Printing via networked printer?

[cutaway]

see this
http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=59348

[dschallock]

It seems that if the actual drivers were text files that it could be possible to figure out how to modify an existing one to comply with a newer printer.

[dschallock]

how is OS4 handling the print issue?

[joekster]

This thread prompted me to give it a try on my HP color laserjet 1312... It supposedly supports PCL6 and Postscript. And with 160MB of RAM (in printer), shouldn't be an issue to print many, many pages...

Was able to use either NetPrinter or LPR in both RAW and LPR mode no problems... The prefs applet for netprinter likes to crash (i.e. guru) a LOT. And LPR requires shell command to configure. But either way, not such a big deal.

Printing via the os 3.9 laserjet 6 driver was no issue. BUT, the os 3.9 postscript driver would always guru - didn't matter netprinter or lpr.

Also tried turboprint 7.05 and 7.6 with the color laserjet 5 driver. Seemed to work just fine although the color was a bit off.

[danbeaver]

how is OS4 handling the print issue?

AOS4.1 handles network printing fine if you have a PostScript or HP Inkjet printer, as does OS3.9.  The LPR.device does not work with AmiTCP 3.X in OS3.9, but works with every other TCP stack.  The LPR.device parameters are stored in ENV: but not accessed until time of printing, allowing them to be changed (I use an IconX script) from one networked printer to another -- although I now stick with one color laser PS printer for all my work.

I haven't directly connected a printer to any port in over 5 years.

[dschallock]

What is the difference between LPR and raw printing?

[danbeaver]

What is the difference between LPR and raw printing?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=LPR+vs+raw+printing&l=1

[tenleftfingers]

HI, ok I have some success.
First.  My system is a os 3.9, xsurf-100 in an Amiga 3000, Easynet pro TCP, and a epson all in one workforce 3450 printer.

1) download and extract the netprinter.lha from aminet.
2) copy the files inside os3/(folders)/#? into same name folders on your sys:/workbench" partition.
3) run the netprinter prefs file in sys"prefs.
4) set unit # to 0. Protocol to direct. Port leave at 9100.  Most important thing here is in the hostname or IP you need to put the IP address for your priner sitting on the network.  On my printer, I can go into the printers setings and look up network settings or status or something like that and I look for the IP.  Once I find that number you want to enter it in the hostname or IP field.  For me it was 192.168.1.11, I wouldnt be surpised if the first 3 numbers are the same for you.
5) launch your printer prefs in the Sys:prefs directory.
6) set Printer Device unit to 0. In printer type select "Generic".  Click the box "use cutom device".  In the box below that type DEVS:netprinter.device  Save and exit.

For basic printing, it should now work.  Assuming your amiga and your printer are connected to the net.  

I own a copy of turboprint 7.  Not sure the latest release but that was the last copy I bought.  I tried installing and running that program with netprinter.  Because none of the drivers are really for my very modern epson all in one printer, none of them worked.  The printer responded when I pressed print but it would always just print garbage.
*Is anyone working on my modern print drivers for OS 3?)
AS soon as I removed it and when back to just text printing, it worked fine.
So give that a try and see if you can get your network printer to print with netprinter.device like I did.
post your results.
-Daniel

Edit: I posted that half asleep last night... hahaha.  Anyway.  Netprinter.device seems to work fine in conjunction with OS3.9 "generic" printer driver.  It's all about the IP address of the printer on the network.  Netprinter.device is just a gateway to that IP.  Once there we are limited to the printer drivers we have available to us Amiga users. What didn't work was Turbo print7, but I suspect it is trying to use Epson stylus color print drivers on a epson workforce printer.  I wish there was a developer pack for turboprint so we could "try" and make additional drivers for newer printers.  I know postscript is a great option for those with postscript printers, but I would still find it cool to print graphics out from my Amiga.  It's a novelty for sure, but my son for instance is doing to some homework papers on the Amiga using wordworth7.  Would be cool for him to be able to print the graphics too not just the text.

Every time I use netprinter, my Amiga gurus when I save the settings. I've tried using SnoopDos to log what's happening but the file doesn't get written because of the Guru. I'm using v1.15. But since I'm running OS3.0 maybe there is too much of a chasm between our setups.