 

This blog post is focused on Printer and Scanner.

I have a Canon MX350, so the runbooks for installing and using the printer and scanner were tested only with this model.

Printer

Install printer software

First of all, we need printer driver. However, Cannon does not provide drivers for older models. That's where GutenPrint driver come in to play. A printer-driver-gutenprint is a package in Linux distributions (like Linux Mint, which is based on Debian/Ubuntu) that provides the Gutenprint software.

What is Gutenprint?

Gutenprint is a collection of free and open-source software printer drivers. It was originally known as "Gimp-Print" because it started as a printing plugin for the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP). However, its scope expanded far beyond just GIMP, becoming a comprehensive suite of drivers for various operating systems. The name was changed to "Gutenprint" (a nod to Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the movable type printing press) to reflect its broader utility and to avoid confusion with GIMP itself.

Key Features and Capabilities:

• Extensive Printer Support: Gutenprint provides drivers for a vast number of printers from various manufacturers, including:
• Canon: A wide range of Canon BubbleJet and PIXMA inkjet printers
• Epson: Particularly strong support for Epson Stylus inkjet printers, often with high-quality output.
• HP, Lexmark, Sony, Olympus, Dell, Kodak, Brother, and many others.
• It also supports PCL laser printers and some dye-sublimation printers.
• It often supports printers that are no longer officially supported by their manufacturers on modern operating systems.
• High-Quality Printing: Gutenprint's primary goal is to achieve the highest possible output quality. 
• Developers work extensively on:
• Screening algorithms: How dots are placed to create continuous tones.
• Color generation: Accurate color reproduction.
• Printer feature utilization: Leveraging the full capabilities of the printer hardware.
• It often provides quality that rivals or even exceeds proprietary vendor drivers, especially for photos and fine-art printing.
• Integration with CUPS: Gutenprint seamlessly integrates with CUPS (Common Unix Printing System), which is the standard printing system on Linux. When you install printer-driver-gutenprint, it provides the necessary PPD (PostScript Printer Description) files and backend filters for CUPS to manage printing with Gutenprint drivers.
• Flexible Output Adjustments: It offers extensive controls for adjusting various print parameters, such as:
• Brightness, Contrast, Gamma
• Individual CMY (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow) levels
• Saturation, Density
• Paper type selection
• Resolution modes
• Cross-Platform: While widely used on Linux, Gutenprint also provides drivers for macOS and other Unix-like operating systems.
• Open Source: Being free and open-source software (licensed under GPLv2+), its code is publicly available, allowing for community contributions, auditing, and continuous improvement.

How printer-driver-gutenprint works in Linux Mint:

When you install the printer-driver-gutenprint package via apt in Linux Mint:

1. It installs the core Gutenprint driver library.

2. It installs the necessary CUPS drivers and PPD files. These PPD files tell CUPS about the capabilities of the printers Gutenprint supports.

3. When you add a printer through the Linux Mint "Printers" utility and select a Gutenprint driver, CUPS uses the information from the Gutenprint PPD to correctly configure the printer and send print jobs in a format the printer understands, utilizing Gutenprint's internal rendering engine for high-quality output.

In summary:

printer-driver-gutenprint is the package that brings the powerful and versatile Gutenprint suite of open-source printer drivers to your Linux Mint system. It's often the best solution for reliable and high-quality printing, especially for older or less-supported printer models, as it bypasses the compatibility issues that can arise with outdated proprietary drivers.

Installation of GutenPrint is easy

apt install printer-driver-gutenprint

Add Printer from GUI

Applications > Settings > Printer Settings

Scanner

Install scanner software

apt install sane sane-utils

Configure scanner 

Add scanner IP address to file /etc/sane.d/net.conf as visible in screenshot below.

192.168.4.200 is IP address of my scanner available over network.

Using the scanner

You can run xsane directly from terminal ...

xsane

... or find it and execute it from Desktop Environment Application menu.