Foomatic is a printer database designed to make it easier to set up common printers for use with Debian (and other operating systems). It provides the "glue" between a print spooler (like CUPS or lpr) and your actual printer, by telling your computer how to process files sent to the printer.

This package provides Adobe-compliant PPD files for *every single printer* supported by Foomatic. Unless you want to be able to select your printer from the web interface of CUPS or PPR, you almost certainly don't want this package. Instead, you can use the "foomatic-configure" script in foomatic-db-engine, the "foomatic-gui" package, or the web interface for getting a particular PPD file at http://www.linuxprinting.org/printer_list.cgi