---
name: "foomatic-printjob"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "foomatic-db-engine"
version: "5:20200131-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/foomatic-printjob"
---

# foomatic-printjob(1)

manage printer jobs in a spooler-independent fashion

## NAME

foomatic-printjob - manage printer jobs in a spooler-independent fashion

## SYNOPSIS

**foomatic-printjob \[ -s spooler \] \[ -P queuename \]** **\[ -o option1=value1 -o option2 ... \] \[ -i \]** **\[ file1 file2 ... \]**

**foomatic-printjob -Q \[ -s spooler \] \[ -P queuename \] \[ -i \] \[ -a \]** **\[ user1 user2 ... \]**

**foomatic-printjob -R \[ -s spooler \] \[ -P queuename \] \[ -i \]** **\[ - \| jobid1 jobid2 ... \]**

**foomatic-printjob -C \[ -s spooler \] \[ -i \] command \[ arguments \]**

**foomatic-printjob -S \[ -s spooler \] \[ -i \]**

**foomatic-printjob -h \[ -s spooler \] \[ -P queuename \] \[ -i \]**

## DESCRIPTION

**foomatic-printjob** provides a spooler-independent interface to creating and managing printer jobs and print queues.  Note that the first argument changes the mode of the command, as it combines the functionality of several System V-style printing commands.

### OPTIONS

- **-s***spooler*

  Explicit spooler type.

- **-P***queuename*

  Any commands specified should apply to this queue instead of the default.

- **-o***option=value*

  Set option to value

- **-o***option*

  Set the switch option

- **-#***n*

  Print n copies

- **file1 file2 ...**

  Files to be printed, when no file is given, standard input will be printed

- **-Q**

  Query the jobs in a queue.  If a list of users is specified, only those users' jobs will be queried.

- **-Q -a**

  Query the jobs in all queues.  If a list of users is specified, only those users' jobs will be queried.

- **-R \[ - \| jobid1 jobid2 ... \]**

  Remove a job from a queue.  Using *-* will remove all jobs.

- **-C command \[ arguments \]**

  Execute control commands for queue/job manipulation.  The commands are the ones of the BSD "lpc" utility. Use the control command "help" to get a list of supported commands. Note: the amount of commands varies with the spooler, but the same commands given under different spoolers do the same thing.

- **-i**

  Interactive mode: You will be asked if foomatic-printjob is in doubt about something. Otherwise foomatic-printjob uses auto-detection or quits with an error.

- **-S**

  Save the chosen spooler as the default spooler

- **-h**

  Show this message or show a list of available options if a queue is specified

## SEE ALSO

[foomatic-configure(1)](/foomatic-configure/1.md) and the documentation for your print spooler.

## AUTHOR

Manfred Wassmann \<*manolo@NCC-1701.B.Shuttle.de*\> and Chris Lawrence \<*lawrencc@debian.org*\> for the foomatic project using output from the associated binary.

## BUGS

This manpage still needs some editing.