About Your Apple MacOS LaserWriter Printer Software
This document contains some important reminders and some information about your Apple MacOS LaserWriter Printer Software. You may want to print this document and keep it for future reference. The topics are:
• Desktop PrintMonitor Version 2.0
• Apple Printer Utility Version 2.1
• LaserWriter 8 Printer Driver Version 8.4
Desktop PrintMonitor Version 2.0
Creating Desktop Printers
To create a desktop printer, select a printer in the Chooser and click the Create button.
System Software Requirements for Desktop Printing
Desktop printing requires System 7.1 or greater. If you have System 7.0 or earlier and you want to use desktop printing, you can upgrade your Macintosh to use a later version of system software. Contact your Apple-authorized dealer.
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. (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 choices:
• Use PrintMonitor 7.1.2 (or a later version).
• 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.
• 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.
Turning the Manual Feed Notification On or Off
You can turn manual feed notification on and off by clicking on a desktop printer icon and selecting Show Manual Feed Alert in the Printing menu. A check mark displayed next to this menu item indicates that manual feed alerts will be displayed for the desktop printer you have selected.
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. It will normally appear to the immediate left of the Guide menu. The Desktop Printer 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.
Apple Printer Utility Version 2.1
The Apple Printer Utility program works with all Apple PostScript Level 2 printers.
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 downloaded fonts increases.
Working with Kanji/Japanese Fonts
Downloading Kanji fonts is not supported with this software and may result in program errors. Check the software that came with the fonts you want to download since most font vendors include their own font downloader utility.
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 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 have not been converted by GX works correctly.
Removing Fonts From a Hard Disk Attached to a Printer
This paragraph is relevant if you are using a printer that will have a hard disk drive attached to it. The LaserWriter 12/640 PS does not support a hard disk drive attachment.
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 8.4
The software includes version 8.4 of the Apple LaserWriter 8 printer driver, which works with many Apple LaserWriter printers. This section contains information about LaserWriter 8 and information on using it with several of the printers.
What’s New in Version 8.4
LaserWriter 8.4 provides a new user interface that is simpler and easier to use. It also provides single-pass printing for foreground print jobs, more background printing options, and more layout options.
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 widest possible margins from your printer model, use US Letter.
Using Open Transport
If you will be using Open Transport on your Mac OS computer, be sure to use Open Transport version 1.1.1. See "How to Obtain Updated Software" at the end of this ReadMe for information on obtaining updated software.
Using PostScript Fax
PostScript Fax is an option for the LaserWriter Select 360 and the LaserWriter 16/600 PS. If you use a PostScript Fax option with either of these printers, you should use LaserWriter 8f version 8.2.3f. See the section “How To Get Updated Printer Software” toward the end of this Read Me for information on obtaining this driver if you don’t already have it.
Using Color Matching
When ColorSync 2.0 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.
• Application programs 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 Setup button 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.
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, 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 may 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 list describes some special cases that you should be aware of when working with some applications. (There may be other problems with these programs, or with other programs, not mentioned in this document.)
• Color output will vary depending on the application you are using.
• With many application 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 when Black and White mode is selected.
• Programs that generate their own PostScript may have problems color matching EPS or TIFF images correctly. Converting the image to a PICT corrects the problem.
Adobe Acrobat 2.1
• Acrobat retains the settings used for one printout and applies these settings to subsequent print jobs, unless options are reset by the users.
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.
Adobe Type Manager 3.9
• Documents may sometimes generate PostScript errors when printing outline fonts frm a Macintosh 9500 using ATM 3.9. This can be fixed by replacing ATM 3.9 with an earlier version.
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.
Aldus PageMaker 5.0
• Documents that have been set up using a page layout from the Layout pop-up menu may not print correctly with the Print-Option command; use the Print command with PageMaker’s Thumbnail option.
• When using a page layout from the Layout pop-up menu with the Print-Option command, the document will be printed in reverse order.
• 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 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.
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.
MacDraw Pro 1.5
• Rotated text within a frame that is placed in another application may not print correctly.
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.
• When you select Page Setup, Excel displays its own dialog. Click on the options button to open the Page Setup dialog generated by the LaserWriter driver. Most of the settings in Excel's window match the corresponding option in the driver's window. However, the scaling size may be different in the two dialogs. The size displayed in the Excel window is the size that will be used when printing from Excel.
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
• Works 4.0 color print outs may not match what appears on your screen. Experiment with the color options to determine which one generates the best printout for your needs.
Microsoft Word 6.0
• Each section of a document is treated as a separate file when printed.
Netscape 2.0.1
• Netscape may print a pale gray background to an older LaserWriter printer.
• When printing a multiple-page document, Metsape may print below the margins on the intermediate pages.
• 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.
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.
• 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 or later with the LaserWriter 8 printer driver; earlier versions 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.
How to Get Updated Software
Apple Software Updates are available on AppleLink, CompuServe, America Online and on the Internet at:
