Description: This software replaces LaserWriter 8.3. Complete information is
provided below.
The software posted here is available in two formats (disk images and "Net Install"):
1. Four self-extracting archives of Disk Copy 800K disk images. To use, download, double-click the downloaded file (this decompresses it), and use Disk Copy to create the disks. Disk Copy can be found in the Utilities folder posted here.
2. A complete LaserWriter Printing Software "Net Install". It includes all software from all four LaserWriter Printing Software disk images. This posting is provided as a convenience for those customers who:
- want to download just one file.
- want a pre-configured "Net Install" to place on their hard drive or on a server.
This document contains information about your new printing software. The topics include:
• Installing the Printing Software
• Apple Printer Utility Version 2.0
• LaserWriter 8 Printer Driver Version 8.3.2
Installing the Printing Software
The manual that comes with your printer contains detailed installation instructions. You cannot install the software by dragging icons to your hard disk; you must use the Installer program as described in the printer manual. Your computer must have version 7.1 or later of the Mac OS.
IMPORTANT Before installing the printer software, restart your system with all Extensions turned off. To do this, hold down the Shift key while you restart your computer. Hold the Shift key down until you see the message “Extensions off” or until your normal desktop appears.
The Installer does not remove versions of the LaserWriter printer driver that are older than version 8.0. If you no longer need these files, you may remove them from your System Folder.
The Installer does remove older versions of the LaserWriter 8 driver (for example, LaserWriter 8.0) and replaces the PPD files for Apple LaserWriter printers with the latest versions.
When you choose Easy Install, the Installer places the following files in the System Folder on your hard disk:
• LaserWriter 8.3.2 is placed in the Extensions folder.
• The PPD files that are used by LaserWriter 8 are placed in a folder called Printer Descriptions located in the Extensions folder.
• Chooser 7.3 desk accessory is placed in the Apple Menu Items folder if you have an older version.
• PrintMonitor 7.1.2 is placed in the Extension folder if you have an older version.
• The Apple Printer Utility and this Read Me file are placed in the Apple LaserWriter Software Folder.
IMPORTANT If the Installer is unable to remove old files from your hard disk, it will terminate the installation procedure. If this happens, please remove old copies of the LaserWriter 8 driver and the PPD files. Run the Installer again.
Apple Printer Utility Version 2.0
Installing the printer software creates the Apple LaserWriter Software folder and places within it this ReadMe file and the Apple Printer Utility program version 2.0. The Apple Printer Utility program is designed to work with all PostScript Level 2 printers from Apple.
Downloading PostScript Fonts on a 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 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 have not been converted by GX works correctly.
Removing Fonts from a Hard Disk Attached to the Printer
If a font is downloaded to both the printer’s RAM and the printer’s hard disk with the same name, and you remove the font on the hard disk, the RAM font will also be removed. If you remove the RAM font, the font on the hard disk will not be removed.
LaserWriter 8 Printer Driver Version 8.3.2
The software includes version 8.3.2 of the Apple LaserWriter 8 printer driver, which works with many Apple LaserWriter printers. This section includes information about the software and information on using it with several of the printers.
What’s new in version 8.3.2
LaserWriter 8 now provides support for embedded JPEG-compressed documents.
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, click the Setup button in the Chooser when selecting your printer for the first time, or after installing an additional option. This procedure causes the LaserWriter driver to query the printer for its characteristics and associate a particular PPD file with the printer.
Creating EPS Files
You can create an Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) file in many application programs by clicking 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, an extremely large file may be created.
• 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 applications that create their own PostScript code may not display the EPS file accurately on the screen.
Using the LaserWriter 8 Driver With LaserWriter Printers
When using the LaserWriter 8 driver, you should be aware of the following situations. Some happen with all LaserWriter printers, and others happen only with specific models.
All LaserWriter Printers
• The LaserWriter 8 driver allows some printers to print using a larger imageable print area on the page. If your printer does so, you may find that text in some documents reflows or is clipped to fit the new imageable area. To maintain your document format when printing to different printer models, deselect the Larger Print Area option in the Page Setup Options dialog box.
• Some older printers with small amounts of memory will not print documents containing large numbers of fonts unless you select the Unlimited Downloadable Fonts option in the Page Setup Options dialog box. If a document using multiple fonts doesn’t print using the LaserWriter 8 driver, try selecting Unlimited Downloadable Fonts in the Page Setup Options dialog box and print again.
• Printing multiple documents with the Finder may not work if the documents have been created by different application programs.
• If you encounter a time-out (PostScript error -8993) when printing multiple copies of large and complex documents in the background, print the documents one at a time or select foreground printing to avoid this problem.
LaserWriter 16/600 PS
If Tray Switching is turned on and you have an optional 500-sheet feeder that contains the same size paper as the 250-sheet feeder, use the 500-sheet feeder as the preferred paper source for optimal printing performance. See the manual that came with your printer for instructions on selecting the 500-sheet feeder as the preferred paper source.
LaserWriter Pro 810
• With some graphics applications, bitmapped graphics printed with the Precision Bitmap Alignment option in the Page Setup Options dialog box will be reduced in size by 25%.
• When you create a PostScript file with a LaserWriter Pro 810 selected as the printer and send the file to a printer that uses PostScript Level 1, a PostScript error will occur.
LaserWriter Pro 600 and 630
• When you print envelopes from the optional envelope feeder, you cannot use Auto Select as the Paper Source (in the Print dialog box).
• When you print at a resolution of 600 dots per inch (dpi), bitmapped images may appear with lines across the image.
