IPP> RFC: Add required document-format values for IPP v2?

IPP> RFC: Add required document-format values for IPP v2?

Dave Whitehead david at lexmark.com
Tue Jul 29 08:40:32 EDT 2008


I agree with Lee -- adding a mandatory document format is out-of-scope
under our current charter.  However, I also think it's a good idea.

dhw



                                                                           
             "Farrell, Lee"                                                
             <Lee.Farrell at cda.                                             
             canon.com>                                                 To 
             Sent by:                  "Michael R Sweet"                   
             owner-ipp at pwg.org         <msweet at apple.com>,                 
                                       <ptykodi at tykodi.com>                
                                                                        cc 
             07/29/2008 05:23          <ipp at pwg.org>                       
             AM                                                    Subject 
                                       RE: IPP> RFC: Add required          
                                       document-format values for IPP v2?  
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           



Before we get too far afield with this discussion topic, let me remind
everyone of the recently approved update to the IPPv2 Statement of Work
in which the following is identified:

Out-of-scope:
*     OSS-1  New IPP functionality or features  MUST NOT be included
in this IPP/2.x specification.
*     OSS-2  Details of IPP commands, attributes, or other features
MUST NOT be included in this IPP/2.x specification, except as needed
(e.g., references to attributes REQUIRED by newly REQUIRED operations.


I think defining a mandatory document format would qualify as a "New IPP
functionality".

lee

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ipp at pwg.org [mailto:owner-ipp at pwg.org] On Behalf Of Michael
R Sweet
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 6:52 PM
To: ptykodi at tykodi.com
Cc: ipp at pwg.org
Subject: Re: IPP> RFC: Add required document-format values for IPP v2?

Paul Tykodi wrote:
> Hi Michael,
>
> As far as I know, IPP support is slowly working its way into network
> printer interfaces for the label printing niche (both impact and
> direct thermal/thermal transfer print technologies) and into some of
> the dot matrix printer NIC's as well.
>
> These types of printers do not support the same document formats as
> the inkjet and laser technology based printers.
>
> If IPP were to become involved with specifying document formats, I
> think it would be a good idea to create a separate IPP document
> formats track with its own RFC or PWG based specification that could
> be referenced by the ippv2 documents.

Well, the PWG already had done a lot of work in this area, including
XHTML-Print.  There are other groups that have standardized on JPEG for
consumer devices (PictBridge and others), the ISO and IETF have
standards for PNG, and of course the ISO has defined PDF profiles.
I don't think the problem is having a standard or referencing other
standards!

These formats are already supported by a wide variety of devices in
different ways - it would be nice to guarantee support for at least one
common format in every IPP 2.x printer, as it solves a major
(IMHO) problem with IPP that the PWG hasn't yet tackled - all printers
require a device-specific client-side printer driver to do even basic
printing.

If IPP 2.x printers did support one (or all) of the formats I've listed,
then a customer would know they could print from any client.
Obviously there would still be a use for device-specific drivers, e.g.
higher speed print modes and support for complex jobs, but
*basic* printing (email, web pages, photos) could be done without all of
that.

IMHO, adding a (short) list of required document-formats to IPP 2.x will
just make it *more* compelling as a standard.  Right now we are just
stapling all of the different IPP specs together to make profiles -
chances are most vendors will look at their product and say "we already
conform to IPP 2.0, just add 2.0 to our supported versions and move on".
That doesn't ultimately help us promote IPP 2.x, since nothing will have
really changed.  However, if we can make IPP really useful by requiring
support for at least one common document format, then IPP can truly be
marketed as an enabling technology rather than being listed along side
AppSocket, LPD, and 50 other "supported" printing protocols.

In short, let's make IPP more than just a replacement for LPD.


> Best Regards,
>
> /Paul
> --
> Paul Tykodi
> Principal Consultant
> TCS - Tykodi Consulting Services LLC
>
> Tel/Fax: 603-343-1820
> Mobile:  603-866-0712
> E-mail:  ptykodi at tykodi.com
> WWW:  http://www.tykodi.com
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-ipp at pwg.org [mailto:owner-ipp at pwg.org] On Behalf Of
>> Michael R Sweet
>> Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 5:26 PM
>> To: ipp at pwg.org
>> Subject: IPP> RFC: Add required document-format values for IPP v2?
>>
>> All,
>>
>> In today's telecon I brought up a question about whether it would be
>> a benefit to define a set of document formats that devices must
>> support.  This would have large benefits for interoperability and the

>> ability for clients of all shapes and sizes to print without
>> specialized printer drivers.
>>
>> The wording I am thinking of is:
>>
>>       REQUIRED DOCUMENT FORMATS
>>
>>       IPP v2 devices MUST support one of the following document
>>       formats:
>>
>>           document-format          Details
>>           ----------------------------------------------------
>>           application/pdf          ISO 32000-1:2008,
>>                                    ISO 19005-1:2005 (PDF/A),
>>                                    or PDF/IS?
>>           application/xhtml+xml    XHTML-Print
>>           image/jpeg               W3C JFIF* encapsulation
>>           image/png                ISO 15948, RFC 2083
>>           ----------------------------------------------------
>>           * http://www.w3.org/Graphics/JPEG/jfif3.pdf
>>
>> I have not included application/postscript in the list because it
>> isn't standardized beyond simple page descriptions, both in the
>> official and real-world senses, and in many cases PostScript printers

>> require some level of device-dependent commands to be used (think PPD

>> files).
>>
>> Likewise, I have not included image/tiff since TIFF is a catch-all
>> for thousands of sub-formats, and the most common sub-formats
>> (TIFF-G3 and TIFF-G4) are limited to reproduction of monochrome
>> graphics which make them less useful as a general printing format.
>>
>> Comments?
>>
>> --
>>
______________________________________________________________________
>> Michael R Sweet                        Senior Printing System
Engineer


--
______________________________________________________________________
Michael R Sweet                        Senior Printing System Engineer





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