Printer without driver

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dave Boland
  • Start date Start date
D

Dave Boland

Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
(post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
printer directly.

Dave,
 
Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
(post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
printer directly.

Dave,
Click to expand...
I for one had the same question about 2 weeks ago in the
alt.comp.periphs.printer group sand was basically told I didn't know
what I was talking about. I /had/ heard it was possible to ftp to a
printer - only responses were of the negative variety.

I have no need myself beyond academic curiousity so I let it lie for
maybe a future exercise but the idea did seem logically possible.

We'll see what comes up here....
 
A network connected postscript printer should do what you want. You
need a postscript driver in each computer. Once the data is in
postscript and the protocol is IP, it should work.
 
jrg said:
I for one had the same question about 2 weeks ago in the
alt.comp.periphs.printer group sand was basically told I didn't know
what I was talking about. I /had/ heard it was possible to ftp to a
printer - only responses were of the negative variety.
Click to expand...

HP JetDirect print servers have accepted jobs by a bunch of different
protocols, including FTP, for years. There's also a web admin
interface.

As far as not needing a driver, the PostScript LaserJets handle a lot of
formats, usually PostScript, PCL, and plain text. Newer versions can
print PDF also.
 
A network connected postscript printer should do what you want. You
need a postscript driver in each computer. Once the data is in
postscript and the protocol is IP, it should work.
Click to expand...

in response to the same question, I received this reply from the other
group:

writer name withheld:

*/
Think about your own question: "It is possible to print without one on a
network printer by using FTP to transfer the file to the printer"

"the file" .... WHAT FILE?

You expect a printer to take a Microsoft Word document (*.doc) or an
Excel spreadsheet (*.xls) or a PowerPoint presentation (*.ppt) and print
it? What's missing is not a "driver" ... it's the entire application.

The idea that anything can be printed without a driver is nonsensical,
unless "anything" is no more than plain ASCII text.

A driver (and, for that matter, an application) is required. ALWAYS.
The best you can hope for is a very common page description language and
a "universal" driver. That can work for ASCII, PCL and PostScript (and
a few more) but a "universal" driver, if it works at all, won't be able
to take advantage of any special features or capabilities of any given
particular printer.

/*

go figure...
 
HP JetDirect print servers have accepted jobs by a bunch of different
protocols, including FTP, for years. There's also a web admin
interface.

As far as not needing a driver, the PostScript LaserJets handle a lot of
formats, usually PostScript, PCL, and plain text. Newer versions can
print PDF also.
Click to expand...

The question is do they need drivers?
 
jrg said:
The question is do they need drivers?
Click to expand...

If the file is a type the printer can understand, no, just send that
file to the printer.

Otherwise, you need a driver to take application output and format it
for the printer.
 
Dave Boland said:
Are there any network printers that don't need drivers? The reason for
asking is a network that has 3 operaitng systems of varoius levels,
which gets into driver heck. I would think high-end network printers
would have web interfaces for admin. & maint., and standard data formats
(post script, pdf, text, jpg, gif, png, tiff) could be ftp'd to the
printer directly.

Dave,
Click to expand...

The answer is YES and NO

YES you can Print To File, or WRITE with pen, or PRESS

NO you can't not print to PAPER because the system needs to knows what to
communicate with. Or without driver then there won't be the PRINT command
to begin with.
 
jrg said:
The question is do they need drivers?
Click to expand...

The answer is YES you DO NEED the printer driver for the system to
communicate with the printer. PostScript, True Font, Plain Text, Adobe
Font, Fonts Cartridge etc. have nothing to do the driver but the languages
use to make font.
 
Warren Block said:
If the file is a type the printer can understand, no, just send that
file to the printer.

Otherwise, you need a driver to take application output and format it
for the printer.
Click to expand...

ALL printers will require Printer DRIVER to communicate between Computer
and Printer. The printer may not need any special driver (or the system or
program handle them) to print some special format as long as the system
supports it/them.
 
jrg said:
in response to the same question, I received this reply from the other
group:
Click to expand...

