LaserWriter 8.5.1: Read Me

About Your Apple LaserWriter Printer Software for the Mac OS

This document contains important information about your Apple LaserWriter Printer Software for Mac OS-based computers. You may want to print this document and keep it for future reference. The four main topics are:

• LaserWriter 8 Printer Driver Version 8.5.1
• Desktop Printer Utility Version 1.0
• Desktop PrintMonitor Version 2.1
• Apple Printer Utility Version 2.2

               
LaserWriter 8 Printer Driver Version 8.5.1

The software includes version 8.5.1 of the Apple LaserWriter 8 printer driver, which works with Apple LaserWriter printers. This section contains information about LaserWriter 8 and how to use it with most laserwriter printers.

What's New in Version 8.5.1

LaserWriter 8.5.1 adds support for IP printing, for Custom Page Size, for PostScript 3 printers, improved support for ColorSync, Acrobat Save as File Format, and adds support for Desktop Printer Utility.

• IP printing using LPR protocol - Users can now use LPR protocol to print to Apple LaserWriters that have IP support. LaserWriter 8.5.1 will use the LPR protocol to send PostScript jobs to printers setup for IP printing. This allows network administrators to seamlessly integrate Apple LaserWriters into IP-only networks. IP printing is not available on Mac OS 8.0, but is available when LaserWriter 8.5.1 printing software is installed on Mac OS 7.5 through Mac OS 7.6.1. (The IP printing is planned to be available on the next Mac OS 8 update.)
• Custom Page Size - Custom Page Size allows the user to setup custom page sizes for devices that support page sizes not available in any standard set. When a printer's PPD file has a "*CustomPageSize True:" entry, LaserWriter 8.5.1 displays a "Custom Page Sizes" panel in the Page Setup dialog. Page sizes created are shared among all printers that support custom page sizes. If the printer selected doesn't support custom page sizes, then the Paper pop-up in the "Page Attributes" panel specifies "other" as the current paper size. For additional information, the reader should consult "PostScript Printer Description File Format Specification version 4.3", Adobe Systems, Inc.
• Improved ColorSync support - LaserWriter 8.5.1 provides improved support for ColorSync. The LaserWriter 8.5.1 Color panel now allows the user to select which intent to use.
• Acrobat Save as File Format - LaserWriter 8.5.1's Save-As-File panel adds Acrobat PDF as one of the supported formats. You must have the full version of Acrobat 3.0 or later installed for this option to be enabled. The Acrobat Reader alone is not sufficient. The application may be purchased from Adobe systems. For some applications, PDF formatting can be performed in the background only.

               
About LPR Printing
LaserWriter 8's LPR printing implementation is compliant with RFC 1179. You use the DTP Utility to setup your Mac OS-based computer for LPR printing specifying the IP address and the queue name if necessary. LPR printing is available with these Apple LaserWriters:

LaserWriter 8500
LaserWriter 16/600 PS
LaserWriter 12/640 PS
Color LaserWriter 12/600 PS
Color LaserWriter 12/660 PS

Using Open Transport

LaserWriter 8 now uses Open Transport by default if your system uses it. If your system uses Open Transport, use Open Transport 1.1.2 or greater which provides improved performance, compatibility, and reliability over previous Open Transport versions.

Using Collate

LaserWriter 8.5.1 now offers Collate on Mac OS 7.5 through Mac OS 7.6.1. (The collate option is not available on Mac OS 8.0, but is planned to be available on the next revision of that OS.) When you select Collate with Copies set to more than one, your copies are collated. Each copy is sent to the printer as a separate print job. If you are sharing your printer with other users, there is a possibility that your collated copies will be interleaved with other print jobs. Collated printjobs might take longer than normal multiple-copy printjobs.

Using LaserWriter 8 with Spooler Applications

If you encounter problems printing large files this may be due to the spooler application's maximum default spool file size. For example, the EtherShare maximum default spool file size is six megabytes. Contact your network administrator to increase the spooler application's maximum default spool file size.

You may encounter a problem when trying to print documents in the foreground using PC MACLAN. Change to background printing and try again.

