Configuring Printers on Mac OS X


Mac OS X supports many types of printers, including network and directly connected printers. This section only focuses on using the Printer Setup Utility to add printers shared from a Mac OS X Server. These printers are available to all users on the Mac OS X. There are two parts to the Printer Setup Utility: the Printer List window and the Printer Browser. The Printer List window shows the list of printers added to the local computer, whereas the Printer Browser handles the main browsable printer types, including printers directly attached to your computer. The Printer Browser will also dynamically show AppleTalk, Open Directory (Open Directory can include printers shared via SMB from a Windows computer), and Shared Printers (Shared Printers can include IPP printers shared from another Mac OS X computer).

Mac OS X offers three tools for adding printers:

  • The Printer Setup Utility

  • The CUPS web interface

  • lp commands via the Terminal

The Printer Setup Utility is the easiest and most widely used. In reality, you add printers to your list via the Printer Browser, a separate window of the Printer Setup Utility. The Printer Browser can add printers for the user to print to over the following methods using the Default Browser button:

  • AppleTalk To select an AppleTalk printer in the Printer Browser, find a printer you want to connect to with a Connection type of AppleTalk. Select the printer and click Add (Figure 7.27). A window may appear (depending on the options available for that given printer) while the server communicates with the printer to determine the printer configuration (Figure 7.28).

    Figure 7.27. Using the Printer Setup Utility's Printer Browser, you can add a printer using the AppleTalk protocol...

    Figure 7.28. ...and a window may appear when the printer is auto-configuring.

  • Bonjour To select a Bonjour printer in the Print Browser, select a printer with a Connection type of Bonjour, and click Add (Figure 7.29). Since Bonjour can't auto-configure the printer for you like AppleTalk can, if the printer has different options, a window will appear, where you can configure those settings (Figure 7.30).

    Figure 7.29. Using the Printer Setup Utility's Printer Browser, you can add a printer discovered by Bonjour...

    Figure 7.30. ...and a window may appear allowing you to choose printer options.

  • Shared Printer To select a shared IPP printer in the Print Browser, select a printer with a Connection type of Shared Printer and click Add. With a shared printer, a user cannot set the name, location, or the printer type, nor can they change them in the Printer Setup Utility once they've added the printer, because those settings are all determined by the computer sharing the printer, a feature that administrators may want to take advantage of (Figure 7.31).

    Figure 7.31. Using the Printer Setup Utility's Printer Browser, you can add a shared printer.

  • Open Directory To select an Open Directory printer in the Print Browser, select a printer with a connection type of Open Directory. If the location and printer type are set for you, verify that they're set correctly, and click Add (Figure 7.32). A window appears offering "Installable Options," if there are any (Figure 7.33). Set the options correctly, and click Continue. In the Print Browser window, printers being shared via SMB from Active Directory servers will also show up as "Open Directory," even though they technically aren't. If these printers require authentication, click More Printers at the bottom of the Print Browser window to add them.

    Figure 7.32. Using the Printer Setup Utility's Printer Browser, you can add a printer discovered by Open Directory...

    Figure 7.33. ...and a window may appear allowing you to choose printer options.

    If the printer is not being advertised by methods that cause it to show up in the Default Browser window, you can also create local printers via other methods. Using any of these three methods requires you to enter the information on the printer manually:

  • Internet Printing Protocol IPP To add printers via IPP, enter the printer's IP address or DNS name, and the queue, if needed. Enter a name for the printer in the Name field; this is the name you'll see when you select the printer in the print dialog/sheet. If you don't enter a name, then the IP address or DNS name will be used. Optionally, you can also enter a location for the printer. Select the specific printer type to be used, and then click Add (Figure 7.34).

    Figure 7.34. Using the Printer Setup Utility's Printer Browser, you can add an LPD (IP) printer.

  • Line Printer Daemon LPD Use this option for LPR printers. The options are the same as IPP.

  • HP Jet Direct Socket Use this option to connect to HP printers via the HP JetDirect protocol. Other than the specific type of printer, the options are the same as IPP and LPD.

Tip

  • LPR and HP JetDirect methods do not talk directly to the printer and request feedback, as other methods do.


If your printer doesn't appear in the browser list, or you have a printer that needs manual/nonstandard settings, click More Printers to display a menu of various options by printer connection type (Figure 7.35).