You got different answers because you asked the wrong question. So I will
try to add more to the existing answers
writer name withheld:

*/
Think about your own question: "It is possible to print without one on a
network printer by using FTP to transfer the file to the printer"
Click to expand...

YES and NO

YES, you can transfer the FILE to a remoted system, then have someone at the
remoted system print the file for you

NO, FTP is File Transferring Protocal (not File To Print) so you can't print
using FTP
"the file" .... WHAT FILE?

You expect a printer to take a Microsoft Word document (*.doc) or an
Excel spreadsheet (*.xls) or a PowerPoint presentation (*.ppt) and print
it? What's missing is not a "driver" ... it's the entire application.
Click to expand...

You asked the wrong question here, cuz the printer with printer driver
installed should be able to print ALL formats (files) the program can read
and display.
The idea that anything can be printed without a driver is nonsensical,
unless "anything" is no more than plain ASCII text.
Click to expand...

Wrong question again, even with TEXT the system still need printer driver
in order to print... anything or everything.
A driver (and, for that matter, an application) is required. ALWAYS.
The best you can hope for is a very common page description language and
a "universal" driver. That can work for ASCII, PCL and PostScript (and
a few more) but a "universal" driver, if it works at all, won't be able
to take advantage of any special features or capabilities of any given
particular printer.
Click to expand...

More wrong question you ask, more confusing you will get.
/*

go figure...
Click to expand...

Go figure? I would say DO NOT TRY to figure anything doesn't sound right.
 
Joel said:
ALL printers will require Printer DRIVER to communicate between Computer
and Printer.
Click to expand...

This is not correct.
The printer may not need any special driver (or the system or program
handle them) to print some special format as long as the system
supports it/them.
Click to expand...

This is unclear, but appears to be restating what I said above:

"If the file is a type the printer can understand, no, just send that
file to the printer."
 
Joel said:
YES and NO

YES, you can transfer the FILE to a remoted system, then have someone at the
remoted system print the file for you

NO, FTP is File Transferring Protocal (not File To Print) so you can't print
using FTP
Click to expand...

This is incorrect. HP JetDirect print servers (and maybe other brands)
will accept and print files sent by FTP.
Wrong question again, even with TEXT the system still need printer driver
in order to print... anything or everything.
Click to expand...

This is incorrect. To use the example of HP LaserJet printers, you can
create and print files without a driver if the printer already
understands that type of file. For example, create a text file using a
simple text editor (Notepad, not Word), then send it to the printer via
FTP or port 9100 or lpd or several other ways. No driver.

Certainly there are terrible host-based printers which require drivers
because all they can render are bitmaps. But not all printers are like
that, even on Windows.

See the example above. And watch out for absolutes.
 
Joel said:
Then you are correct and it must be a DEAD printer.


This is correct and incorrect.

Correct, the printer will except all font types it supports
Click to expand...

Not fonts, but PDLs: Page Description Languages:

http://www.undocprint.org/formats/page_description_languages
Incorrect, but the printer need DRIVER to communicate between Computer and
Printer.

Samething, you may have the right idea but without internet, without
computer, or without reader then you can communicate with internet user to
share your right idea.
Click to expand...

There seems to be a basic misunderstanding between two things here. The
first is the PDL. The second is the method of getting the file to the
printer. Those are two separate things.
 
Warren Block said:
This is not correct.
Click to expand...

Then you are correct and it must be a DEAD printer.
This is unclear, but appears to be restating what I said above:

"If the file is a type the printer can understand, no, just send that
file to the printer."
Click to expand...

This is correct and incorrect.

Correct, the printer will except all font types it supports

Incorrect, but the printer need DRIVER to communicate between Computer and
Printer.

Samething, you may have the right idea but without internet, without
computer, or without reader then you can communicate with internet user to
share your right idea.
 
