QuickDraw GX: Printer Sharing Between GX & Non-GX Users (7/95)


I am using the Color StyleWriter 2400 with the QuickDraw GX driver and the standard driver. Neither driver seems to let someone using the opposite driver access the printer when it is shared. Why is this option NOT available?

When using ColorShare to share the printer. QuickDraw GX users do not have access to the printer. It seems that the printer should be visible to QuickDraw GX users if they select the AppleTalk option from the Chooser.

Can you share between QuickDraw GX and non-QuickDraw GX computers? If you can what are the system requirements of the non-QuickDraw GX computer? How is sharing setup if possible? We have tried to share the printer from QuickDraw GX to non-QuickDraw GX and were unsuccessful. I was also told that if you click on the printer icon, you can choose "Share Printer" from the Printing menu. However, this option is not there.

Sharing printers between QuickDraw GX and non-QuickDraw GX systems is not really possible. The "not really" is primarily because of the third point below (describing a shared PostScript network printer).

* Share this Printer Option Not in Printing Menu

The option of Share this printer is NOT located in the Printing menu. When you select a desktop printer, the sharing option is located in the File menu. You share a desktop printer just as you would any other volume or folder: by selecting the printer icon, then choosing Sharing from the
File menu, and checking the Share this item box.

* Shared QuickDraw Serial Printer Options

When a QuickDraw serial printer is shared, the option Non-QuickDraw GX systems may also use this printer is grayed out. This is because the previous implementation of print sharing with PrinterShare (also known as GrayShare/ColorShare) is not compatible with QuickDraw GX. They utilize different techniques for sharing and also provide different functionality. QuickDraw printer, all clients MUST have QuickDraw GX installed, and Server must be selected in the popup field on the right side of the Chooser's window.

* Shared PostScript Network Printer Options

When a PostScript network printer is shared, the option Non-QuickDraw GX systems may also use this printer is available and works EXACTLY as the Bypass option in the AppleShare PrintServer. This lets all clients (QuickDraw GX and non-QuickDraw GX) see the printer and print to it WITHOUT having to go through the QuickDraw GX system that has captured it. For non-QuickDraw GX clients, they can directly see the printer in the Chooser. For QuickDraw GX clients, they can see the printer if they select AppleTalk in the popup field on the right side of the Chooser's window.

* Summary

In summary, when a printer is "Shared" by the QuickDraw GX computer that has captured it, to print to that printer the client Macintosh computers MUST have QuickDraw GX installed. The only slight exception to this is when a PostScript network printer is captured and the Non-QuickDraw GX systems may also use this printer option is enabled, both QuickDraw GX and non-QuickDraw GX clients can see and use the printer.

NOTE: In this case, there is no way to require non-QuickDraw GX users to have a name and password. This is because the QuickDraw GX "server" is being bypassed. There are no plans to support name/password security for non-QuickDraw GX systems due to the differences in "print sharing" architectures between QuickDraw GX and non-QuickDraw GX systems.


This article was published in the "Information Alley":
Volume I, Issue 17, Page 5 and updated in
Volume II, Issue 7, Page 16


Article Change History:
27 Jul 1995 - Updated from Info Alley.
17 Jul 1995 - Rewritten for clarity.
16 May 1995 - Added Info Alley reference information.

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Published Date: Feb 19, 2012