Figure 7.35. This pop-up menu shows various connection options when creating a printer.


  • AppleTalk If your AppleTalk network is configured with multiple zones, select the appropriate zone from the pop-up menu. In either case, AppleTalk printers automatically populate in the list based on zone (Figure 7.36).

    Figure 7.36. Selecting an AppleTalk printer in another zone.

  • Bluetooth If you have a Bluetoothcapable Mac, any Bluetooth printers will show up on this list. Select the printer from the list, verify that the model is correct or pick the correct driver, and click Add (Figure 7.37).

    Figure 7.37. You can add Bluetooth printers to the printer list.

  • Windows Printing If your Windows network is configured with multiple workgroups, select the appropriate workgroup from the pop-up menu. Initially you'll be presented with computers running Windows (SMB) printer sharing. Select a computer from the list and click Choose (Figure 7.38). Then select the printer from the list, and click Add (Figure 7.39).

    Figure 7.38. Viewing Windows computers with potential shared printers.

    Figure 7.39. Adding a printer via SMB...

    Tips

    • While you can connect to a printer via SMB in the printer browser via the Open Directory label, if the printer or the Windows computer controlling it requires a password (as most do) you may have problems connecting to that printer (Figure 7.40).

      Figure 7.40. ...may require authentication to that particular printer's host.

    • When printing to an SMB-based printer, you may have to authenticate with a user account and password, as they're often password protected, especially on a large network (as seen in Figure 7.40).


  • USB With USB printing, plugging in the USB printer is usually enough. You may need to install the printer drivers and printer description files if a CD is included with your printer. Consult the directions and CD that came with your USB printer in that case.

  • Other Options Depending on the printers you use, you may have other options available, such as Epson AppleTalk or Canon BJ. These are specific to the printer(s) you use, and you should consult the specific documentation for information on using those connection types (Figure 7.41).

    Figure 7.41. Some printers require special drivers, which are installed and viewed separately.

  • The Advanced option Sometimes you have a printer you need to add, but it requires a slightly different setup than you would normally see via the Printer Setup Utility. For those printers, the Printer Setup Utility has the Advanced option. This option is normally hidden, as you shouldn't use it casually. To access it, hold down the Option key while clicking More Printers in the Printer Browser window. In the list of available options that appears, you'll see a new entry: Advanced. In the Advanced options, you can manually set up any kind of printer Mac OS X can see. Of all the possibilities, one of the most common is connecting to a printer that uses IPP but via a HTTP URL. This is common with HP Laser printers that support IPP.

To create a printer

1.

On Mac OS X, launch the Printer Setup Utility.

The Printer List window appears (Figure 7.42).

Figure 7.42. Viewing the Printer Setup Utility's Printer List window.


2.

Click Add Printer on the Toolbar. The Printer Browser window appears.

3.

Choose a printer to add to the Printer List from the browser (Figure 7.43).

Figure 7.43. Viewing printer options via the Default Browser window.


or

If you want to connect to a printer via IPP, LPD/LPR, or HP Jet Direct, click IP Printer.

4.

Fill out the appropriate information and click Add.

When you click Add, another window offering "Installable Options" may appear. You can pick any additional options the printer may have, such as extra memory or a duplex unit. Set the correct options for your printer, and click Continue. This will add the printer to the Printer List window in the Printer Setup Utility.

5.

Verify that the printer you just selected has been added to your Printer List window (Figure 7.44).

Figure 7.44. Verifying an IP printer is added to the printer list.


6.

Quit the Printer Setup Utility.

Tips

  • You can delete a printer by selecting it and clicking Delete on the Printer List Toolbar.

  • Double-click a printer in the list to view its local print job queue (Figure 7.45).

    Figure 7.45. Double-click any printer to view its queue.

  • You can edit a printer's configuration by selecting it in the Printer List window and clicking Show Info (Figure 7.46).

    Figure 7.46. Clicking Get Info when a printer is selected shows editable options.





Mac OS X Server 10. 4 Tiger. Visual QuickPro Guide
Mac OS X Server 10.4 Tiger: Visual QuickPro Guide
ISBN: 0321362446
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 139
Authors: Schoun Regan

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