How can I print to a USB printer?

[Forrest]

Is there any way to print to a USB printer under Windows98SE or XPSP2? I'm using a G4 and G5 computers running the OSX 10.4.11

If this isn't possible with the current version, will it work with the next version Q 0.9.1?

[kberg]

Direct USB Support is not planned for the next two weeks...

but try this workaround:
install the free windows pdf printer from http://www.pdf995.com/ (or ghostscript for ps)
save the pdfs (or ghostscript ps) to the Q shared folder
print the pdfs (or ghostscript ps) from OS X.

There are some genius'es, that springload the shared folder with a script, that automatically print every pdf/ps that is sent to the Q shared folder.

Mike

[dfennell]

Hi Forrest, another option is to share your USB printer on the host Mac and print to it from the QEMU guest over the network connection using IPP (Internet Printing Protocol). I've tested this under WinXP, but not Win9x recently.
David

1. Share your Mac printer
   • open System Preferences > Sharing
   • mark "Printer Sharing" in the left column
   • mark your printer on the right side of the window
   • hit the "Open Print & Fax Preferences" button
   • hit the "Open Print Queue" button
   • hit the "i" Info icon
   • note the Queue Name (eg. "Epson_Stylus") for later use. I recommend a short name.
   • hit the "OK" button and close the preferences window.
2. Start the QEMU guest system
3. For Windows 9x/ME
   • download and install Microsoft Internet Print Services (wpnpins.exe) from Microsoft or the PowerLoad archive. I understand that it is also in the addons folder of the Windows Me Install CD.
   • re-boot
   • open Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs > Windows...
   • confirm that Internet Print Services is installed ok
   • download a Win9x Postscript driver from here.
   • install the Postscript driver, specifying "Print to the following port" as:
     
     
     http://10.0.2.2:631/printers/queue-name
     where queue-name is the Mac printer queue name (eg. "Epson_Stylus")
4. For Win2K+
   • select Start > Settings > Printers
   • double-click the "Add Printer" icon
   • in the "Welcome..." window, hit the Next button
   • select the "Network printer" radio button, then hit the Next button.
   • select the "Connect to a printer on the Internet..." radio button, then type in the URL for the Mac print queue like this:
     
     
     http://10.0.2.2:631/printers/queue-name
     where queue-name is the Mac queue name (eg. "Epson_Stylus")
   • hit the Next button.
   • select the printer manufacturer "Generic" in the left scrolling list and select the printer model "MS Publisher Imagesetter" in the right list, then hit the "OK" button.
   • on the "You have successfully..." pop-up, hit the Finish button.
5. For non-US users:
   • on the Printer properties General tab, hit the "Printing Preferences..." button, then the "Advanced..." button, specify a Paper Size of A4, then hit the "OK" button twice.
   • on the Printer properties Device Settings tab, set the Form to Tray Assignment to "A4", then hit the "OK" button.
6. On the Printer properies General tab, hit the "Print Test Page" button and check the results.

Troubleshooting Tip
You can check network access from the guest system to the OS X host print queues by opening a browser to http://10.0.2.2:631/

References
Credit to:

• Stefan Becker "Drucken und Dateizugriff per Samba, Scannen über Netzwerk, Netcapi" (Printing and file access via Samba, scanning over the network, Netcapi) http://www.google.com/translate_c?hl=en ... ostcount=9
• University of Florida CNS/Open Systems Group "CNS CUPS Manual" http://open-systems.ufl.edu/services/pr ... index.html

[kberg]

Cool!
I'll add this to the FAQ asap.

Mike

[tDeContes]

thank you very much, now i can print in windows / qemu

would you have a tutorial for linux, too, please ?

1. For Win2K+
   • select Start > Settings > Printers
   • double-click the "Add Printer" icon
   • in the "Welcome..." window, hit the Next button
   • select the "Network printer" radio button, then hit the Next button.
   • select the "Connect to a printer on the Internet..." radio button, then type in the URL for the Mac print queue like this:
     
     
     http://10.0.2.2:631/printers/queue-name
     where queue-name is the Mac queue name (eg. "Epson_Stylus")
   • hit the Next button.
   • select the printer manufacturer "Generic" in the left scrolling list and select the printer model "MS Publisher Imagesetter" in the right list, then hit the "OK" button.
   • on the "You have successfully..." pop-up, hit the Finish button.

i have a name of printer which is nearly the same (FX 880 instead of FX 890)
should i choose this one to maybe have more features, or should i choose Generic anyway because the driver is on the mac and in windows the driver must be generic ?

1. For non-US users:
   • on the Printer properties General tab, hit the "Printing Preferences..." button, then the "Advanced..." button, specify a Paper Size of A4, then hit the "OK" button twice.
   • on the Printer properties Device Settings tab, set the Form to Tray Assignment to "A4", then hit the "OK" button.

i need to personalize the paper size (76*106, 101*106, 216*112 mm)
is it strongly impossible in this way, or is there a way to do that ?

You can check network access from the guest system to the OS X host print queues by opening a browser to http://10.0.2.2:631/

very usefull

[dfennell]

. . .
i have a name of printer which is nearly the same (FX 880 instead of FX 890)
should i choose this one to maybe have more features, or should i choose Generic anyway because the driver is on the mac and in windows the driver must be generic ?
. . .
i need to personalize the paper size (76*106, 101*106, 216*112 mm)
is it strongly impossible in this way, or is there a way to do that ?

Hi, I advise you to try your own options and post the results back here!
David

[jooney]

Why are laser printers that print tabloid a lot more expensive than a regular laser printer? They only print a few inches more in width. I know they may also be better in other things (compared to the small ones), but all I need is a color laser printer that prints tabloid. Can you recommend me an affordable color laser printer that prints tabloid size?