Larger Print Area

Some printers support both US Letter and US Letter Small paper sizes. To prevent text from clipping or wrapping to the next line on different printers, use US Letter Small. To get the narrowest possible margins from your printer model, use US Letter.

Using PostScript Fax

PostScript Fax is an option for the LaserWriter Select 360, the LaserWriter 16/600 PS, and the LaserWriter Pro 810. If you use a PostScript Fax option with any of these printers, you should use LaserWriter 8f version 8.2.3f. PostScript Fax is no longer supported with LaserWriter drivers 8.3 and beyond. See the section "How To Get Updated Printer Software" at the end of this Read Me for information on obtaining LaserWriter 8f version 8.2.3f if you don't already have it.

Using Color Matching

When ColorSync 2.0 or greater is installed and the ColorSync Profiles folder contains printer profile(s), there are two options in addition to color/grayscale output:

• PostScript Color Matching/Printer's Default is the preferred color-matching choice. When you are printing to a PostScript Level 2 printer, and it is efficient to let the printer do most of the work, this option is a good choice.
• ColorSync Color Matching is an alternative color-matching selection. It invokes the ColorSync system software to perform color matching for the printed document, matching your monitor and printer's profile and sending the correct color information to the printer. With ColorSync Color Matching, most of the work is done by your Macintosh.

               
Here are some tips on using color matching:

• Color output will vary depending on the application you are using.
• Documents that use ColorSync 1.0 embedded profiles convert to the profile set up in the ColorSync 2.0 System Profile control panel.
• When you print with PostScript Color Matching selected and ColorSync 2.0 is not installed, the driver uses the Apple 13" RGB Standard profile.
• Applications that generate their own PostScript may have problems color matching EPS or TIFF images correctly. Converting the image to a PICT file corrects the problem.

               
PPD Files

The LaserWriter 8 driver uses PostScript Printer Description (PPD) files to determine the characteristics of the printers it uses. PPD files contain information about individual PostScript printers. For example, PPD files describe the paper-handling capabilities of printers: the number of paper trays, their capacity, and the paper sizes they handle.

To take full advantage of your printer's features, you need to go through a simple setup procedure. When selecting your printer for the first time, or after installing an additional option, click the Create/Setup button in the DTP Utility or in the Chooser . This procedure causes the LaserWriter driver to query the printer for its characteristics and associate a particular PPD file with the printer.

You can also change your printer's setup by highlighting your desktop printer icon and then selecting Change Setup from the Printing Menu.

If you get an error about the preferences file when you choose an option that is specific to your printer, you may have an outdated PPD file. You should contact the vendor of your printer for an update.

Using English Language Chooser 7.3 on Localized Mac OS Systems

LaserWriter 8 requires Chooser 7.3 or greater. If you have a localized Mac OS system with a Chooser earlier than version 7.3 and you install an English-language version of the printer software, an English-language Chooser 7.3 may be installed. Use Chooser 7.3 or greater to select your target printer.

Working with Language Kits

Before you install the LaserWriter 8.5.1 printer software onto a system with language kit(s), please check your "Language Kit Additions" folder (this may or may be exist depending on the language kit(s) you installed) in your Extensions folder. Please remove any files whose names contain "LaserWriter" or "PrintLib" in the "Language Kit Additions" folder.

After installing the LaserWriter 8.5.1 printer software, you may see some scrambled text in the Page Setup or Print dialog boxes. This is purely cosmetic and will not affect the printing functionality.

Creating EPS Files

You can create an encapsulated PostScript (EPS) file in many applications by selecting Save-As-File in the Print dialog box, then clicking Save. When you create an EPS file, note the following:

• Creating EPS files with the All option selected in the Font Inclusion pop-up menu in the EPS dialog box can result in very large files. If you include all fonts in an EPS file and save the file with the Unlimited Downloadable Fonts option selected, you may create an extremely large file.
• If you create an EPS file with no fonts included and open the document, fonts in the document appear on your screen, but Courier may be substituted when you print.
• When you create EPS files with preview information included, other programs that create their own PostScript code may not display the EPS file accurately on the screen.

