MultiAd Creator Printer Identification

A question came up on the Creator list: how can you tell if your printer is PostScript or bitmap? On Windows or Mac, one easy way is to look at the Options dialog:

Now you will see one of two versions of the Print Options panel:

PostScript

PostScript Picture: High Quality Graphics disabled.

Note that High Quality Graphics is disabled.

Bitmap

Bitmap Picture: High Quality Graphics enabled.

Here there's a bunch of disabled items, and High Quality Graphics is enabled.

How can I fix it?

If Creator thinks you have a bitmap printer when your printer is capable of PostScript, you probably have a non-PostScript print driver selected. (Those two pictures were taked from the same physical printer with different print drivers.) You can fix it by installing a PostScript print driver. It's going to vary a bit depending on OS, but here's what you do in general:

On Windows, you should download a PPD file for your printer from your printer manufacturer's website and the latest version of Adobe's PostScript print driver. Extract the PPD file so you know where it is, then run Adobe's installer. At some point it will ask you what kind of printer you have; that's when you click the Browse or From Disk button and go find your PPD file. Select your printer from the list, finish out the installer and you should be all set.

Also, in Windows 2000 and XP you might have built-in support for your PostScript printer. Try running the Add Printer Wizard again. Tell it you want to select the printer manually and/or uncheck "Plug and Play". When you get to the list of printers, find your printer model. Most PostScript printers will be listed twice: once that ends in PS and one that doesn't. Use the PS one to create your PostScript printer driver.

On the Mac, you'll only need the PPD file. In OS 9, you can just put it in the Printer Descriptions folder in your Extensions folder. If you're on OS X, hopefully they've created an installer that will put the PPD file in the right place; otherwise you'll have to dig down into the system folders to find the right spot for it. It's something like Library:Printers:PPDs:Contents:Resources:en.lproj, or maybe the one in the System folder, or maybe there's a better place to put it. Once the PPD is in the right place, you can go into the Chooser or Print Center and set up a new PostScript printer.