Turn any non-PostScript printer into a PostScript printer

The reason I do this is because I have some non-PostScript printers -- an Epson inkjet printer and a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 1000 -- that don't use PCL or PostScript. Instead they use a proprietary wire protocol developed by Zenographics Inc.

The only drivers these printers have are for 32-bit Windows, so if you want to use them on 64-bit Windows machines (or share them out to non-Windows computers), you're out of luck. At some point I'll buy a network-enabled PostScript-compatible printer to replace the LaserJet 1000, but dealing with inkjets is tougher.

I've found a way to give any printer a PostScript front end from a Windows machine. This makes it possible for any machine that can print to a networked PostScript printer to use it. I've compiled the steps from several sources, but mostly from a tutorial by iHarder.net. (Don't be intimidated by the number of steps it takes. It's actually a fairly straightforward process.)

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dd command-line options for GSprint

Many of the problems that stem from using this technique occur because of how the PostScript output is rendered. The gsprint program has several command-line options you might need to add, depending on what kind of output you render (i.e., color versus b&w).

The PostScript printer driver's own rendering defaults may also need to be changed, depending on what kinds of effects or font substitutions you want to use. To change them, go to the PostScript printer's properties (in Vista, be sure to do this as Administrator), select Advanced | Printing Defaults and click Advanced again. Common options to change are:

The exact collection of options will change depending on which PostScript driver you're using, but these are the most important ones.

About the author: Serdar Yegulalp is editor ofWindows Insight (formerly the Windows Power Users Newsletter), a blog site devoted to hints, tips, tricks and news for users and administrators of Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Vista. He has more than 12 years of experience working with Windows, and contributes regularly to SearchWinComputing.com and other TechTarget sites.

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