Warren Block said:
This is incorrect. HP JetDirect print servers (and maybe other brands)
will accept and print files sent by FTP.
Click to expand...

You must be kidding right? and why not saying that all Windows OSes come
FPT application that most people don't use.

And Print Server is a SERVER not printer driver so it may allow to have
access to printer, but the printer just won't print without Printer Driver.
This is incorrect. To use the example of HP LaserJet printers, you can
create and print files without a driver if the printer already
understands that type of file. For example, create a text file using a
simple text editor (Notepad, not Word), then send it to the printer via
FTP or port 9100 or lpd or several other ways. No driver.

Certainly there are terrible host-based printers which require drivers
because all they can render are bitmaps. But not all printers are like
that, even on Windows.


See the example above. And watch out for absolutes.
Click to expand...

Then give and prove your point.
 
Joel said:
You must be kidding right? and why not saying that all Windows OSes come
FPT application that most people don't use.
Click to expand...

It's hard to tell what you're saying. Yes, even Windows includes an FTP
client, and yes, it can be used to transfer files to a JetDirect. Kind
of sounds like you're saying that since most people don't use it, it
doesn't exist, but that can't be right.
And Print Server is a SERVER not printer driver so it may allow to have
access to printer, but the printer just won't print without Printer Driver.
Click to expand...

As I show below, you are mistaken.
Then give and prove your point.
Click to expand...

I did, but let me repeat:

In more detail, and even on Windows:

Run Notepad.
Type in a few lines of text:

"Printers can print files in their native PDLs without drivers.
This page is proof of that."

Save the file as sample.txt. This is a plain ASCII file.
Close Notepad.
Start a command shell (cmd).
FTP the file to the printer. For this example, we have a JetDirect
print server at 192.168.1.50:

ftp 192.168.1.50

Connected to laser.
230 FTP Server Ready
User (laser:(none)):

Press Enter for no user name.

331 Enter password.
Password:

Press Enter for no password.

230-Hewlett-Packard FTP Print Server Version 3.0.

Directory: Description:
--------------------------
PORT hp LaserJet 4250

To print a file use the command put <filename> [portx]
or 'cd' to a desired port and use put <filename>.

230 User logged in.
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.

ftp>

put sample.txt

200 Port command successful.
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection.
226-Ready
226-Processing job.
226 Transfer complete.
ftp: 91 bytes sent in 0.00Seconds 91000.00Kbytes/sec.
ftp>

And the page prints. Yes, I actually did this to collect the output
above.

quit (to leave the FTP program).

On this particular printer, it would have also have worked if the sample
file was PostScript, PCL, or PDF.

No driver was used to create the file or to print it.
 
Warren Block said:
There seems to be a basic misunderstanding between two things here. The
first is the PDL. The second is the method of getting the file to the
printer. Those are two separate things.
Click to expand...

Warren-

You're quite right. But both are required in order to print.

One might define a driver as that which does both things. So if you do
both manually, you can print without a driver. If you do only one
thing, then a driver is that which does the other.

Fred
 
AFAIR the old dot matrix printers didn't need drivers, you just sent
ASCII characters to them
Click to expand...

Quite a lot of them allowed font selection, character size, page size,
etc. My first printer (1984) was like that - a Canon PW1080A...!
 
Warren Block said:
Not fonts, but PDLs: Page Description Languages:
Click to expand...

May not font, because I had my first printer way back in late 70's or
early 80's and it supported several different types of fonts including
PostScript and heck with some special driver it can even do some Plotter
printing too. But none of them is your problem.
http://www.undocprint.org/formats/page_description_languages


There seems to be a basic misunderstanding between two things here. The
first is the PDL. The second is the method of getting the file to the
printer. Those are two separate things.
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter what you want the printer to do, it will have to have a
DRIVER to be able to communicate with the computer. PDL or whatever, if
there is a software to allow the printer to support some odd language, then
it will require a special software and the PRINTER DRIVER.
 
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