At work after 12months of legal backwards and forwards, we have finally received our new MFD, a Ricoh Aficio MP C2051 multifunction device and by all first reports, its a very slick machine. All the usual print, scan, copy, fax, email etc. The functionality and usability has got to be up there with some of the best I have used and seen over the past 12 yrs.
How well does it print with from my Macbook Air?
To start with, let me preface by saying printing is not my strong suit!! Not by a long shot.
I started by downloading the latest Mac OS X driver from Ricoh and installed it. Being a Mac, all they have are postscript drivers. Ok cool, that doesnât worry me, never has before. I install the print driver, point it to the IP address and fire off a test print (1 page). I walk over to the MFD to see 60 pages printed and counting. I quickly cancel the job and investigate further.
After speaking with the trainer yesterday, she says âdid you get the MFD with PS software?â, to my reply âdidnât know it was any option!â âThats ok⌠it wonât cost much.â So I called our Ricoh sales rep today who informed me it was a small upgrade of $524 ex GST. Now I am the only user of Mac in the office and I just cannot justify spending that on one person to print⌠especially considering my printing is usually only personal.
So to off to google I go to see a few people with the same issues but different model Ricohâs. I stumble across a page on the Linux Foundation forum where someone has been using a mix of Ghostscript, foomatic-RIP and HPIJS drivers from the HP Linux Printing and Imaging Project. Install the packages, which have been compiled into nice DMG installs. I add a new printer and select a HP Color Laserjet 8550 (YES HP DRIVERS!!) and point it to the MFD IP address.
I fire of a test print, select colour, select duplex and sure enough, there is 1 sheet of paper in the printer, with colour printing on both side of the sheet!! I am really happy with the solution, its not perfect but for what I print, its very much good enough.
So to do this install yourself, follow the steps below:
Download the 3 packages from the following Linux Foundation site. Install in the order of hpijs, foomatic, ghostscript.
Go to the printer control app by pressing CMD + Space, type Print in Spotlight and hit enter.
Add a printer, add the IP address, from the Print Using drop down, select âSelect Printer Softwareâ and choose âHP Color LaserJet 8550 hpijsâ
Click ok and add the printer.
izzy806
prguitarman
blakekathryn
kianamaiart
gummygunk
areudirty