Prepressforums.com

Joe · #11 (**permalink**) 02-27-2007, 08:11 AM

Do you see the printer in your printer setup utility? Can you print to it from an OSX app like the Text editor or Preview? I assume you ran the OS X installer from the disk that came with the printer?

Adam_G · #12 (**permalink**) 02-28-2007, 12:54 AM

I can see the printer in the Print Setup Utility Joe, and yep, I installed the Mac software that came with the printer. There just doesn't seem to be a PPD. Tried searching my harddrive and it's not installed one. Contacted Canon, they seem clueless. They told me to contact Adobe who write PPDs for other Canon devices but it seems not this one!

I can print direct from any application except Quark, which unfortunately is used for 99% of my work. Not heard back from Printfab yet, which seems to be my last chance. Unless anyone knows how to create a PPD...

Thanks again,
Adam

Joe · #13 (**permalink**) 02-28-2007, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam_G

I can print direct from any application except Quark,

Thanks again,
Adam

So....doesn't the other apps it prints from use a PPD? I mean, you can go into print setup and change paper sizes right?

Adam_G · #14 (**permalink**) 02-28-2007, 07:53 AM

I don't think it does use a PPD, sorry to sound thick but I'm not the techiest person! When I print from Illustrator, I select the printer in the print dialogue box and the PPD Field (where you can normally select the PPD) goes blank (it doesn't do that with any other printer). You can still select a range of paper sizes in the Media 'Size' Field.

Would you know what the PPD might be called (apart from the obvious eg. Pro9000.ppd etc - I've tried all those) and I could try searching my hard drive. I've tried things like 'Canon' as a keyword, but no PPD comes up!

Joe · #15 (**permalink**) 02-28-2007, 09:18 AM

I don't have that particular printer but I do have a couple of other Canon printers but we don't print direct to it from the Mac as we are using an EFI ColorProof XF RIP. Later today when I get to work I'll trying installing the printer on the Mac and see if I can get it to work and maybe I can figure something out that will work with your printer. What OS of Mac, Classic OS 9 or 10.3.x or 10.4.x? Power PC or Intel Mac? Quark 4 or 5? Quark 6.5? Quark 7?

Adam_G · #16 (**permalink**) 02-28-2007, 09:23 AM

Thanks Joe, that would be really helpful. I'm on a Power PC G5, System OSX v.10.4.8, and using Quark 6.5.

Thanks again.
Adam

Joe · #17 (**permalink**) 02-28-2007, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam_G

Thanks Joe, that would be really helpful. I'm on a Power PC G5, System OSX v.10.4.8, and using Quark 6.5.

Thanks again.
Adam

Okay...this is what I found out. You don't (can't) select a PPD from the Quartk Print dialog. In the Quark print dialog click the "Page Setup" button, select your printer and page size. Click the OK button. Next, click the "Printer..." button and select the printer. Now click the "Copies & Pages" dropdown and in the dropdown menu you will find all of your print settings for your printer. Set your settings as you desire and then click the "Print" button and it will take you back to the Quark Print dialog where there is nothing to set. Just click the Print button and it should print however you selected your settings. I didn't have time to try any tests with EPS files in the Quark document but I printed a couple of pages with text and tiffs in them and it printed great. My best guess is that because your printer is not a postscript printer and EPS files are postscript files, the Canon printer is just printing the low res preview of the EPS files. If I have time Thursday night I'll try printing a page with some EPS files in them. Have you tried converting the EPS files to Tiff files and then printing?

Adam_G · #18 (**permalink**) 03-01-2007, 12:49 AM

Hi Joe, I tried what you suggested and got the same results. The .eps files come out looking like a screen representation. .tif's are OK, though I'm not convinced that the colour is anywhere near what it should be, even for an uncalibrated device - the results from PDFs are far better.
Still waiting for Canon's techies to call me back - not the quickest people to deal with!
Do you know if it's possible to create or modify a similar printer's PPD to work with mine?

Thanks!

Joe · #19 (**permalink**) 03-01-2007, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam_G

Hi Joe, I tried what you suggested and got the same results. The .eps files come out looking like a screen representation. .tif's are OK, though I'm not convinced that the colour is anywhere near what it should be, even for an uncalibrated device - the results from PDFs are far better.
Still waiting for Canon's techies to call me back - not the quickest people to deal with!
Do you know if it's possible to create or modify a similar printer's PPD to work with mine?

Thanks!

A different PPD isn't going to help the color or the EPS issue. I'd try different color profiles from your print settings or from Quarks color management. I'll check my settings tonight again but I know I had several Canon profiles I could choose from when printing but then again it isn't the exact same printer that you have.

Adam_G · #20 (**permalink**) 03-01-2007, 08:54 AM

If I could get the printer to print accurately, I'm sure I'd be able to calibrate the colour, so that's not a huge problem. It's the fact that I can't print EPS files that's the biggest problem.
Surely, if I could track down a PPD, I should be able to print OK? As I said, I'm sure it's not installed one and there's certainly not one that's visible to Quark. As it is, this thing's less use than a cheapo laser printer - it's certainly no use for proofing which is why I bought it.
I'm really hacked off with Canon that a) they market this thing to creative professionals as a proofing device and b) that they won't call me back!