[Printing-architecture] Which Layer Should Implement Multi-Color Page Output?

[Randy Parker]

I need to print thousands of page-stacks per day of a single-page PDF on
(say) five or six pages of different colored paper.   For example, I want
the single page pdf in file 'f.pdf' spit out on six pages: wpyyyw (white,
pink, yellow*3, white)

I've posted this question on several HP & CUPS forums, but still have no
idea how to begin. It appears that both PCL5 and PJL are too low level.  But
'lpr' is too high level: 'lpr -o InputSlot=Tray5 f.pdf -o InputSlot=Tray3
f.pdf ...' does not work because 'lpr' seems to only allow _one_ "-o
InputSlot" specification per invocation. Since I need to print 10,000 pages
per day, issuing 10,000 distinct 'lpr' commands is impossibly slow, not to
mention suspiciously stupid (because it would re-render the PDF for each of
my five or six page colors). It is painfully slow because each lpr
invocation is a distinct print job, which causes my hp4515x 65ppm printer to
suffer a 4-5 second spool down / spool up cycle. This 'stall' downgrades it
to 10ppm printer! :-(

A Kyocera tech guy suggested their Perscribe form facility, but I'd rather
find the right place in the standard CUPS system.  Maybe in a PPD, by
creating a bunch of page-stack specific printers (how)?  A filter somewhere?
 A "LP Interface script"?

PS - I actually have about 100 page stack patterns, such as the 'wpyyyw'
example above. I wouldn't mind creating corresponding macros for each, and
then just picking the macro. I typically have a few dozen to a few hundred
pages to be printed on one 'stack pattern' before changing to another. My
app is Ruby on Rails / Ubuntu, and the Ruby CUPS bindings are not great.
(which is why I've used lpr so far)

feel free to reply directly to:

randy.j.parker at gmail.com

if this is off-topic for the list.
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