A method for automatically generating a custom printer description file is disclosed. The custom printer description file enables a computer's printing system to insert, into a print data stream, commands (e.g., PCL, PJL, JCL, JDF, or PJTF commands) that cause a non-Postscript-enabled printing device (e.g., a non-Postscript printer) to perform operations in accordance with a user's specified desires. The custom printer description file is automatically generated based on an existing PPD file, which already indicates the features that the user's printing device supports. According to one aspect, an automated tool reads both an existing PPD file and translation data. Using the translation data, the automated tool generates a custom printer description file that contains appropriate non-Postscript commands for each feature/option combination that the printing device supports.