NetPrint
 Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Netprint capable of printing to non-HP printers?
    
2. How does Netprint select spoolfiles from the HP3K?
    
3. I'm concerned about cpu overhead. Is this an issue with Netprint?
    
4. What specific settings are needed to print to a Canon ImageRunner (multi-fax-copy) printer?
    
5. Are there printers that NetPrint does not support?

1. Is Netprint capable of printing to non-HP printers?

Yes. One of the major advantages of Netprint is the ability to print to a vast number of different model printers (ie Epson, Lexmark, Printronix, etc..) and servers. A destination setting allows you to specify the type of device you are going to be communicating with. LPD (line printer daemon) is often used as a standard to any LPD-capable interface.

2. How does Netprint select spoolfiles from the HP3K?

Using a configuration file, which is easily edited, spoolfiles can be selected based upon a device number, spoolfile name, priority, copies, etc... You can combine your selection criteria using the IF/AND operator. An interval scan is made of your spoolfiles to compare the spoolfiles on your system with the entries made in your configuration file. Once a match is found, the spoolfile is transmitted to the network device for printing.

3. I'm concerned about cpu overhead. Is this an issue with Netprint?

No. Netprint has a interval setting which allows it to 'sleep' (in seconds) between scanning your spoolfiles. This value can be adjusted accordingly based upon the needs of your organization. There is also an option to limit the number of spoolfiles that Netprint will monitor, thus filtering out those spoolfiles not requiring printing (ie $STDLIST).

4. What specific settings are needed to print to a Canon ImageRunner (multi-fax-copy) printer?

QUEUE "print"
PTYPE=LPD;PURGE;RESET;BSD; SPORT=721

5. Are there printers that NetPrint does not support?

Because HP has moved the print-rendering engine out of the printer and into the driver on the host system, the HP LaserJet 3500 and others (1012 and 1500) can only accept plain ASCII text as input from systems that do not have a 3500 driver. The LaserJet 3500 expects to receive a rasterized image of a print job from the PC driver and anything other than ASCII or a raster image download is rejected. The HP LaserJet 1500 is made in the same way.

Other color LaserJet models support full onboard PCL processing and will work with the HP3000. The 3700 might be a substitute for the 3500.

As to the Canon MF8170c the Canon Support Team had the following to say:

“Unfortunately, the MF8170c will not support the configuration you have inquired about. It uses proprietary Windows drivers only, which will not support PCL format.”
       -Canon Support