Lexmark 2390 Plus Dot Matrix printer Can it work.

Thanks for the link.

I installed everything in the order of the instructions. Nothing happened.

I looked into the Apple driver folder, but it had the same drivers as before, no Image Writer drivers.

I think that driver only works with the USB to serial port adaptor, and requires apple talk.

Well, I'll be a monkeys uncle! That openprinting site is very impressive. I did everything ya'll told me to do; found a PPD, Foomatic, Ghostscript and suddenly this 1995, 24 pin pile of dirt I paid $20.00 for at Space Center Electronics burst to life and prints just as good as a ink-jet, only through 6 layers of NCR!

I am ecstatic, sounds nerdy but I am. No more hard pressing hand writing redundant info on form after form.

I cannot thank you guys enough! I looked into purchasing a new dot matrix for $300.00 to $500.00 and the only ones that would work with my Mac would have to be networked.

The guys at Space Center had a wide format Lexmark they want $20.00 for. It is in better condition than mine, but it is over 2 feet long and weights about 30 pounds.

Take a look, it is the one the super hot 90's chick is kneeling next to.

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/117/l_c5d664cc1f2f4a20897b9363f0a929 df.png

I can't wait to turn in my forms on Monday. The blank-it-y-blank IT guy said, "dude your wasting your time, just hand write them like everyone else has to do".

Everyone at work is gonna want to do this. The IT guys are going to be bombarded with e-mails requesting this set up. And I am going to proudly say..."Sorry, you can only do this with a Mac." Which is a lie, but our IT guys are all Dell employees and I bet they will believe me. Besides. I am using FileMaker Pro. I want to see them sweat it out tying to make this form in Microsoft Office..ha, ha, ha, haaaaaa! Ok, that sounds mean, but we only have a site license for Office 2003 that is even meaner.

Anyway, thanks again guys for making miracles come true for the little guy. You guys are awesome!

The thing prints like new, even with a 6 year old ink cartridge. Who'd a thought?

Do you think you need to pay a high price for a 24 pin dot matrix printer that prints through those ridiculous 6 part NCR forms? Well, look no further than your local computer surplus dealer. They might have the printer for you. Need a driver, the guys here did the impossible and helped me find a way. It is worth having a Mac just so you can access the best help you will ever get for seemingly impossible things you never thought you could do with out owning one of the PC boxes.

--------By the way, do your IT people know that they can run FileMaker Pro on Windows as well?

They do, but that would require a site license. And these Dell guys do not want anything on company computers that did not come from Microsoft. All of our work is web based.

Actually, I might regret showing off printed forms. There have been several employees that have hooked up wireless routers to use their personal notebook, and/or plugged in their personal computers to the local network. All AUP violations. The IT people quickly sweep into your room, take everything and unhook your access to the server.

Then you have two choices, you can have your equipment back or keep your job.

I have 3 Macs that belong to me at work. The IT guys could sweep in any day and take my stuff. They don't have to have a reason.

I went ahead and got the other Lexmark, now that the one I have is working perfectly.

This is the Lexmark 2381 Plus which used the Epson LQ 1050.

Where did you find that list of compatible printers? Do they have drivers or ppd?

I was searching all over the web (too long) for the LQ 1050 driver. I found the owner's manuel that covers all the Lexmark 23xx series. Under the first printer 2390 Plus (24 pin) it lists Epson LQ 850, but for the 2381 Plus it recommends the driver for the Epson LQ 1050. The printers I have (2390 and 2381) have the exact same mother board. So I thought the LQ 850 would work. It did not. All I was getting was garbage. So I searched the internet for a ppd of the LQ 1050, no go.

After many hours of searching, I gave up, the LQ 1050 has not been created. So before I called it quits, I decided to try the Apple provided Epson "Generic 9 pin". Boom, it works.

The "Generic 24 pin" does NOT work on either printer. The "Generic 9 pin" only works on the 2381 Plus.

To day I used FileMaker and the templets for all the forms I use, and with a little work both printers do a fantastic and consistent job of printing directly on the forms and all the way through 5 layers.

The 24 pin is superior to the 9 pin, because it has 360x360 resolution. (Compared to the 174x72 of the 9 pin), but they both print very clear and run pretty fast in their highest resolutions.

I LOVE making things work that no one else in their right mind would waste their time on..LOL.

Thanks again to both of you for all the cool stuff I learned about LINUX, ghostscript gimprint etc.

Maybe this thread will help someone else with an oddball printer that they want to use again.

I looked through that list a thousand times and I could not find:

● IBM PPS II 2390/2391
● IBM PS/1 2390
● IBM Proprinter 24P
● IBM PS/1 2205
● IBM Proprinter X24E/XL24E
● IBM ExecJet
● Epson LQ-850/1050

The Lexmark web site has the UNIX driver package for download. So, I did. There were no instructions, so as "root" I dragged the "instal all drivers for the 23xx" file into the "terminal" and it installed all the drivers. The last prompt said, "Lexmark 2380, 2381, 2390 and 2391 drivers have successfully been installed".

But, how do I access them?