I'm new at this office and they've assigned me the task of getting their new iMac to play nice with their PC network (or vice versa). I've gotten the network bit working alright but printing still isn't working. Here's the set up: 4 computers (3 PCs, 1 iMac), Linksys router and Print Server, ancient HP LaserJet 4 Plus printer. The main problem: When we try to print from the Mac, all we get is a sheet with some gobbledygook at the top of the page and then SEVERAL blank pages. The document never prints. Any thoughts? Thanks.

do u have the coorect print driver installer?

First, I'm not familiar with this printer - is it a postscript printer? What you've described sounds like a driver sending postscript to a non-postscript printer. OS X is capable of printing on non-postscript printers, but you have to use the right printer selection when setting up the printer in Print Center.
I'd first suggest deleting the current setup and trying Add Printer again.

Hello,

I have the same problem with a laser brother hl1240, and I am still looking for the driver, apprently this model does not offer a ppd driver, so i am looking now into Gimp, but in the meantime, if your office can afford it get Dave 4.1, they have a full 30 days evaluation and after cost $140. I now it is not cheap, but how much they pay you per hour, it is worth all the time then, talk to your boss.
Dave is flawless and easy to install

Giro

I'm sorry to disagree with the Dave suggestion.
Ghotscript and Gimp-Print4.2.6pre1 work extremely well and are easy Mac-style installers. And Free! Download both here:
http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/MacOSX.php3
Then, Add printer from Print Center.
The Brother 1240 is setup using the Laserjet II series driver.

the Dave solution didn't work. I've downloaded ghostscript and gimp-print but now get many many pages of some kind of code. Any thoughts on how to solve this? Perhaps activating or deactivating a filter somewhere? thanks!

You can download the OS X drivers for the Laserjet 4 Plus printer HERE (http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DriverDownload.jsp?pnameOID=15024&locale=en_US&taskId=135&prodTypeId=18972&prodSeriesId=25484&submit.y=7&submit.x=6&cc=us#Mac%20OS%20X)

The Brother 1240 has OS X drivers HERE (http://www.brother.com/E-ftp/macosxstate.htm) if this will help.

Yea, I've got the driver for the HP LaserJet and have it installed (I just reinstalled it), but that hasn't helped.

Sorry, but I think you need to tell us the details of your setup from the Print center: connection type; address/IP/URL; print queue name; and driver "model" selected. Something doesn't add up.

All right, so how you do that, I installed Gimp print and Ghost , try i don't know how many time. no success at all. I aheb a brother hl 1240, connect to a printer server recognized on the network as SC0B3F05 and using port P1 with a fixed IP: 192.168.1.120, so the path is //192.168.1.120/SC0B3F05/P1 or //SC0B3F05/P1. The problem come to identified the driver that will work with i saw above Lasejetii series where I find this it is an apple one or which brand. I am about to give up. By the way hoew you unistakked that Gimp thing?

Giro

Sure, here's the story: I've tried a couple different things in the Print Center. First I tried connecting to the printer with AppleTalk. It recognized the print server immediately, but after the printer information and trying to print, all I got was a page with one or two lines of some code/garbage followd by shit loads of blank pages.

After downloading and installing gimp and ghostscript, I followed gimps instructions for printing with a print server, namely with IP printing. I got the IP address off one of the PCs in the office, entered it along with the print servers queue name (SCCADBD2), and printer info. When I tried to print I got even bigger shit loads of pages filled with code.

I filpped through gimp's troubleshooting guide and the only I found was something saying that it might be because I'm useing a "raw" version, but I don't know how to change that.

I know the printer is supported by gimp (HP LaserJet 4 Plus) I've downloaded and installed the HP LaserJet Printing Software and Utility for Mac OS X.

so basically you are stocked like me i guess?

Giro

gderoover -
You select the driver/ppd by selecting the printer model from the pull-down at the bottom of the Add printer dialog box.

BioMed - try substituting "raw" for the queue name in your printer setup for IP printing. What print server box are you using?
And you did download Gimp-Print 4.2.6pre1 or 4.2.5, right? Vers 4.3.x doesn't work.

Yes, I downloaded Gimp 4.2.5, using raw for the queue name yielded the same loads of code. It's a Lynksys print server. Thanks.

Well, since that bombed, I think you should try appletalk again because the LinkSys supports it. (Do you have a PC to run the BiAdmin software for the LinkSys, in case you want to set something different?)

hey i works now, I add printer then choose my printer network and click manually then use the laserjet series from hp with gimp and that's it, ouf ouf

Thanks guys,

Giro

That was my thought too, but it still doesn't work. The Gimp trouble shoot list suggests changing the filter setting to -i or -d. Do you know how to do that? Thanks.