[Info-vax] printing from VMS

[Fred. Zwarts]

Op 01.mrt..2021 om 13:01 schreef Phillip Helbig (undress to reply):
> In the old days, I set up TCPIP print queues and could print text and
> PostScript files by just using the VMS PRINT command.  Of course, the
> printer had to be able to interpret PostScript.
> 
> But that was a quarter of a century ago.
> 
> These days, people print probably mostly PDF.  Presumably most printers
> will print a text file.  What about PDF?  Is that done by the printer or
> is there some sort of driver installed on the printing device?
> 
> My wife has a Canon Pixma printer.  Not a laser printer, I guess bubble
> jet or whatever.  However, it's not working at the moment and we'll
> probably buy a new printer if we can't get it fixed cheaply.  It's
> probably worth it to go for a laser printer---more expensive (but
> probably cheap enough by today's standards) but less cost per page, so
> we'll hit break-even in a reasonable time.
> 
> It would be nice to print to that from VMS.  What can I expect to work
> if I set up a queue pointing to the IP address?  Text?  PostScript?
> PDF?  Nothing?
> 
> Any suggestions?
> 
> Ideally, such a printer would work well from VMS and various Apple
> deviceds (iPad, MacBook, iPhone).
> 
> I also have a black-and-white |d|i|g|i|t|a|l| laser printer from about
> 1990 or so.  I don't know if it is worth it to try to get it set up
> (I've never used it).
> 


It is about 20-30 years ago since I changed something with printer 
queues. In those days, we used a product called DCPS, which was used to 
print to postscript printers. See https://wiki.vmssoftware.com/DCPS
At that time it was included in our Edu Support Contract with Digital. I 
don't know the status of the product today.