LaserWriter II NT and II NTX
• If you select both the Smooth Graphics and the Invert Image options in the Page Setup Options dialog box, a PostScript error results.
• Do not use the B5 tray to print envelopes on a LaserWriter II NT. Use the letter tray instead.
LaserWriter IIg and IIf
• When you select paper sources from the First From and Remaining From pop-up menus in the Print dialog box, selecting Manual Feed for either source sets the driver to print the first page from the manual feed tray.
• The US Legal paper size has been changed on some LaserWriter IIf/IIg printers to be more compatible with other Apple LaserWriter printers. If your legal-sized documents no longer fit on the page, select Larger Print Area in the Page Setup Options dialog box.
• Some form-printing applications cannot print forms using the Layout settings in the Page Setup dialog box.
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 Application Programs
Some application 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 a program, contact the publisher of the program. In some cases a newer version of the program may be available.
The following list describes some special cases that you should be aware of when working with some application programs. (There may be other problems with these programs, or with other programs, not mentioned in this document.)
• With many applications, you cannot use the Flip Horizontal, Flip Vertical, landscape page orientation, and Layout option in the Page Setup dialog box in combination.
• Some applications may not be able to print from the Finder or use the Drag and Drop printing feature.
Adobe Illustrator 5.5
• 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.
Aldus Freehand 4.0 & Freehand 5.0
• Documents do not print correctly when you choose a page layout from the Layout pop-up menu in the Page Setup dialog box.
• Some paper sizes in Freehand may not be supported by the printer and may generate Postscript errors.
Aldus PageMaker 5.0
• Rotated graphics may not print correctly when you hold down the Option key and click Print in the Print dialog box.
• You cannot print legal-size documents from the paper cassette of the Personal LaserWriter 320; print such documents by selecting Manual Feed or by holding down the Option key and clicking Print in the Print dialog box.
Aldus Personal Press 2.02
• Using several font style combinations in text can result in spacing problems.
Aldus SuperPaint 3.5
• Rotated or filled polygons print as solid gray objects.
• Gradient fills may not print when copied into other programs.
Canvas 3.5.2
• When you select the Substitute Fonts option in the Page Setup Options dialog box, text may be incorrectly spaced if you use the Geneva, New York, or Monaco fonts.
ClarisDraw 1.0
• Some shapes that contain gradients may not print correctly.
CricketDraw III 2.01
• When you choose a page layout from the Layout pop-up menu in the Page Setup dialog box, underlined TrueType fonts may not print.
CricketPresents 2.1
• You cannot import an EPS file created with the LaserWriter 8 driver when it has been saved without preview information.
DeltaGraph Pro 3.0.4
• Printing with Unlimited Downloadable Fonts may cause some elements to be shifted and fonts to substitute Courier.
FileMaker Pro 2.1
• When you choose a page layout from the Layout pop-up menu in the Page Setup dialog box, documents that contain EPS graphics may appear clipped when printed.
Informed Designer/Manager 1.4.2
• Do not print documents that contain JPEG images in Black and White mode; your system will restart.
• When you select the Unlimited Downloadable Fonts option, some graphic elements may shift or disappear when printed.
MacDraft 3.01 and earlier versions
• When you print using the Cut Marks option, a PostScript error results.
MacDraw Pro 1.5
• Rotated text within a frame that is placed in another application may not print correctly.
MacWrite Pro
• Colored text with colored underlines may not print correctly from the Finder.
Microsoft Excel 5.0
• Colored horizontal cell borders will often not appear in the printout. This happens with any color printing option and on most printers.
Microsoft PowerPoint 3.0
• Polygons and ovals filled with gradients and without a border line may shift locations on the page when printed.
Microsoft Works 3.0
• Printing documents that have rotated objects with rounded corners results in a PostScript error.
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.
Painter 3.0
• When you print using the Invert option, images do not print inverted correctly.
PixelPaint Pro 3.0
• When you print using the Invert option, images do not print inverted correctly.
Publish It!
• Use a pre-LaserWriter 8 version of the driver, or contact the publisher of the application program.
QuarkXPress 3.3.1
• 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.
• With some PPDs (LW 630, PLW 320), cropped graphics may not print correctly.
• Some imported JPEG files may not print correctly.
RagTime 3.2
• You cannot print documents that contain PICT or TIFF files.
ReadySetGo! 6.0
• Use ReadySetGo! version 6.0 with the LaserWriter 8 printer driver; earlier versions will not work.
• When Unlimited Downloadable Fonts option is selected, ReadySetGo! will not print a document containing a JPEG, text, and polygons.
• You may not be able to print documents that contain layers of text, graphics, then text with Unlimited Downloadable Fonts option selected.
• You cannot print documents that use pen patterns.
Studio/8 & Studio/32
• When creating an EPS file with these programs and the LaserWriter 8 driver, you must select the QuickDraw Printer option.
WordPerfect 3.0
• When you select the Unlimited Downloadable Fonts option and print rotated text in Watermark, the entire document rotates when printed.
• When you select the Unlimited Downloadable Fonts option,Watermark option, and Color/Grayscale option, black text prints as gray.
How to Get Updated Printer Software
If you need to update your printer software and you have an AppleLink account, you can obtain the latest versions of the LaserWriter 8 software from AppleLink.
Follow this path to locate the LaserWriter 8 software:
Apple Products
Apple Software Updates
Macintosh
Printing Software
The latest LaserWriter 8 software is also available from Apple’s ftp site on the Internet. The path is:
