Printer without driver

Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
(post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
printer directly.

Dave,

On 10/29/2009 02:01 PM Dave Boland scribbled:

> Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
> asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
> which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
> would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
> (post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
> printer directly.
>
> Dave,
I for one had the same question about 2 weeks ago in the
alt.comp.periphs.printer group sand was basically told I didn't know
what I was talking about. I /had/ heard it was possible to ftp to a
printer - only responses were of the negative variety.

I have no need myself beyond academic curiousity so I let it lie for
maybe a future exercise but the idea did seem logically possible.

We'll see what comes up here....

A network connected postscript printer should do what you want. You
need a postscript driver in each computer. Once the data is in
postscript and the protocol is IP, it should work.

On Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:01:16 -0400, Dave Boland <dboland9@fastmail.fm>
wrote:

>Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
>asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
>which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
>would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
>(post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
>printer directly.
>
>Dave,

jrg <connyank@cox.net> wrote:
> On 10/29/2009 02:01 PM Dave Boland scribbled:
>
>> Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
>> asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
>> which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
>> would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
>> (post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
>> printer directly.
>>
> I for one had the same question about 2 weeks ago in the
> alt.comp.periphs.printer group sand was basically told I didn't know
> what I was talking about. I /had/ heard it was possible to ftp to a
> printer - only responses were of the negative variety.

HP JetDirect print servers have accepted jobs by a bunch of different
protocols, including FTP, for years. There's also a web admin
interface.

As far as not needing a driver, the PostScript LaserJets handle a lot of
formats, usually PostScript, PCL, and plain text. Newer versions can
print PDF also.

--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA

On 10/29/2009 05:06 PM firebird-jmw@invalid.invalid scribbled:

sorry, I am bottom posting your reply, firebird, to make it flow:

> On Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:01:16 -0400, Dave Boland <dboland9@fastmail.fm>
> wrote:
>
>> Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
>> asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
>> which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
>> would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
>> (post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
>> printer directly.
>>
>> Dave,

> A network connected postscript printer should do what you want. You
> need a postscript driver in each computer. Once the data is in
> postscript and the protocol is IP, it should work.
>

in response to the same question, I received this reply from the other
group:

writer name withheld:

*/
Think about your own question: "It is possible to print without one on a
network printer by using FTP to transfer the file to the printer"

"the file" .... WHAT FILE?

You expect a printer to take a Microsoft Word document (*.doc) or an
Excel spreadsheet (*.xls) or a PowerPoint presentation (*.ppt) and print
it? What's missing is not a "driver" ... it's the entire application.

The idea that anything can be printed without a driver is nonsensical,
unless "anything" is no more than plain ASCII text.

A driver (and, for that matter, an application) is required. ALWAYS.
The best you can hope for is a very common page description language and
a "universal" driver. That can work for ASCII, PCL and PostScript (and
a few more) but a "universal" driver, if it works at all, won't be able
to take advantage of any special features or capabilities of any given
particular printer.

/*

go figure...

On 10/29/2009 06:28 PM Warren Block scribbled:

> jrg <connyank@cox.net> wrote:
>> On 10/29/2009 02:01 PM Dave Boland scribbled:
>>
>>> Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
>>> asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
>>> which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
>>> would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
>>> (post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
>>> printer directly.
>>>
>> I for one had the same question about 2 weeks ago in the
>> alt.comp.periphs.printer group sand was basically told I didn't know
>> what I was talking about. I /had/ heard it was possible to ftp to a
>> printer - only responses were of the negative variety.
>
> HP JetDirect print servers have accepted jobs by a bunch of different
> protocols, including FTP, for years. There's also a web admin
> interface.
>
> As far as not needing a driver, the PostScript LaserJets handle a lot of
> formats, usually PostScript, PCL, and plain text. Newer versions can
> print PDF also.
>

The question is do they need drivers?