               
Using the LaserWriter 8 Driver With the Kanji System

To print Japanese characters using KanjiTalk or the Japanese Language Kit, your system must have WorldScript II version 7.5.1 or later.

Using the LaserWriter 8 Driver With Applications

Some programs do not yet take advantage of the new features of the LaserWriter 8 driver or have small incompatibilities that result in printing problems. If you experience problems with an application, please contact the publisher of the program. In some cases a newer version of the program may be available.

The following section describes some special cases that you should be aware of when working with some applications. There may be other problems with these, or with other programs, not mentioned in this document.

• Foreground vs Background Printing: LaserWriter 8.5 and greater offer both foreground and background printing. In foreground, the driver doesn't spool the file being printed. An application may fail when printing in the foreground if the application assumes the driver will make a spool file.

               
If you experience problems with foreground printing, change to background printing and try again.

• With many programs, you cannot use the Flip Horizontal, Flip Vertical, landscape page orientation, and Layout option in the Page Setup dialog box in combination.
• Some programs may print in color even when Black and White mode is selected.
• Tray Selection: Applications that don't utilize LaserWriter 8's capabilities have some limitations with tray selection when printing from the Finder. To work around these problems, print from within the application and contact the vendor of this application.

               

• Avoiding Conflicts with Application Print Options

               
Some applications provide their own printing options by adding checkboxes, buttons, or fields to dialog boxes. In the LaserWriter 8.5.1 printer software, these options are found in the application panes in the Page Setup and Print dialog boxes, accessible through the pop-up menus. A conflict can occur when these options are also provided by the LaserWriter 8.5.1 printer software. When the printer software and the application try to perform the same function, the results can be unexpected. If you are not getting the results you expected when setting certain options such as scaling or paper size, try setting the options in the application panes.

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Adobe Acrobat 3.0

• Acrobat retains the settings used for one printout and applies these settings to subsequent print jobs, unless options are reset by the user.
• The orientation of the .PDF file may not match the setting that appear in the printer dialogs. This is expected behavior. The .PDF file will print as displayed on your monitor.

               
Adobe HomePage and PageMill

• Home Page might not print the background color or the text color (other than links).
• PageMill can print the text in color, but not the background.

               
Adobe Illustrator 6.0.1

• Multiple-page documents may not print correctly when you choose a page layout from the Layout pop-up menu in the Page Setup dialog box.

               
Adobe Illustrator 7.0

• This new version of Illustrator handles fonts differently than previous versions. If your fonts do not print as expected, check the instructions provided in the Adobe manual and Read Me file.

               
Adobe PageMaker 6.5

• Documents that have been set up using a page layout from the Layout pop-up menu may not print correctly with the Option-Print command. Use the Print command with PageMaker's Thumbnail option.
• When using a page layout from the Layout pop-up menu with the Option-Print command, the document will be printed in reverse order.
• Rotated graphics or text may not print correctly when you hold down the Option key and click Print in the File menu.
• You cannot print legal-size documents from the paper cassette of the Personal LaserWriter 320. Print these documents by selecting Manual Feed or by holding down the Option key and click Print in the File menu.
• Foreground printing does not always print text in the correct size.
• To set up duplex printing, from PageMaker's print dialog, select "Duplex Installed" and then select "2-sided printing".

               
Adobe Persuasion 4.0

• Persuasion uses its page dimensions to establish the orientation. These dimensions, however, might not match the driver's orientation settings.

               
Adobe SuperPaint 3.5

• Rotated or filled polygons print as solid gray objects.
• Gradient fills may not print when copied into other programs.

               
Assistant Toolbox

• If you are installing the LaserWriter 8.5.1 software on a PowerBook portable computer, please be sure to disable your Assistant Toolbox extension before sending print jobs to non-AppleTalk printers.

               
Canvas 5.0

• Canvas has several tools that provide smooth output when skewed and stretched text is printed. However, these effects might not be supported by other applications. Therefore, when a PICT from Canvas is copied to another application, the result can be jagged graphics in the printouts.

