HP DeskWriter C Printer Driver Version 2.0 ReadMe 1 Notes
and
Software Application Notes
You may either read this file on your computer screen or print it out. To print this file, be sure that you have set up your printer according to the instructions in the Setup Guide. Then choose Print from the File menu and click OK.
DESKWRITER C COMPATIBILITY
The DeskWriter C printer was carefully designed to conform to Apple development standards. As a result, it should work with all software applications which conform to Apple printing guidelines. However, due to the complex interactions between software applications and printer drivers, some applications may have problems in providing full feature support with some printers, including the DeskWriter C printer. Hewlett-Packard works closely with software application developers to provide continuously higher levels of software compatibility.
These Software Application Notes are provided to help you achieve the best results when using the DeskWriter C printer and software. The notes contain information on specific software problems and solutions at the time of this printing, and on software updates that can often correct a problem. If you discover that one of your software applications does not print properly on your DeskWriter C printer, follow these steps:
1. Check these notes (ReadMe1 and ReadMe2) to see if the software application is discussed here.
2. Contact the software developer. They may have an upgrade or workaround that solves the problem.
3. Contact HP Peripherals Assist at (208) 323-2551.
If you have a DeskWriter printer, a PaintJet printer or a PaintWriter printer, you may have multiple font folders in your System Folder. If you have two or more font folders in your System Folder, the Installer quits the installation process and refers you to the setup guide and to this ReadMe file.
Even if you are using more than one type of printer, you must have only one font folder in your System Folder in order for the printer drivers to find the printer outline fonts.
If you are using other HP printers in addition to the DeskWriter C printer, follow the steps below to prepare your hard disk for installation:
1. Open your System Folder and locate the font folders named DeskWriter Fonts, HP Fonts, and HP Folder.
2. If necessary, create a new folder named DeskWriter Fonts. Spell DeskWriter Fonts exactly as shown here. (If you already have a DeskWriter Fonts folder, do not create another one.) Place the DeskWriter Fonts folder in the System Folder.
3. Move the files from the HP Folder and/or the HP Fonts folder into the DeskWriter Fonts folder.
4. Drag the extra font folders to the Trash. Choose Empty Trash from the Special menu.
If you preview a range of pages, some of which contain black/text and some color/graphics, you can easily print two or more of those pages. However, if you try to print only one of those pages, the printer driver will prompt you to change the print cartridge after the page has printed. You do not need to switch print cartridges; simply click OK when the message appears.
If you have a document/print cartridge mismatch (i.e., the black print cartridge is installed and you are trying to print a color/graphics page), the computer will prompt you to change print cartridges before you print. As usual, you can either switch print cartridges or proceed with the installed print cartridge. When the page has finished printing, you will see a message that the remainder of the document is in a different format (color or black text). Click OK to continue.
Some applications do not print from the Preview screen.
- Avoiding Conflicts With Application Print Options
- Macintosh Computers and Color
- Software Applications and Color
Avoiding Conflicts With Application Print Options
---------------------------------------------
Some applications provide their own printing options by adding boxes, buttons, or fields to the bottom of the Page Setup and Print dialog boxes. A conflict can occur when these options are also covered by the DeskWriter C printer driver. When the printer driver and software application are both trying to perform the same function, the result can be unexpected output. It is a good practice to ignore extra options provided by an application if a similar option is already handled through the DeskWriter C printer driver. For example, if an application provides an option similar to "Complex Color Printing," do not select both options. It is usually preferable to choose the option provided by the DeskWriter C printer driver.
Macintosh Computers and Color
----------------------------
Your color output depends upon the type of Macintosh computer you are using. Types of Macintosh computers include:
• QuickDraw - "Black and White Macs" (Macintosh Plus, SE, Portable, or Classic computer)
• Color QuickDraw - "Color Macs" (Macintosh II series, Macintosh SE/30)
• 32-bit QuickDraw - Macintosh II series computer with 32-bit QuickDraw either in ROM or running as an INIT (Macintosh II series computers with 32-bit QuickDraw in ROM include the LC, IIci, IIsi, IIfx, Quadras, Classic II, PowerBook 140 and 170).
QuickDraw machines support the printing of eight basic colors (also called Fixed 8 Colors): black, white, red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow. Some applications such as MacDraw II allow you to select patterns of color to produce mixtures that look like other colors. For example, you can mix yellow and red dots to produce orange fill patterns.
Color QuickDraw machines support the printing of no more than 256 colors (including black and white) per page.
32-bit QuickDraw machines (operating system versions 6.0.5 and above) support the printing of approximately 16 million colors.
