@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import getopt
 import os
 import sys
+import subprocess
 
 VERSION = "pilprint 0.3/2003-05-05"
 
@@ -46,8 +47,8 @@ def description(filepath, image):
     print(v)
     sys.exit(1)
 
-printer = None  # print to stdout
-monochrome = 1  # reduce file size for most common case
+printerArgs = []  # print to stdout
+monochrome = 1    # reduce file size for most common case
 
 for o, a in opt:
     if o == "-d":
@@ -60,10 +61,10 @@ def description(filepath, image):
         monochrome = 0
     elif o == "-p":
         # default printer channel
-        printer = "lpr"
+        printerArgs = ["lpr"]
     elif o == "-P":
         # printer channel
-        printer = "lpr -P%s" % a
+        printerArgs = ["lpr","-P%s" % a]
 
 for filepath in argv:
     try:
@@ -76,8 +77,9 @@ def description(filepath, image):
             im.draft("L", im.size)
             im = im.convert("L")
 
-        if printer:
-            fp = os.popen(printer, "w")
+        if printerArgs:
+            p = subprocess.Popen(printerArgs, stdin=subprocess.PIPE)
+            fp = p.stdin
         else:
             fp = sys.stdout
 
@@ -91,6 +93,9 @@ def description(filepath, image):
         ps.image(letter, im)
         ps.end_document()
 
+        if printerArgs:
+            fp.close()
+
     except:
         print("cannot print image", end=' ')
         print("(%s:%s)" % (sys.exc_info()[0], sys.exc_info()[1]))