Gradients will print smoother and with less banding from an EPSF image than as a MacDraw Pro object. This is because the EPSF XTND translator produces better gradient printing Postscript code than the LaserWriter driver.
Save the MacDraw Pro document as an EPSF file, then open the EPSF and print. The print quality difference is not really noticeable when printing to a 300 dpi printer, but is noticeable when printing to higher resolution printers, such as the Linotronic.
The "number of gradient steps" preference item in the printing preferences panel affects only native Draw Pro objects with gradients. It does not affect the quality of the EPSF file version that Draw Pro exports.