IMPORTANT: If you have a Macintosh II family machine that does not have 32-bit QuickDraw in ROM and you want to print more than 256 colors, the 32-bit QuickDraw INIT MUST be installed in your System Folder.
Software Applications and Color
------------------------------
Besides the type of Macintosh computer you have, the software application you use also determines your color output. If an application only supports eight colors, then the color printout will look the same, whether you have a QuickDraw, Color QuickDraw, or 32-bit QuickDraw Macintosh computer. Additionally, some applications will send only black/white data to the printer when running on a non-color QuickDraw Macintosh.
- When You Get an Unexpected Print Cartridge Swap Message
- Grayscale vs. Black Printing
- When Your Text and Graphics Are Out of Alignment
Memory Requirements
-------------------
The DeskWriter C printer requires that your computer have a MINIMUM of 2 MB of RAM under system version 6.0.x and at least 4 MB RAM under System 7.
However, with certain software applications, printer performance depends on the amount of memory available for printing. Some applications require a great deal of memory to run. Having more memory (5 MB or more is best) will increase your flexibility in working with applications. Here are some things to try to increase printer performance:
• Increase the partition size of the application by 300Kb. To increase the partition size of an application, follow these steps:
1. Select the application by clicking once on its icon.
2. From the File menu, choose "Get Info."
3. At the bottom of the Info dialog box, click the cursor in the Application Memory Size box. Enter a new number that is the old value plus 300. For example, if the value in the box is 216, change the value to 516.
4. Close the Get Info dialog box.
5. Start the application.
• If you are using MultiFinder under system version 6.0.x, run only one application under MultiFinder when you are printing.
• If the above suggestions do not work, quit all applications, then start the application from which you want to print.
• If you are using Background printing, you will get control of your computer sooner, but the actual printing may take longer, since the background printing is sharing memory with your other open applications. Use Background printing when you have plenty of RAM and when you don’t mind slower printing and slower application performance. When you turn Background printing off, your pages will print faster, but you cannot use your computer until printing is complete.
• Add more memory to your system. Ultimately, if you are using memory-intensive page layout or graphics applications and printing many pages, adding more RAM is the best solution.
Refer to chapter 4 in the DeskWriter C Printer User’s Guide and to the Application Note on the Apple Finder, below.
When You Get an Unexpected Print Cartridge Swap Message
Sometimes the DeskWriter C printer driver will interpret black and white data as color. The printer driver may also identify gray scanned images as color. Some applications, such as Photoshop and PixelPaint Professional, use black and white pixels from a color palette to draw black and white objects. Because the pixels originate from a color palette, the DeskWriter C printer driver interprets them as color data.
If you have a single page document and attempt to print with the black print cartridge installed, you will receive the message that your document contains color, even if it is all black. The message box asks you if you want to change print cartridges or continue printing. Click "Continue" to print with the installed (black) print cartridge.
If you have a document with both black and color pages, the black pages will print in composite black when the color print cartridge is installed, instead of in true black with the black cartridge. To print the black pages in true black, reprint just the black pages, being sure that the black print cartridge is installed. In the Print dialog box, click the “Use installed print cartridge only” check box. The printer will print the pages with the black print cartridge. When the printing has been completed, return to the Print dialog box and uncheck the “Use installed print cartridge only” box if you want the printer driver to warn you in the future when you have a document/print cartridge mismatch.
Grayscale vs. Black Printing
-------------------------
Printing a color document with the black print cartridge provides grayscale simulation. Choose Pattern or Scatter blending in the Page Setup Colors dialog box, and use the Best printing mode for grayscale.
However, suppose that you have a color document that had previously been printed on a DeskWriter (black only) printer. Now you want to print that same document on the DeskWriter C printer and you want the output to closely match that of the DeskWriter printer. In this instance, choose Fixed 8 Color blending in the Page Setup Colors dialog box, then print in Normal mode.
Note that while the output will more closely resemble that of the monochrome DeskWriter printer, it will not be as high quality as printing in Best mode. Grayscale printing only occurs in Best mode.
When Your Text and Graphics Are Out of Alignment
---------------------------------------------
Sometimes the text and graphics that are in alignment on your computer screen are out of alignment on your printed output.
Some applications include a Fractional Widths option in their Page Setup or Preferences dialog boxes. For those applications, turn Fractional Widths ON to obtain a closer match of text and graphics alignment; your printout will appear closer to what you have on the screen. However, by turning Fractional Widths ON, you automatically turn Font Substitution OFF.
