need generic post script drivers for OS X

I have a Dell 2130CN. Can't find drivers. I'm told that I need generic postscript drivers for OS X. I've been away from Mac's for 15 years... Help. Where do I find "generic postscript drivers"???? Or this Dell gets returned.

Mac Book Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.5)

Posted on Nov 16, 2008 1:45 PM

Top-ranking reply

Steven Bleyl

Level 2

325 points

Posted on Nov 20, 2008 12:16 PM

Ok, I have my Dell 2130cn working with OSX 10.5.3
I downloaded the driver from Matt's links above:

either the HPIJS: http://www.linuxfoundation.org/en/OpenPrinting/MacOSX/hpijs
or the pxlmono: http://www.linuxfoundation.org/en/OpenPrinting/MacOSX/pxlmono

I used the pxlmono one. The resolution for me was to use driver:

Generic PCL 6/PCL XL Printer Foomatic/pxlmono

I initially got the 'network busy' issue others have reported. I control-clicked the printer list and reset printing (your tip from another thread) and then readded the printer. I also selected LPD and not IPP. I always do that backward when I go to enter an IP address and forget the LPD works with IP address printing as well.

Anyway, its working for now. I still need to add the duplexer but it won't be a big deal if that doesn't work.

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21 replies

Nov 18, 2008 10:03 AM in response to Kurt Lang

Kurt Lang wrote:

The big unknown is how well their "Emulation" works.

That's what I wondered, too. Does the printer have another language set that is native to that printer and the HP emulation is there as a secondary option? Or is the HP language emulation it's only method?

I think some manufacturers use emulation to avoid paying licensing fees. It's probably analogous to when you see printers -- most notably HP -- use PostScript emulation. I'm sure there are printers that do a good job at emulation and some that do a bad job of emulation. It costs money to get the real thing.

Message was edited by: Matt Broughton

Kurt Lang

Level 9

68,680 points

Nov 18, 2008 10:06 AM in response to Matt Broughton

I think some manufacturers use emulation to avoid paying licensing fees.

Yup, like on the PC side for many years. Less expensive computers would come with sound cards that emulated Soundblaster or Adlib cards (anyone else even remember Adlib 😉 ). They worked okay, but there were always some games that wouldn't work right without the real thing.

Nov 20, 2008 3:42 PM in response to Steven Bleyl

For clarification,

The only driver that will give me color is the generic PCL6/PCL XL pxlmono.
The hpijs version only gives me black and white.

The problem is, the pxlmono spools VERY VERY SLOW on pages with photos. Text spools fast. Doesn't seem to matter what I set the 'printer features' its still slow. I can get a nice grey scale if I set to 'print out mode', but this is still slow.

I tried all the other generic PCL drivers and they spool much faster, but only give Black and white print of much poorer quality than the pxlmono greyscale.

Too bad. If I didn't have it connected to a PC as well, I might send it back.

GREYCON

Level 1

9 points

Nov 29, 2008 10:47 AM in response to Steven Bleyl

Hi there,
I too have a Dell 2130cn, and have just bought a nice shiny new Mac 24. It's a bit of a culture shock, but nice box. Anyway, I loaded the pxlmono drivers and pre-reqs, as per your post. I selected Generic PCL and the printer works, but in Mono only. (It works fine in color from windows boxes.)

Does any kind soul have a moment to tell me how I might go about debugging this. (I am a software engineer, and can find my way around a unix command window ok, just the whole Mac thing is new to me.)

Cheers,
Con

Kurt Lang

Level 9

68,680 points

Nov 17, 2008 6:25 AM in response to greg sahli

That's the page I was looking for! Thanks, greg.

Nov 19, 2008 8:16 PM in response to AJ

Any headway with this issue? Did you try the lexmark driver or any other that gives good results?

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need generic post script drivers for OS X