HP PSC 750 draft print problem ?

Hi All

thanks for any advice/info in advance.
I seem to be unable to set this printer to print in draft. I had this ability through the HP software when running on an older mac using 10.4. Now on a mac with 10.6 it has been lost.
I have downloaded the latest updates from HP but no change. It continues to print in higher quality.
I have noted discussion in the forum/elsewhere about gutenprint and this does show the PSC 750 as supported within that software. I have not tried it yet and would appreciate any advice on this action.

Any help gratefully received

thanks

Sandy Mac

Hi All

Have happily solved the problem on my own behalf but happy to share the info for anyone who may find it useful.
Go to Gutenprint download page, found this through google. Download for OS X. Follow the instructions in the readme for how to set up a printer. This involves creating a new printer definition in the system prefs>print & fax
Set the new def to default and it comes up on print command with the complete set of requirements for print quality, page layout and many other options.

Thanks for reading

Sandy Mac

Hi All

It would seem my previous post was somewhat premature. I had assumed that having taken a print job all the way to the printing section and seen that it could now have the quality set to draft I did not take the final step and print the work, had I done so I would have seen that the printer then shows the message that it is waiting for the printer to become available and stays at this point. Ther are several references to this message on the web but none show a solution to the problem. So the issue has now become one of not being able print using the gutenprint driver, or being able to print with the old HP driver but not being able to set the quality to draft. I am now looking more deeply into the use of HPIJS together with foomatic and ghostscript.
For the record
current HP driver shows as driver version 2.3.2 URL:commApp://
current gutenprint driver shows as driver version 5.2.3 URL:usb://Hewlett-Packard/PSC%20750? serial = --------------

as always thanks for any info in advance

regards

sandy mac

Hi All

Sad to say that with no one having any knowledge to advise me I have had to admit failure on this challenge. Neither the gutenprint drivers or the HPIJS with ghostscript could move the printer any further on from the position of 'waiting for printer to become available'. Multiple full uninstall and reinstalls have garnered nothing positive.
I have read quite a bit about this particular 'message' now and it does seem that there is a definite problem with older HP printers and the drivers for them when running under 10.6.
Whether this is an Apple issue or a HP one or indeed a bit of both, the end result is that it has required the purchase of a new printer to get my family going again.

Thanks to all those who took the time to read and at least think about the problem

regards

Sandy mac

Having same problem!

Yes, I am having the same problem. It seems as though HP does not interact w/MACs, especially with MAC/Windows. Don't waste your time with HP customer service helpline. They will steer you to this forum. I'll keep you updated if I have any luck. Please do the same.

OK, I got the answer. My kid showed me how easy it was ... figures. She wrote these instructions down. Hope you can navigate your way through ...

Where it says "paper handling" check "scale to fit paper size > US letter" > Paper type/quality > Plain paper > then plain paper again. Let me know if this works, it did for me.

Draft Quality Printing is still a problem

Although the settings were successfully changed, it still prints slowly, as if it is not in draft mode but in "normal" or "best" instead. Maybe someone can help here?

Can you tell us which printer you're using? I have had no difficulty with my HP LaserJet printer doing draft or anything else. The HP site is actually pretty good for providing updated drivers and information. I agree HP telephone support or email support is next to useless.

Draft Quality Printing Still a Problem

Thanks for responding! I'll have to send you my great,great-grandmothers secret recipe for Polish babka! Anyways, The printer I am attempting to train is a HP Officejet Pro 500, Model A909N. It is being as defiant as a toddler. When I tried to upgrade the drivers, I was given a slap on the hand saying that I had a version of Max OSX (Version 10.5.8) that is not supported. I got this computer last year. It's not ready for the "Computer Nursing Home" yet!

I just looked up the minimum requirements for the printer (which by the way is a model 8500 not 500):

Macintosh: Mac OS X v 10.4, v 10.5, v 10.6; PowerPC G3, G4, G5, or Intel Core processor; 256 MB RAM; 500 MB hard disk space; CD-ROM; USB


As you can see OS X Leopard is supported (10.5.8). I'll see what I can do about finding additional info on drivers and get back to you in this same thread.

I found this from HP: HP Drivers for 10.5, 10.6

Those drivers may be ones that you already have, but take a look at them anyway. Let us know if they work for you.

continuation re HP PSC 750

Hi baseballmom and chscag

Following the thread with interest though I'm removed from the difficulty now by the use of the new printer.
Baseballmom - Sorry to hear you've experienced similar troubles but I know from the web that we're not on our own. Have you attempted to use the alternate drivers ( gutenprint )?
Chscag -For myself I can confirm those hp drivers you point to are the ones I tried with no success in my intial efforts to solve the print problem.

regards

Sandy Mac