               
ClarisDraw 2.0 and ClarisImpact

• Some shapes that contain gradients may not print correctly.
• A PostScript error is sometimes generated when attempting to print in the foreground. If you see this problem, print the document again in the background.
• Using the option for Unlimited Downloadable Fonts might generate a postscript error. If this happens, deselect this option and attempt to print again.

               
DeltaGraph Pro 4.0

• Printing with Unlimited Downloadable Fonts may cause some elements to be shifted and fonts to substitute Courier.
• When printing Handouts or Speaker Notes from the Sorter View, gradients in the thumbnails might print as stripes. They are drawn correctly in the full Slides, however.

               
Freehand 5.5 and 7.0

• Freehand has many custom print options that will effect the actual printout of your files. For example, Freehand offers a manual tiling option for printing multiple pages of a document on a single page. This should be used in combination with the LaserWriter layout settings.

               
Informed Designer/Manager 1.4.3

• Do not print documents that contain JPEG images in Black and White mode. Doing this will cause your system to restart.
• When you select the Unlimited Downloadable Fonts option, some graphic elements may shift or disappear when printed.

               
Lotus 1-2-3

• Sometimes a single document prints when multiple documents are sent to printer.

               
Microsoft Excel 5.0

• When you first install the new printer driver, you need to use the driver's page setup dialog to set the orientation of your document. When you select Page Setup, Excel first displays its own dialog box. Click the Options button to open the Page Setup dialog box generated by the LaserWriter driver. Then click on the orientation setting you desire. Click Okay to exit the driver's dialog. Then click Okay again to exit Excel's dialog.
• Most of the settings in Excel's Page Setup will now match the corresponding options in the driver's Page Setup. However, the scaling size may be different in the two dialog boxes. The size displayed in the Excel window is the size that will be used when you print from Excel.
• Colored horizontal cell borders will often not appear in the printout. This happens with any color printing option and on most printers.
• From the print preview window, multiple copies will not be printed.

               
Microsoft Internet Explorer

• Explorer prints text in the specified color, but nothing of the background.

               
Microsoft Word 6.0.1

• Each section of a document is treated as a separate file when printed. This will not affect your output.
• Also, another section is sometimes inserted in the document when cursor is not at the top of the document.
• A blank page will be produced when incorrect page numbers are given.
• Word has a special 'Collate' option that merges the print jobs when set to N-Up. This is a feature that may generate unexpected results when used in combination with LaserWriter options. Experiment to determine the best settings to achieve your desired printouts.

               
Microsoft Works 4.0

• There are 24 new shapes available through the tools palette. Colored shadows for any of these shapes will appear correctly on screen. But these colored shadows will only print in gray, regardless of what the print color options might be.
• Works 4.0 color printouts may not match what appears on your screen. Experiment with the color options to determine which one generates the best printout for your needs.

               
Netscape 3.0.1

• Navigator prints text in the specified color and the background graphic, but not the background color.
• Netscape might print a pale gray background to an older LaserWriter printer.
• When printing a multiple-page document, Netscape may print below the margins on the intermediate pages.
• Portions of graphics that seem to be transparent on screen will be printed on your documents.

               
Painter 3.0

• When you print using the Invert option, images do not print inverted correctly.
• Painter adds 2 small pop-ups to the print dialog panels. They are in the lower left quadrant of the panels and can interfere with the driver's functionality.

               
PixelPaint Pro 3.0

• When you print using the Invert option, images do not print inverted correctly.

               
QuarkXPress 3.32

• Be sure to use the PPDs provided with QuarkXPress when you choose a page layout from the Layout pop-up menu in the Page Setup dialog box. Also, be sure to select the desired paper size in the QuarkXPress panel in both the Page Setup and Print dialog boxes.
• Some imported JPEG files may not print correctly.
• MultiMaster fonts might not print correctly in the foreground. If this happens, select background printing and try again.

               
ReadySetGo! 6.0

• Use ReadySetGo! version 6.0 or later with the LaserWriter 8 printer driver. Earlier versions of this application will not work.
• With the Unlimited Downloadable Fonts option selected, you may not be able to print complex documents.
• Documents that use pen patterns will print patterns as solid gray.

