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From Grokdoc

Network printing (printer on the household ethernet network, shared with other household computers) is still too often problematic with linux.

Our most recent situation: A new Samsung Ml1710 laser connected to IOGEAR 1 port usb print server. The samsung claims to work with red hat linux but no source code for the drivers and no installability for recently available versions of Redhat. People have reported some results using older drivers from previous models, but this didn't solve the problems here. Of course, the printer-server pair talk flawlessly with windows, so the bright linux beginner stayed up most of the night to master samba to be able to successfully print her linux homework thru her windows machine. For her it was not a favorable linux experience.

With more experience, I have had similar difficult times with netgear print servers and various hp inkjets in the past. (By the way, the netgear servers are the BEST, I think, but unsupported, for linux.) However I usually got linux to work in a basic 8 1/2 X 11 mode.

When a requirement to print legal size came up with our hp 1120c inkjet, for example, there was no way to get the image to land correctly on the page even with days of attempts with different drivers. Furthermore, it seems there was no way to get the linux network printing system easily returned to it's origional state for simple tasks after these attempts. My route was simply to upgrade to the next linux version when the time for this came.

It is hard to put a finger on just one thing that is to blame:

  #print vendors like samsung simply need to devote greater resources to
   developing quality drivers for a growing linux marketplace.
   (Vendor Hint: Our own MS-windows related purchases have 
   stagnated except where it is a secondary benefit to a 
   primary linux (or BSD) purchase need.)

  #Perhaps "Linux" should provide vendors like Samsung 
   and others a comprehensive specification and 
   test program to pass before they 
   can legally claim linux compatability. 
   (We purchased based on their claim.)

  #Linux printer driver writing people probably need greatly increased 
   industry support and cooperation to get ahead of the bottlenecks.

  # There is still alot of inconsistancy in the print functions of 
    the many linux applications such as, for example: the pdf printing tools.

  # Like with hardware vendors above, maybe redhat, suse, debian 
    and others need tighter guidelines from cups and 
    other linux printing so hardware venders have a more definable target 
    to design printers towards.

  # Linux newbies might avoid some trouble by using the newest stable 
    software versions in combination with older, highly popular 
    hardware models. Unfortunately with linux, quality print-driver 
    development seems to lag hardware release by 1 to 3 years.
    (In the windows marketplace I would generalize that equipment
    purchased before christmass may get decent driver 
    upgrades maybe by March.) 

  # To start, if you can, just skip network printing altogether.  
    Just plug a real printer onto your parallel port connection
    if you have one. Save network printing for later.

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As newby, also had problems (and still have) with network printing. I could have used some indications about how to get the IP directions of the printers, and also to have an idea about what is going on at all (all newbies I saw, including me, didn't at the beginning notice the difference between having a printer attached by usb and talking to a printer connected by ethernet!). If you don't understand this technical details, printing configuration is hard.