[ILUG-BOM] Making the baby HP Deskjets: 3320, 3325 or 3420 work with Linux?

[Baji J. Ram Rao]

Our Linux-based hospital software needs to support some budget HP
deskjet printers.

Experienced friends told us that Red Hat 7.3 and Red Hat 8.0 weren't
stable enough, so best avoided. We're currently committed to RedHat 7.2.

We had successfully used the HP Deskjet 880C and Deskjet 845C color
inkjet printers, but today there are lower-priced printers. Right now, 
we're trying to work with the latest budget entry-level printer, the HP
Deskjet 3325 which sells for Rs. 3,899/- in Mumbai. It handles 1200x600
dpi color and prints a page in approx. 12 sec.

The trouble is that while older deskjets could handle PCL, the new
Deskjet 3325 can only handle LIDIL (Lightweight Imaging Device Interface
Language). What about Linux drivers? Linux support comes in the form of
the "hpijs" driver starting version 1.3. The driver supports resolutions
only up to 600 dpi.

The bigger deskjets: 3820, 5550, 6122, 995C and big daddy 1220C all
support HP PCL 3 and thrive on the drivers that come with the RH7.2
distro.

Anyone have experience in making the baby Deskjets: 3320, 3325 or 3420
work with Linux?

Ram Rao <ramrao at bajirao.com>
Bajirao Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Chembur, Mumbai 400071