               
Studio/8 & Studio/32

• When creating an EPS file with these programs and the LaserWriter 8 driver, you must select the QuickDraw Printer option.
• A blank page is sometimes printed when a document is dropped onto a DTP (Desktop Printer Icon).

               

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Desktop Printer Utility Version 1.0

Mac OS Systems Supported by Version 1.0

Desktop Printer Utility is a new way to make Desktop Printer icons. You can use Desktop Printer Utility on Mac OS 7.5 through Mac OS 7.6.1.

Unexpected Error on Launch

If you receive an "unexpected error" when launching the Desktop Printer Utility, please be sure the "Shared Library Manager" or "Shared Library Manager PPC" (for a Power PPC-based Macintosh) files are turned ON in the Extensions Manager and restart your computer before running the application.


Desktop PrintMonitor Version 2.1

New Features in Version 2.1

• Desktop PrintMonitor 2.1 adds support for the Desktop Printer Utility.

               
System Software Requirements for Desktop Printing

Desktop printing requires System 7.1.1 or later of the Mac OS. If you have System 7.0 or earlier and you want to use desktop printing, you can upgrade your Mac OS-based computer to use a later version of system software. Contact your Apple-authorized dealer.

Printing with Multiple Desktop Printers

To avoid AppleTalk errors, print to no more than five desktop printers simultaneously.

Using Desktop PrintMonitor on a Non-English System

If no desktop printer icon appears after you install the printer software, it may mean the Installer installed PrintMonitor 7.1.2 and did not install the Desktop PrintMonitor. This will depend on the version of system software in your computer.

PrintMonitor 7.1.2 is installed if you have an earlier version of the PrintMonitor. Later versions of the PrintMonitor are not replaced.

You have three options:

• Use PrintMonitor 7.1.2 (or a later version).
• Upgrade your system software to System 7.5.1 and install the printing software again.

               
An English language version of the Desktop PrintMonitor software is installed.

• Obtain a set of installation disks for the printer software in the language of your system software from your Apple-authorized dealer and install it. (This software might not be available in all languages.)

               
Desktop Printer Icons Appear Inactive

When switching Mac OS systems, Desktop Printers may appear inactive when they should be active. This can be resolved by rebuilding the desktop printer database. The desktop printer database can be rebuilt by restarting your Macintosh with the Command and Option keys pressed down until the 'Rebuilding Desktop' progress dialog appears.

Using the Desktop Printer Menu and the Printer Selector Control Strip

The desktop printer menu extension can be installed using the Custom Install option.

The Desktop Printer menu appears on the right-hand side of your menu bar. This menu lists the names of all active desktop printers. A check mark is displayed next to the name of the default printer. Selecting the name of a printer from this list makes the printer the new default.

The Printer Selector control strip module is installed only on computers that already have control strip software installed. The Printer Selector adds an item to the control strip that provides functionality identical to the Desktop Printer menu.

Support and Compatibility Information

• Some third-party printers do not support desktop printing. If your printer is not an Apple product, and no desktop printer icon is created after you select your printer in the Chooser, it is likely that your printer does not support Desktop PrintMonitor. Please contact the vendor of your printer to see if there is a version of the driver that is compatible with Desktop PrintMonitor.
• When you choose Save or Open in your applications, you will see your desktop printers listed as if they were folders, but you should not save or open any documents in them. If you do, you will not be able to access your documents.
• Desktop PrintMonitor supports drag-and-drop printing for all files that cause the Print Command in the File menu to become enabled. Since clipping files do not enable the Print command, drag-and-drop printing is not supported for them.
• Apple's Fax Sender software is not supported by Desktop PrintMonitor. Fax Sender is fully functional when Desktop PrintMonitor is installed. However, it does not get the benefit of Desktop PrintMonitor's features. When you select Fax Sender in the Chooser you will not have a default desktop printer until you choose a printer icon and select "Set Default Printer" from the Printing menu.
• Spool files and desktop printers must use the same version of the LaserWriter 8 driver. You may encounter errors if you drag spool files that were created with one version of LaserWriter 8 to a desktop printer created with another version of the LaserWriter 8 driver.

