Printer Driver Frustration

[enlivingston]

Howdy. Brand new here.

I'm trying to print from my new MacBook Pro to my office's networked Canon ImageRunner 2800 printer.

I've downloaded the driver, PPD_v2.55.hqx, from Canon, but when I try to open it with StuffIt, I'm told it can't expand the files because of an archive problem. StuffIt does produce a us_eng.sit file but that is just full of gobbledygook text.

When I try to add a printer, I select 'more printers' which makes my Mac scan for installed printer drivers. It then lists Canon IJ Network as an option but allows me no choices to do anything with it except cancel (the Add button is grayed out).

At wits end. THanks for any help.

 

[hughvane]

I've met this problem before, and solved it by opening the .hqx file with an older version of StuffIt. Hope it works for you.

 

[enlivingston]

I can't seem to locate an older version of Stuffit. Any links?

 

[Sun Baked]

Look in the user manual to see how to get to the menu to change the printer emulation to an HP LaserJet or another printer type.

Setting the emulation to HP LaserJet may let you run the printer without driver hassle ... though this may lock you into simple supported printer features.

I know with a cheap $89 network printer I can use Firefox to log into it and look at its setup using the browser, and modify its settings.

I can't seem to locate an older version of Stuffit. Any links?

I think you need a newer version, version 13 is out now, which should open hqx files.

Using 12, it produced the us_eng.sit which expanded into the us_eng folder with all the ppds.

 

[enlivingston]

The latest version of Stuffit did seem to make progress extracting the driver files. When I get in the office tomorrow I'll see if I can get past the dead end of trying to add a printer.

Thanks.

 

[enlivingston]

well I'm still stuck.

When I go to System Preferences/Printer & Fax/ I then click the + in order to add a printer. After that I click the "More Printers" tab which makes it scan for installed printer drivers. It finds 4 or 5 drivers which match the printers on my network, so I think that it sees our network printers, but the "Add" button is grayed out on all of them (see attachment).

At that point my only option is to cancel which sends me spiraling into deep depression and frustration.

 

[enlivingston]

Figured it out...

I had to get the IP address of the printer. Once I had that I just added a printer via the IP Address feature of Add Printer, and then it worked like a charm.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Sun Baked]

Figured it out...

I had to get the IP address of the printer. Once I had that I just added a printer via the IP Address feature of Add Printer, and then it worked like a charm.

Thanks for the input!

You should also be able to check out the settings of the printer with the IP address and a browser.