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HP455ca Mac OS10.3


Trey Hoff

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Hello, I'm about to upgrade to vw11. I work from a OS10.3 computer using vw8.5, then transfer the file to a dedicated computer for plotting (HP455ca w/serial port) running OS9.0, vw8.5. There is no driver upgrade for OS10.3. Can I transfer a vw11 file to my plot computer and still plot? I was told I needed to upgrade the plot computer to OS9.3. Will fonts still transfer? Or do I need to get a new plotter?

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The 455 is only partially supported under OS 10. There is a print driver available under OS 10, although you may not have full functionality that you do with OS 9. The driver is built into the OS and is written by a third party vendorn, Gimp Print.

If you want to still go back and print to OS 9, you'll need to update it to OS 9.2 for compatibility with VW 11; even if you use the Viewer.

You could still export to VW 8, however some objects aren't supported, mainly viewports.

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I have a 455CA. I am using OS10.3.5 and it works fine. I print directly from the computer to the JetDirect and to the printer.

OS10.3 has the print drivers built in. If you do a search, you should find ample info on how to set up your printer for OS10.3.

You can set up your dedicated printing computer to run OS10.3 and have it do the processing. I don't know about going from one computer running OS10.3 to a print serving computer running OS9.2.2. I assume you are currently using the HP RIP for printing under OS9x.

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Thanks Kevin. Yes I am using HP RIP. Is this different from Jetdirect and do I need the RIP with OS10.3? If the 455ca will work with OS10.3 & VW11 then I assume I can network my production computers instead of using a dedicated computer? Is the print driver in OS10.3 the Gimp driver that Katie spoke of?

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Trey;

The JetDirect is the box that connects between the printer and your computer. It is what your ethernet cable plugs into.

No the RIP is not used in OS10. In fact it will not operate in that OS. GimpPrint is a free application that allows the printer to show up in the Printer Setup Utility. For OS10.2 it can be downloaded. For OS10.3 it is already installed as part of the system.

Yes you can use your printer as a network printer. It will have a unique IP address. If you setup your print serving computer with OS10, you should be able to allow it to do the processing. This would be more desirable as it frees up your other computers from the task of printing.

BTW, I started using this printer under OS9 and Minicad7. Though printing is slower, it is more stable under OS10.3.5 than using the HP RIP.

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You are welcome Trey. I did some printing today. I printed from a G4 desktop, over Airport, to a Powerbook which processed the print job and spooled it to the printer over Airport.

It worked without a hitch. Both computers are running OS10.3.5. Using the HP RIP was never this reliable.

Congratulations on your upgrade.

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Hi Trey;

It is not all that complicated. The desktop G4 and the printer connect by ethernet through a router. This is one direct way to print by going from the G4 to the printer.

The Airport is also hooked up to the router by ethernet. There is a special setting here which I do not remember exactly. I think it is a software setting called ethernet bridge.

The laptop communicates to the network through the Airport. It can access the internet as you suggest. Being on a network, it can access anything else on the network. This includes the G4 and printer.

You can also print from a laptop to a USB printer. You can do this with Airport Express by plugging the USB printer into the Airport Express. You can also print to a USB printer that connects to another computer. You have to set this up in the software, but you can do it.

When I want to print from the G4, I select the 455CA from the print center as a shared printer. This sends the print job to the laptop. The laptop does the ripping and spooling to the plotter. This way the G4 is not tied up doing ripping and spooling. If the laptop is not available, I simply select the 455CA directly.

I hope that helps.

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