$ Linux Command

Text

pr

Format text files for printing or column output.

formattingcolumnsprintpaginationtext

Additional Notes

pr formats text files for printing by adding headers, footers, page numbers, line numbers, multi-column output, and date/time stamps. Despite its name (originally "print"), pr does not send output to a printer; it formats text for terminal display or file output.

pr is useful for preparing text for paginated output, viewing files in multiple columns, creating formatted reports, and preparing documents for printing. It is part of GNU Coreutils and is available on all Linux systems.

Syntax

pr [options] [file...]

Parameters

  • file: One or more files to format. If no file is given, pr reads from standard input.

Common Options

  • -k, --columns=k: Produce k columns of output.
  • -a, --across: Fill columns across the page (row-major) instead of down (column-major).
  • -m, --merge: Merge and print files in parallel, one per column.
  • -d, --double-space: Double-space the output.
  • -F, --form-feed: Use form feeds instead of newlines to separate pages.
  • -h header, --header=header: Use a custom header on each page.
  • -l lines, --length=lines: Set the page length to lines (default 66).
  • -o margin, --indent=margin: Set the left margin to margin spaces.
  • -n[delimiter[,digits]], --number-lines[=delimiter[,digits]]: Number lines with an optional delimiter (default tab) and digit width.
  • -p, --pause: Pause before each page when output goes to a terminal.
  • -r, --no-file-warnings: Suppress warnings about files that cannot be opened.
  • -s delimiter, --separator=delimiter: Use a custom column separator.
  • -w width, --width=width: Set the page width (default 72).
  • -t, --omit-header: Omit headers and footers.
  • -T, --omit-pagination: Omit headers, footers, and pagination entirely.
  • -v, --show-nonprinting: Show non-printing characters visibly.
  • --help: Show help and exit.
  • --version: Show version information.

Examples

pr file.txt

Format a file with headers, footers, and page breaks for printing.

pr -l 50 file.txt

Format a file with 50-line pages.

pr -2 file.txt

Display file content in two columns (column-major order).

pr -a -3 file.txt

Display in three columns filled across the page (row-major).

ls | pr -4 -t

List files in 4 columns without headers.

pr -m file1.txt file2.txt

Merge two files side by side in two columns.

pr -n file.txt

Number all lines in the formatted output.

pr -n: -w 100 -l 60 report.txt

Format a report with line numbers (separated by :), width of 100, page length of 60.

pr -h "My Report" -d document.txt

Add a custom header and double-space the output.

Practical Notes

  • pr writes to standard output. Redirect to a file with > or pipe to a printer with lp.
  • Combine with lp or lpr for actual printing: pr report.txt | lp.
  • The default page length of 66 lines (11 inches at 6 lines per inch) matches standard US letter paper.
  • Use pr -t when you want column formatting without header/footer pagination. This is the most common use case.
  • For simple multi-column display, column is often easier than pr.
  • The merge mode (-m) is useful for side-by-side comparison of files.