What is the optimal way to network my *cockpit*

[cpi]

We recently purchased a print shop to accompany our copy shop. With that came: one HP Pavilion PC (Win 98), one Radius MAC (OS 8.1), and one LaserMaster RIP station (MAC) that has the software to run our PressMate filmsetter. We have an old DeLL PC (Win XP) that we had prior to the purchase of the print shop, but it's soon to be replaced with something that has more than a 7.65GB hard drive LOL. We have an HP LaserJet 4000 printer that needs to tie in there somewhere and also a color laser (which hasn't been purchased yet. Long story made short= we had a QMS Magicolor 330 but it needs a new Bias Transfer Roller and we're looking to purchase something new rather than put the $$ into something old). I have a Linksys hub that connects HP PC and the Radius MAC.

Here lies the problem.... I'm having trouble printing jobs to the HP 4000 from all of the computers... mostly with graphics (.eps and .tif files). I get a bunch of gobbledygook, dingbats and the such. Simple text files print just fine.

On the HP PC, the printer is set up to be shared through a Print Server.

I'm just throwing all of this mess out there to see if there is by chance a better way to network all of this and to see why I keep getting gobbledygook with .eps files. I'm actually thinking of throwing everything out of the window and starting over, but maybe that's not the financially responsible thing to do...

Please help... I will indeed appreciate it!!
Tracy

 

[HoLoCroN]

Alrighty, thank for posting the details, they really help.


A few questions for you, how do you have the HP setup? Is it a shared printer connected to a print server -or- connected to a PC then shared?

Also, is the HP 'installed' on the PC or the MAC?

The gobbledygook is usually a sign of screwey print drivers, thats why I asked where you have the printer connected to.

Let us know and we'll look into it.

 

[cpi]

Thanks for replying Holocron, I really appreciate it!

The HP is hooked to the HP Pavilion PC and then shared using a "PC MACLAN Print Server". Originally the HP printer was installed on the DeLL PC but when my friend hooked everything together, he connected it to the HP Pavilion PC b/c it already had the PC MACLAN print server setup. I'm almost positive that he installed the printer on the Pavilion... I still have the installation CD.

I hope this helps...
Thanks again!! )