10.4: Print to AppleTalk networked StyleWriters

Apr 05, '06 06:07:00AM

Contributed by: katarchaea

Tiger only hintI was fooling around with my old Color Stylewriter 4100 printer and some LocalTalk connectors, and found how to make it print from Tiger using AppleTalk PAP (Printer Access Protocol). Presently this printer is connected to my old PowerBook 170 using LocalTalk cabling. The PB 170 is running the Apple LocalTalk Bridge (2.1), and is also on my Ethernet network. This tip should also work with any of the physical LocalTalk/Ethernet bridges (Farallon, Asante) available used on eBay and elsewhere with an AppleTalk-enabled StyleWriter.

First, with the printer and bridge computer (or device) turned on and booted up, and your Tiger machine connected to the same network (Ethernet) with AppleTalk active on Ethernet (System Preferences -> Network), open Terminal on the Tiger machine and type atlookup. Note the printer entry, and AppleTalk zone. If you have a simple network, the AppleTalk zone will probably be *.

Unless you've changed the printer's AppleTalk name, it will show up something like this:

Found 6 entries in zone *
ff00.bd.84      Color Stylewriter 4100:ColorStyleWriter4000
Now in Tiger, open System Preferences and click on the Print and Fax icon. In the Printing tab, click on the + sign at the bottom left. After the Default printer browser comes up, hold down the Option key and then click on More Printers. On the menu that comes up (AppleTalk), select Advanced. Here is where you set up your printer: You should now be able to print to your vintage Apple StyleWriter printer! This tip may also work with older AppleTalk-enabled HP DeskWriter printers, but I am unable to test these. Good luck and happy printing!

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