how do i add a printer to my imac?

An IP address is exactly what you need to connect to the printers via ethernet, and the printers themselves can tell you their IP (look in the manuals, there will be a report that you can print which will give you the network configuration of the printers, including IP address)

Good luck.

bandit137 wrote:

The link to the combo didn't work. It just sat there and did nothing.

I just checked the link and it works. Here's the URL: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399

It is likely that network connectivity is available for the 8300, via a third party print server, there is a wide selection, Cisco make several and I am sure they are not alone.

Hi Bandit. I just solved this problem myself with a little help from Rebecca Huber at Xante and a hint from John at ChoreoGraphics in Midland, TX. The fix goes like this.

You need to reset the ip address that is resident in your printer. Default from the factory is actually blank. The test sheet from start up will say that the ip address is 192.9.200.201 if it is left at factory default.

To assign the ip address, you need one machine that is still OS 10.5 or earlier that can communicate with the printer across the ethernet network.

Open text edit, you'll find in your applications folder and copy the following text:

%!PS

true 0 startjob

(%IP%) <</IPAddress (192.9.200.201) /NetworkMask (255.255.255.0)>> setdevparams

(%IP_NV%) <</IPAddress (192.9.200.201) /NetworkMask (255.255.255.0)>> setdevparams

systemdict /quit get exec

You will need to change the IP address to conform with your network. You can determine your IP mask by opening system preferences/network on any machine on your network. the first three numbers are your networks mask. Like with the IP Address in the above lines, the mask is 192.9.200. That last number identifies the specific machine (computer/printer, etc). Do not use as the number for your printer any ID number from anything else on your network. Also, the numbers 0, 1 and 127 are reserved addresses which shouldn't be used. So in the two spots above where there is an IPAddress, change it to your unique number that you want to assign for your printer and then save the file to your desktop on the machine that still communicates with the Accel-a-Writer 8300. Name the file: SetIPAddress.ps

Open Terminal, that's an app in your Applications/utilites folder. From the prompt type: cd desktop

Hit enter and at the next prompt type: lpr SetIPAddress.ps

Hit enter again and the IP address will be reset on you Accel-a-Writer 8300. To check that it held, turn the printer off and then restart it. The test page should print showing you the new Ethernet Address that you assigned.

At that point, you add a new printer from system preferences/Printer&Fax using the IP option for set up. From LPD enter your new printer ip address and add whatever descriptive name will be helpful. Manually select Printer Driver and choose the Accel-a-Writer driver selecting whatever memory and tray options you have and add the printer. It will now show up on Snow Leopard and later systems across the ethernet.

Happy printing...

Al though an old thread, this tip from Jim in Prepress helped me to get my Xanté Accel-a-writer 3N to work with my Mac Mini Late 2012 running on OS X 10.8.5.

I could not get Xanté Command Center (Mac OS 9) working on my G4 MDD in classic mode OS 9.2, with this program you should be able to change the IP address on the printer. Got this program running but it just did not do anything. Perhaps on an older Mac, but that was no option for me.

On an iMac running OS X 10.5.8 (still supports AppleTalk) I was able to run in Terminal with success the SetIPAddress.ps command.

Tip on choosing a right IP address: open the software of your router (usually by typing the IP adress of the Router in your Browser). Check two things: the DHCP range of the IP adresses (IP for your printer should be in this range) and the IP addresses that are used (don't use one of these and as Jim pointed out 0, 1 and 127). My Router DHCP ranged from 192.168.0.100 ~ 0.200 and 0.101 ~ 0.111 where in use, so I choose 192.168.0.125

In the PostScript command/file example from Jim I replaced both 192.9.200.201 with 192.168.0.125 (my new IP address).

Be sure to save as TXT only (not RTF) of course with the .ps extension.

Really a shame that this vital information is impossible to find on the Xanté website.

These high-end PostScript printers (mine is Level 3) were extremely expensive, and still working as a breeze, if you get them to work of course :-)