jrg <connyank@cox.net> wrote:
> On 10/29/2009 06:28 PM Warren Block scribbled:
>
>> jrg <connyank@cox.net> wrote:
>>> On 10/29/2009 02:01 PM Dave Boland scribbled:
>>>
>>>> Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
>>>> asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
>>>> which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
>>>> would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
>>>> (post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
>>>> printer directly.
>>>>
>>> I for one had the same question about 2 weeks ago in the
>>> alt.comp.periphs.printer group sand was basically told I didn't know
>>> what I was talking about. I /had/ heard it was possible to ftp to a
>>> printer - only responses were of the negative variety.
>>
>> HP JetDirect print servers have accepted jobs by a bunch of different
>> protocols, including FTP, for years. There's also a web admin
>> interface.
>>
>> As far as not needing a driver, the PostScript LaserJets handle a lot of
>> formats, usually PostScript, PCL, and plain text. Newer versions can
>> print PDF also.
>>
>
> The question is do they need drivers?

If the file is a type the printer can understand, no, just send that
file to the printer.

Otherwise, you need a driver to take application output and format it
for the printer.

--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA

Dave Boland <dboland9@fastmail.fm> wrote:

> Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
> asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
> which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
> would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
> (post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
> printer directly.
>
> Dave,

The answer is YES and NO

YES you can Print To File, or WRITE with pen, or PRESS

NO you can't not print to PAPER because the system needs to knows what to
communicate with. Or without driver then there won't be the PRINT command
to begin with.

jrg <connyank@cox.net> wrote:

> On 10/29/2009 06:28 PM Warren Block scribbled:
>
> > jrg <connyank@cox.net> wrote:
> >> On 10/29/2009 02:01 PM Dave Boland scribbled:
> >>
> >>> Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
> >>> asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
> >>> which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
> >>> would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
> >>> (post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
> >>> printer directly.
> >>>
> >> I for one had the same question about 2 weeks ago in the
> >> alt.comp.periphs.printer group sand was basically told I didn't know
> >> what I was talking about. I /had/ heard it was possible to ftp to a
> >> printer - only responses were of the negative variety.
> >
> > HP JetDirect print servers have accepted jobs by a bunch of different
> > protocols, including FTP, for years. There's also a web admin
> > interface.
> >
> > As far as not needing a driver, the PostScript LaserJets handle a lot of
> > formats, usually PostScript, PCL, and plain text. Newer versions can
> > print PDF also.
> >
>
> The question is do they need drivers?

The answer is YES you DO NEED the printer driver for the system to
communicate with the printer. PostScript, True Font, Plain Text, Adobe
Font, Fonts Cartridge etc. have nothing to do the driver but the languages
use to make font.

Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com> wrote:

> jrg <connyank@cox.net> wrote:
> > On 10/29/2009 06:28 PM Warren Block scribbled:
> >
> >> jrg <connyank@cox.net> wrote:
> >>> On 10/29/2009 02:01 PM Dave Boland scribbled:
> >>>
> >>>> Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
> >>>> asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
> >>>> which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
> >>>> would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
> >>>> (post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
> >>>> printer directly.
> >>>>
> >>> I for one had the same question about 2 weeks ago in the
> >>> alt.comp.periphs.printer group sand was basically told I didn't know
> >>> what I was talking about. I /had/ heard it was possible to ftp to a
> >>> printer - only responses were of the negative variety.
> >>
> >> HP JetDirect print servers have accepted jobs by a bunch of different
> >> protocols, including FTP, for years. There's also a web admin
> >> interface.
> >>
> >> As far as not needing a driver, the PostScript LaserJets handle a lot of
> >> formats, usually PostScript, PCL, and plain text. Newer versions can
> >> print PDF also.
> >>
> >
> > The question is do they need drivers?
>
> If the file is a type the printer can understand, no, just send that
> file to the printer.
>
> Otherwise, you need a driver to take application output and format it
> for the printer.

ALL printers will require Printer DRIVER to communicate between Computer
and Printer. The printer may not need any special driver (or the system or
program handle them) to print some special format as long as the system
supports it/them.