Printing to windows network printer

[Alex N]

I have a macbook running OS X (Tiger). Somehow I have now managed to connect it to the Office Windows Network (all on XP) via my Airport connecting to a netgear router which is hard wired to a pc (called "julie's" computer). In turn, "Julie's" is connected to a HP Color Laserjet 1500 printer. I can see the network folders on "Julie" and have access to them and the internet fine.

So far so good.

So, I came to trying to find the printer and now I have a headache.


As advised in a guide book I did following:

Preferences > Print & fax > + (to add printer)

this opened the Printer Browser window

I chose Windows Printing on top tab and then Workgroup (for default network cluster). This showed me the list of network components and I highlighted "Julie" and pressed 'Choose' button.

The Printer Browser window updated to show it was Windows Printing (top pop up menu) and to Julie (second pop up). One printer was showing in list of printers, the HP1500 (and in comment it correctly identified it as HP Color Laserjet 1500). The printer model pop up menu was set to Generic - the 1500 isn't listed in the list of alternatives so I left this as it was and pressed 'Add' button.

I opened Word, tried to print and it seemed okay but nothing came out of the printer. I checked the Print Queue and it says the Job Completed (same thing when I print from Safari).

Any ideas please? - bit of a loose end and in office with no printing ability. help.

BTW - i didn't download any drivers for the printer nor know if I ought to (given the way I'm printing to a windows printer) or where they would need storing, how to use them, etc.

 

[mad jew]

Well, check this page from Apple out for a start. Get the drivers from HP and install them on your Mac too. Good luck.

 

[Alex N]

Tried that, no joy.

I have installed the drivers, hooked the macbook up to the printer directly with a USB cable and printed no problem. So, I have the correct drivers and the macbook recognised them by name.

I think the problem is that when I print via 'Windows Printing' in the Printer Browser window and select the workgroup (Julie), and then the correct printer from the network, I am not given the choice of the correct printer model. There are many models for HP but not HP Color Laserjet 1500. I am left having to use the option 'Generic'. It is peculiar that the correct model has not been added to the list given I clearly have the drivers on the macbook now. (and I've restarted a few times).

Anyone had this problem?

 

[MisterMe]

...

I have installed the drivers, hooked the macbook up to the printer directly with a USB cable and printed no problem. So, I have the correct drivers and the macbook recognised them by name.

...

No, this proves that you have the wrong drivers. You cannot use USB drivers to for a networked printer. You need to download and install a CUPS driver for your printer. Search this forum for Gutenprint and CUPS. You may also visit the LinuxPrinting.org website.

 

[Alex N]

No, this proves that you have the wrong drivers. You cannot use USB drivers to for a networked printer. You need to download and install a CUPS driver for your printer. Search this forum for Gutenprint and CUPS. You may also visit the LinuxPrinting.org website.

Gutenprint doesn't support that printer (HP Color Laserjet 1500) so I guess I'm stuffed.

To worsen things (but this must be fixable) when I use the up to date printer drivers for USB printing, link machine to printer and print from Excel (which I did just to be sure I could at least resort to manually plugging the macbook into the printer - with 6 hours clocked up already, trying to fix this, I sadly have to consider that as a time-saving method now) I found that the print has multiple problems - - cell borders and underlines moved several points to the right of the text, cell shading moved to the right, etc. The print preview looked fine however.

Would people suspect this is another printer issue (rather than Excel having problems too - think I'll throw the macbook through window - no pun intended - if Excel might be to pot too). If I need remove all print drivers and associated files could you please say where tehy all may be lurking too.

Many thanks
A

 

[MisterMe]

Gutenprint doesn't support that printer (HP Color Laserjet 1500) so I guess I'm stuffed.

...

Not necessarily? If you had bothered to look at the LinuxPrinting.org website, then you would have seen that your printer has a CUPS driver which works--in a fashion--sort of. In all seriousness, you bought a printer that is pretty much restricted to USB.

 

[otis123]

Not necessarily? If you had bothered to look at the LinuxPrinting.org website, then you would have seen that your printer has a CUPS driver which works--in a fashion--sort of. In all seriousness, you bought a printer that is pretty much restricted to USB.

mine was a bastard to configure, its one of those HP all in ones connect to a windows box, used CUPS to set up and gutenprint drivers and they didnt have my model so i picked a random HP one and it worked