Lanier C4500/LD445c printing from Mac OS X 10.4

[Mason G. Zhwiti]

Hello,

I'm trying to configure a Macbook Pro to use a Lanier MP C4500/
LD445c.

I've downloaded the Mac drivers from Lanier's site for this printer,
but the readme included with them doesn't jive with the actual printer
setup menus, so it's not clear if installation is proceeding
correctly. I am guessing they haven't been updated for Mac OS X 10.4
yet. (The options they tell you to select when installing the printer
don't actually exist.)

However, I took my best guesses and tried various procedures, and the
end result is the printer IS installed, and the Mac thinks its print
jobs are successful. But when we check the printer, it hasn't printed.
The error log for the printer does show the print job was received,
but indicates we don't have authorization to perform "the
function." (I assume "the function" is printing, but I guess it could
be just one component of the print job -- the error message doesn't
elaborate.)

Now, this printer DOES require a 4-digit authorization code to print
color copies (it is located in a large shared office). However, I am
only trying to print black and white and greyscale from the Mac, but
still get the same error. Yet, I think the only way to rule this out
as the problem is to find a way to enter the authorization code for
that printer on the Mac... yet I see no place to do so in the printer
configuration menus. (On Windows, this printer provides a place to
enter the authorization for printing.)

Anyone know how to do this, or have any workaround ideas?

Thank you, I really appreciate it!

 

[me]

Hello,
I'm trying to configure a Macbook Pro to use a Lanier MP C4500/
LD445c.

Now, this printer DOES require a 4-digit authorization code to print
color copies (it is located in a large shared office). However, I am
only trying to print black and white and greyscale from the Mac, but
still get the same error. Yet, I think the only way to rule this out
as the problem is to find a way to enter the authorization code for
that printer on the Mac... yet I see no place to do so in the printer
configuration menus. (On Windows, this printer provides a place to
enter the authorization for printing.)

Anyone know how to do this, or have any workaround ideas?
Thank you, I really appreciate it!

I think this machine is a rebadged Ricoh - so it probably also has
Savin, Gestetner, Infotec, Nashuatec and Rex Rotary incarnations as well
- it might be worth seeing if one of them has a more useful driver. Do
you know how the Mac is rendering the grey scale pages, might it be
trying to generate grey using CMY? Can you put a PC in the Mac's place
on the network and try printing the same document and see if it needs
the authorization code? Its probably also worth asking your question at
thecopiernetwork.com

 

[Mason G. Zhwiti]

I think this machine is a rebadged Ricoh - so it probably also has
Savin, Gestetner, Infotec, Nashuatec and Rex Rotary incarnations as well
- it might be worth seeing if one of them has a more useful driver. Do
you know how the Mac is rendering the grey scale pages, might it be
trying to generate grey using CMY? Can you put a PC in the Mac's place
on the network and try printing the same document and see if it needs
the authorization code? Its probably also worth asking your question at
thecopiernetwork.com

Hi Timothy,

Thanks for the feedback on this. The same Mac also runs Parallels and
printing the same document from that copy of Windows works fine --
although the Windows version of the driver makes it very clear how to
select black and white vs. color copies, and of course authorization
is supported in that driver for sure.

On the Mac, the print config screen (which comes up when trying to
print any document) has slightly weird way of setting color/b&w. The
only options I see are to apply a Quartz Filter indicating greyscale,
color, b&w, etc., or to go to the printer features menu and modify the
color setting there. Compare that to printing with a typical HP
printer, there is an obvious Color Options menu available in the paper
type / quality menu. Nothing like that here with this current driver.

Someone on another forum suggested I should try a generic PCL driver,
since it sounds like this printer doesn't have the PS card installed.
(I don't know if it does or not.)

I have given your thecopiernetwork.com suggestion a try, and will see
if I can dig up any info on drivers for other printers that you
mentioned. Thanks!

 

[Matt Broughton]

Someone on another forum suggested I should try a generic PCL driver,
since it sounds like this printer doesn't have the PS card installed.
(I don't know if it does or not.)

The download from the Lanier site contained a PPD for the PostScript
model only. If the printer does not have the PostScript module
installed, it won't print or will only spew out PostScript code.

For a list of recommended drivers see:
<http://openprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=Lanier-MP_C4500_LD445c>.

The plxmono driver has a good reputation. You will need to install
Foomatic-RIP and ESP Ghostscript to use the plxmono PPD.
<http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/OpenPrinting/MacOSX/foomatic>

Matt

 

[am.camps]

Help! Lanier printer

Hi! I just started a new job and I am having the same exact problem printing from my Mac to a Lanier. Were you ever able to resolve this issue? Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you! Ann Marie