How to use the NEWER printer driver?

S

Slyster

Registered
I have a Canon 2100 series bubble jet.

The standard driver that comes with OSX Panther (the one that detected the printer when I plugged it in) is very VERY limited. It will NOT print with my replacement cartridges since it needs to be set to "greyscale"... an option that is not in the wimpy driver... but IS on the real driver/software from Canon.

SO.. I download/install the canon driver (the one with all the options) but no matter what I try.. only the standard poopy driver from OSX comes up... and I tried a lot of things!

Anyone? (I assume this is pretty much for any printer driver update)

Tx all! Slyster- MN, USA
 
Did you try deleting the printer from the Printer Setup Utility, then installing the new drivers, and then re-adding the printer to the Printer Setup Utility?

Also, when you're able to scroll the list of drivers available, look for the newest driver or another driver for that printer in the list. It may have the exact same name; you'll just have to experiment.
 
Slyster said:
I have a Canon 2100 series bubble jet.

The standard driver that comes with OSX Panther (the one that detected the printer when I plugged it in) is very VERY limited. It will NOT print with my replacement cartridges since it needs to be set to "greyscale"... an option that is not in the wimpy driver... but IS on the real driver/software from Canon.

SO.. I download/install the canon driver (the one with all the options) but no matter what I try.. only the standard poopy driver from OSX comes up... and I tried a lot of things!

Anyone? (I assume this is pretty much for any printer driver update)

Tx all! Slyster- MN, USA
Click to expand...
I agree, you should always delete the existing printer from your printer setup utility, then add a printer, selecting your printer model from the list if more than one displays.
The latest OS X driver for 2100 is version 1.7 ? Same one that comes with Panther, also the same at Canon web site. What version are you trying to install? Is it the OS 9 version (3.42)? That one will not work with Panther.
 
Also, many features that people enjoyed about their printers, like double-sided printing for example, are just not supported with OS X. It's partly due to Apple, whom released the printing sub-structure or whatever to the developers too late, and partly due to the printer manufacturers who are just lazy in getting support under OS X on par with OS 9.

I hear that the printing under OS X 10.3 is completely CUPS-driven, which is a good thing, since mature CUPS drivers have been around for quite some time now.
 
CUPS is only for USB printers... I'm not sure what they use for ethernet networked printers like my Epson 900n.

With Panther they just resurected Desktop Printers!

Yeaaaah!

:D
 
All I need to do it tell it print in "Grayscale"! That's all! :0

Even that most basic option isn't there... :(

And what's the deal with "Libraries"? I have a few of those folders.. under "Pete" (who I log in as) and one under Mac HD etc.. which one contains the driver actually being used?
 
The printer driver would be located in the computer's Library folder rather than in the user's. You'll find it in /Library/ or /System/Library/.
 
Tommy, CUPS provides printing services for a wide range of printers and connections, not just USB.

We had a hp DeskJet 1220c running through a JetDirect port and CUPS had us up and printing flawlessly through it.
 
Well, since no one could answer my questions I will answer it myself!!

I figured it out! :)

Unlike Windows (the better of the operating systems..?) you can NOT change the default printer settings...

BUT.. you CAN change them each time you print. When I run Word and want to print something in Gray scale.. there IS a pull down menu option.. not too obvious, but it is there.. and you can pull down various menus where you can tweak the printer to do what you want.

Tx for the attempts anyway!

EDIT: My first post came across tooooo negative.
 
Slyster said:
Unlike Windows (the better of the operating systems...) you can NOT change the default printer settings...

BUT.. you CAN change them each time you print. When I run Word and want to print something in Gray scale.. there IS a pull down menu option.. not too obvious, but it is there.. and you can pull down various menus where you can tweak the printer to do what you want.
Click to expand...
Once you've done this once use that same pull down menu to either "Save custom setting" (10.1.x) or "Save as..." (10.2.x). Unfortunately 10.1 will only let you save 1 custom setting but 10.2 will let you save as many settings as you like - I assume this is carried through to 10.3
Once you get used to OS X and all the power behind it (e.g. the Unix underpinnings) you soon come to think of it as a far superior OS. I am forced to use Windows at work and continually get frustrated by its limitations (using both 2000 and XP).
 
Actually, you can set a default print setting for each application you use... depending on the app and the printer. Just go to Page setup or print setup from the file menu of the application. Some options don't show until you get the print dialog box. There is a pull down menu with several panels to check out. This is where the save custom setting is. Hit that button when you have set your options in that window.

Each printer and app combination have different options. While we know some answers, we don't know them all. Glad you found the answer. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top