Mac OS X Server: Using non-Postscript printers with the Print Server

The Print Service in Mac OS X Server is designed to share Postscript printers, but it can also share non-Postscript printers with some caveats. A printer's physical connection does not indicate whether or not it uses PostScript--check your printer's specifications.

Mac OS X Server 10.3, 10.4 or later

Mac OS X Server 10.3 and 10.4 use PostScript print queues to provide printer sharing (or spooling) of both Postscript and non-Postscript printers. Clients can print to these queues using AppleTalk PAP, LPR/LPD, or SMB/CIFS protocols.

When Mac OS X Server 10.3 or later receives the print job, it either queues the PostScript print job for delivery to a networked or USB PostScript printer, or converts the PostScript print job into PDF (using the ps2pdf converter) for output to a inkjet (raster) printer connected to the server using USB.

Note: With Mac OS X Server 10.4 or later, IPP-shared queues allow direct spooling of PDF to the server, eliminating the need for Postscript conversion.

Since only PostScript print jobs can be received, clients must use a Postscript PPD to print to the server queue. If the queue is serving a non-Postrscript printer, clients must use the Generic PPD. In this case, driver specific features, such as checking the amount of ink available in the printer, are not available.

For more information about the Print Server, see the Mac OS X Server Print Service Administration Guide (manual).

Mac OS X Server 10.2

To share a printer using Print Server, you must use a PostScript printer connected via USB or Ethernet.

However, you can share non-PostScript printers using the Printer Sharing feature in Sharing preferences. It will appear as a queue in the Server Settings Print Monitor, but you will notice that the Edit button is dimmed. This means that you can monitor what the printer is doing, but you cannot limit access to it, or give it a new queue name, and so forth. If it is a PostScript printer, the Edit button will be available. You will be able to share the printer using Print Service and apply other Print Service options. Printers shared using Mac OS X Server Print Service do not automatically appear in the Printer List in Print Center (Mac OS X 10.2 or later clients) and must be specifically added by the user.

Note: Do not use Printer Sharing (in the Sharing preference pane) if you want to enforce print quotas. Printer Sharing enables clients to use all shared printers and print queues without regard to quotas you may have specified.

For information on setting up Printer Sharing, see Mac Help.