Principles of Operation for the TPC.INT Subdomain: Remote Printing -- Technical Procedures
RFC 1528

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Network Working Group                                         C. Malamud
Request for Comments: 1528                 Internet Multicasting Service
Obsoletes: 1486                                                  M. Rose
Category: Experimental                      Dover Beach Consulting, Inc.
                                                            October 1993

           Principles of Operation for the TPC.INT Subdomain:
                Remote Printing -- Technical Procedures

Status of this Memo

   This memo defines an Experimental Protocol for the Internet
   community.  It does not specify an Internet standard.  Discussion and
   suggestions for improvement are requested.  Please refer to the
   current edition of the "Internet Official Protocol Standards" for the
   standardization state and status of this protocol.  Distribution of
   this memo is unlimited.

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ..........................................   2
   2. Naming, Addressing, and Routing .......................   2
   2.1 Addressing ...........................................   2
   2.2 Routing ..............................................   3
   3. Procedure .............................................   3
   3.1 Content-Types ........................................   4
   3.2 Generating a Cover-Sheet .............................   4
   3.3 Return Receipt .......................................   6
   4. Usage Examples ........................................   6
   4.1 Explicit Cover Sheet .................................   6
   4.2 Implicit Cover Sheet .................................   7
   4.3 Minimal, Text-only ...................................   7
   5. Prototype Implementation ..............................   7
   6. Future Issues .........................................   9
   7. Security Considerations ...............................   9
   8. Acknowledgements ......................................   9
   9. References ............................................   9
   10. Authors' Addresses ..................................   10
   A. The application/remote-printing Content-Type .........   11
   B. The image/tiff Content-Type ..........................   12

1. Introduction

   Although electronic mail is preferable as a means of third-party
   communication, in some cases it may be necessary to print
   information, in hard-copy form, at a remote location.  The remote
   output device may consist of a standard line printer, a printer with

Malamud & Rose                                                  [Page 1]
RFC 1528        Remote Printing -- Technical Procedures     October 1993

   multiple fonts and faces, a printer that can reproduce graphics, or a
   facsimile device.  Remote output may be accompanied by information
   that identifies the intended recipient.  This memo describes a
   technique for "remote printing" using the Internet mail
   infrastructure.  In particular, this memo focuses on the case in
   which remote printers are connected to the international telephone
   network.

2. Naming, Addressing, and Routing

   A printer is identified by a telephone number which corresponds to a
   G3-facsimile device connected to the international telephone network,
   e.g.,

      +1 415 968 2510

   where "+1" indicates the IDDD country code, and the remaining string
   is a telephone number within that country.

2.1 Addressing

   This number is used to construct the address of a remote printer
   server, which forms the recipient address for the message, e.g.,
   either

      remote-printer@0.1.5.2.8.6.9.5.1.4.1.tpc.int

      or

      remote-printer.ATOM@0.1.5.2.8.6.9.5.1.4.1.tpc.int

   where "ATOM" is an (optional) RFC 822 atom [1], an opaque string for
   use in recipient identification when generating a cover-sheet, and
   the domain-part is constructed by reversing the telephone number,
   converting each digit to a domain-label, and being placed under
   "tpc.int."

Malamud & Rose                                                  [Page 2]
RFC 1528        Remote Printing -- Technical Procedures     October 1993

   Note that the mailbox syntax is purposefully restricted in the
   interests of pragmatism.  To paraphrase RFC 822, an atom is defined
   as:

      atom    = 1*atomchar

      atomchar=  <any upper or lowercase alphabetic character
                 (A-Z a-z)>
                / <any digit (0-9)>
                / "!" / "#" / "$" / "%" / "&" / "'" / "*" / "+"
                / "-" / "/" / "=" / "?" / "^" / "_" / "`" / "{"
                / "|" / "}" / "~"

   Finally, note that some Internet mail software (especially gateways
   from outside the Internet) impose stringent limitations on the size
   of a mailbox-string.  Thus, originating user agents should take care
   in limiting the local-part to no more than 70 or so characters.

2.2 Routing

   The message is routed in exactly the same fashion as all other
   electronic mail, i.e., using the MX algorithm [2].  Since a remote