---
name: "xkbprint"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "xorg-xkbprint"
version: "1.0.8-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/xkbprint"
---

# xkbprint(1)

print an XKB keyboard description

## NAME

xkbprint - print an XKB keyboard description

## SYNOPSIS

**xkbprint** \[*options***\]** *source* **\[***output\_file***\]**

## DESCRIPTION

**The** **xkbprint** **command generates a printable or encapsulated PostScript description of the** **XKB keyboard description specified by** *source***.** **The** *source* **can be any compiled keymap (.xkm) file** **that includes a geometry description or an X display specification.** **If an** *output\_file* **is specified, xkbprint writes to it.** **If no output file is specified,** **xkbprint replaces the extension of the source file with** *.ps* **or** *.eps* **depending on the requested format.** **If the source is a non-local X display (e.g., example.com:0),** **xkbprint appends the appropriate prefix to the display specification,** **replacing the colon with a dash.** **For a local display, xkbprint uses** **server-***n* **where** *n* **is the number of the display.**

## OPTIONS

- **-?, -help**

  **Prints a usage message.**

- **-color**

  **Print using the colors specified in the geometry file;** **by default, xkbprint prints a black-and-white image of the keyboard.**

- **-dflts**

  **Attempt to compute default names for any missing components, such as keys.**

- **-diffs**

  **Show symbols only where they are explicitly bound.**

- **-eps**

  **Generate an encapsulated PostScript file.**

- **-fit**

  **Fit the keyboard image on the page (default).**

- **-full**

  **Print the keyboard at full size.**

- **-grid *res***

  **Print a grid with** *res* **mm resolution over the keyboard.**

- **-if *fontName***

  **Specifies an internal PostScript Type 1 font to dump to the specified** **output file or to** *fontName***.pfa, if no output file is specified.** **No keyboard description is printed if an internal font is dumped.**

- **-label *type***

  **Specifies the labels to be printed on keys;** **valid types are: none, name, code, and symbols.**

- **-lc *locale***

  **Specifies a locale in which KeySyms should be resolved.**

- **-level1**

  **Generate level 1 PostScript.**

- **-level2**

  **Generate level 2 PostScript.**

- **-lg *group***

  **Print symbols in keyboard groups starting from** *group***.**

- **-ll *level***

  **Print symbols starting from shift level** *level***.**

- **-mono**

  **Generate black-and-white image of keyboard (default).**

- **-n *num***

  **Print** *num* **copies.**

- **-nkg *num***

  **Print the symbols in** *num* **keyboard groups.**

- **-npk *num***

  **Number of keyboard images to print on each page;** **for EPS files, this specifies the total number of keyboard images to print.**

- **-o *file***

  **Write output to** *file***.**

- **-R*directory***

  **Use** *directory* **as the root directory;** **all path names are interpreted relative to** *directory***.**

- **-pict *which***

  **Controls use of pictographs instead of keysym names where available.** *which* **can be any of all, none, or common (default).**

- **-synch**

  **Forces synchronization for X requests.**

- **-version**

  **Print out the program version and exit.**

- **-w *level***

  **Sets warning level (0 for no warning, 10 for all warnings).**

## SEE ALSO

[**X**(7)](/X/7.md), [**xkbcomp**(1)](/xkbcomp/1.md)

## AUTHOR

**Erik Fortune, Silicon Graphics**