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nix-plist-manager

Printers & Scanners

Everything under System Settings › Printers & Scanners, as Nix options. Each one is named after the control you'd click, and set under programs.nix-plist-manager.options in home-manager.

1 option 1 verified against System Settings

Default paper size

Section titled “Default paper size”

System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Default paper size

home-manager · per user ✓ Verified on macOS 27 
applications.systemSettings.printersAndScanners.defaultPaperSize = "A3";

One of: "A3""A4""A5""B5""Envelope #10""Envelope Choukei 3""Envelope DL""JIS B5""ROC 16K""Super B/A3""Tabloid""Tabloid Oversize""US Legal""US Letter" "unset" puts back macOS's default.

Where it's stored and what runs
  • org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID

For A3:

/usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string iso-a3 || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string iso-a3' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true

For A4:

/usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string iso-a4 || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string iso-a4' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true

For A5:

/usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string iso-a5 || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string iso-a5' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true

For B5:

/usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string iso-b5 || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string iso-b5' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true

For Envelope #10:

/usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string na-number-10-envelope || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string na-number-10-envelope' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true

For Envelope Choukei 3:

/usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string 'Envelope Choukei 3' || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string '\''Envelope Choukei 3'\''' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true

For Envelope DL:

/usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string iso-designated || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string iso-designated' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true

For JIS B5:

/usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string jis-b5 || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string jis-b5' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true

For ROC 16K:

/usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string 'ROC 16K' || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string '\''ROC 16K'\''' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true

For Super B/A3:

/usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string super-b || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string super-b' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true

For Tabloid:

/usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string tabloid || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string tabloid' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true

For Tabloid Oversize:

/usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string arch-b || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string arch-b' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true

For US Legal:

/usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string na-legal || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string na-legal' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true

For US Letter:

/usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string na-letter || echo 'nix-plist-manager: failed: /usr/bin/defaults write org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID -string na-letter' >&2
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true

For unset:

/usr/bin/defaults delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true
/usr/bin/defaults -currentHost delete org.cups.PrintingPrefs DefaultPaperID 2>/dev/null || true

Not covered

Section titled “Not covered”

What this pane shows that can’t be declared, and why:

1 setting
  • Default printer — only offers a choice once printers are added; Last Printer Used otherwise