               
               
Tips for Desktop Printing Troubleshooting

If No default desktop printer appears on your desktop

• Problem: After installing the LaserWriter software, you no longer have a default desktop printer. This situation may occur if you do a Easy Install followed by a Custom Install of the LaserWriter software.

               
Solution: To fix this problem, click on the desktop printer icon that you want to be the default desktop printer. Then, from the Printing menu, select Set Default Printer.

If Desktop printer cannot be found

• Problem: When you try to print, your spool files are moved to the Trash and an alert is displayed saying that the desktop printer could not be found.
• Solution: There are two likely solutions to this problem. First, it is possible that your desktop printer has somehow become damaged. To fix this, drag the desktop printer icon to the Trash and reselect the printer in the Chooser. A new desktop printer icon will be created.

               
Second, your printer software may not be using a file format that is completely compatible with Desktop PrintMonitor. If your printer software is not published by either Apple Computer or Adobe Systems, it is possible that it is not making proper and legitimate use of PrintMonitor. If this is the case, your printer software will not work properly with Desktop PrintMonitor. The only resolution to this problem is to disable Desktop PrintMonitor and use old PrintMonitor. To print the documents you were working on follow these steps:

1. Empty the Trash.
2. Go to the Chooser and turn off background printing.
3. Print documents again.

To correct desktop printing:
4. Drag the desktop printer to the Trash.
5. Go to the Chooser and turn background printing back on.
6. Create a new desktop printer.

If "Not enough memory" message appears when dragging files to desktop printer

• Problem: When you drag documents created by different software applications to your desktop printer icon, a message is displayed indicating that there is not enough memory to continue.
• Solution: You may not have enough memory available to launch all of the software applications corresponding to the documents you have selected. You can resolve this situation by printing your documents individually or in smaller groups.

               
If Options are dimmed in Printing menu

• Problem: "Get Printer Info" and "Change Setup" appear in your Printing menu, but can't be selected.
• Solution: These are two new functions supported by LaserWriter v8.4 and greater. If these or other items in the menu appear dimmed and cannot be selected, it is because you are using a version of the LaserWriter 8 printing software that doesn't support their respective functions.

               
               
Apple Printer Utility Version 2.2

Apple Printer Utility is Now a Custom Install Option only

The Apple Printer Utility is now a custom install option only. If you cannot find the Apple Printer Utility version 2.2 on your system, it probably was not installed.

Printer Support

The Apple Printer Utility program works with all Apple PostScript Level 1, Level 2, and PostScript 3 printers. If this software is used with a non-Apple printer or with a printer developed after this release, a set of generic features will be available. The generic feature set consists of options that are common to most PostScript printers. These features should work with non-Apple printers but are not specifically supported by Apple.

Working with a Large Number of Downloaded Fonts

If you plan on working with a large number of downloaded fonts, you will need to increase the memory allocation for the Apple Printer Utility. To do this, quit the Apple Printer Utility, select its icon and choose Get Info from the File menu. Increase the memory in the Preferred Size box, then close the Get Info window. The amount of memory required grows dynamically as the number of fonts in the printer increase. Increase the Apple Printer Utility's Preferred Size memory by 100K to 500K and try downloading again.

Working with 2-Byte Fonts

Downloading Chinese, Japanese, or Korean fonts is not a supported feature of this software and program errors may occur.

Downloading PostScript Fonts on a QuickDraw GX System With the Apple Printer Utility

When GX is installed, any PostScript fonts (often called Type 1 fonts) in the Fonts folder are converted to GX fonts, and the original PostScript fonts are copied to a new folder called "Archived Type 1 Fonts" which is created in the System Folder. If you want to download these fonts to your printer using the Apple Printer Utility, you must send the fonts in the "Archived Type 1 Fonts" folder, not the GX-converted versions in the Fonts folder. Downloading GX fonts that were not previously Type 1 fonts and converted by GX works correctly.


How to Get Updated Software

Apple Software Updates are available on the Internet at: US, WWW site: http://www.apple.com/swupdates