HP DesignJet 500ps workaround

Apr 04, '03 10:07:00AM

Contributed by: barryjaylevine

Note: Please see the comments for an update concerning this hint in 10.3...

HP's been quite silent on the fate of the OS X version of their PostScript RIP. Published docs suggest "fall, 2003," but a conversation with an HP tech support person this afternoon yielded a "could be tomorrow, could be next spring" comment (*grumble*). However, the techie did suggest a reasonable workaround (which I have not yet confirmed but hope to do so next week, but don't let that stop y'all from trying this also!).

  1. Download and install the OS X DesignJet 800ps driver. Apparently, it is quite compatible to the DJ500ps, but is designed for use in OS X (whereas the PPD for the DJ500ps is not). Alternatively, place the OS 9 PPD for the DJ500ps inside the /Library -> Printers -> PPDs -> Contents -> Resources folder, which is where the DJ800ps PPD would be installed. However, there is a chance that the DJ500ps PPD may not work.

  2. Run the OS 9 RIP on another Mac (booted into OS9). The DJ500ps would be connected to that Mac via USB and the RIP, in essence, serves up the DJ to the rest of the network as long as the proper PPD is available to the other Macs.

  3. In the Print Center of the OS X Mac (in which you installed the DJ800ps PPD), "Add" an AppleTalk printer (or IP using the IP address of the Mac running the RIP). Select HP from the popup menu and the PPD from the displayed list.

  4. Print.
Now, there are two results that can happen (according to the HP techie)
  1. It works fine. Go have a beer.

  2. It doesn't work. So try this: When you print from the OS X Mac, save the print job as a PostScript file. Then drop the file into the OS 9 Mac's RIP spooler. This will cause the RIP to do its thing and print to the DJ.
As I indicated above, I haven't tested this yet throroughly yet. What I have done is saved the PostScript print file on my OS X Mac and burned the file to a CD. Tomorrow I'll bring it over to the location where the DJ500ps is running, drop it into the RIP, and then compare the output to the original file (which I'll also print from within OS 9 on the same machine).

Apparently, this can also be done using one Mac with the RIP running in Classic (dropping the PostScript print file into the RIP manually). However, if you've read this far, you already know how much the RIP slows down even a G4, so the separate "OS 9 RIP Print Server" is the answer. When HP releases the OS X RIP, I'll just install OS X on the RIP Server and continue to use a separate print server Mac.

I'll appreciate any comments. Please feel free to email me directly if you wish but do post comments and questions here in order to keep a complete record for those who come after.

Comments (10)


Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20030403001201860