Print Queue Manager

[RGS2003]

We have a number of Macs (everything from 8600/200s to G4s) linked on an ethernet to which a number of printers are also connected. I was wondering if there was any way to instert a dedicated mac as a 'print manager', so that all jobs sent to print arrive on that machine and are inserted into a queue to await manual confirmation?

The computers we have aren't administered by a server ... they are just standalone machines.

Any suggestions for setup/software required would be much appreciated.

 

[kylebellamy]

Depends on what you will be printing to. I have a Xante Accel-a-Writer 8300 that is eithernet ready that I got at a sell off for a defunct business that works like mad and has OS X and OS 9 drivers so all my machines can print to it. I also have an 8600, G3 and G4 and they all are fine. My 8600 functions as a ECRM RIP server so I can bring out my printing stuff on negs.

Point being, with a good laser printer that is network ready, you won't need a server. The downside being that one of those can cost a couple thousand in US$...

 

[PTmon]

We use a variety of inkjet printers, and I use a g4 for a print server. It's connected to the printers and runs RIP software, all jobs spool to it. We use IPROOF.

http://www.birmy.com/

Here's a list of some others:

http://www.wide-format-printers.org/EFI_postscript_RIP_servers/Yarc_Amiable_3M_Oynx_RIP.html

Hope that helps.
PT

http://mahon.homeip.net/remember

 

[RGS2003]

I don't think you understand. I work for a College teaching Graphic Design. Our students obviously need to be able to print their work, but we are finding that they are printing full colour A4 sheets for proofing purposes, and it is SLAYING our ink resources!

What we would like to do is to set up a number of printers in a store to which the students are not allowed access, and use a queue system so that the staff decide what prints and what doesn't.

The system we would like to cultivate is this - student sends a job to a restricted colour printer, the job arrives on a monitor queue on a separate Mac in the store, awaiting approval by staff. The staff member sends the job to the appropriate printer and returns the colour prints to the students.

I have seen this work on a PC network (using software called Q-View), but I was wondering if something similar can be done with a Macintosh ethernet.

 

[kylebellamy]

Ok, I see what your saying. I'll have to check round and see what I can find out.

Incedentally, the RIP software does work in the same fashion. The work is sent to a que on the RIP server where it waits until I send them in a group to be printed. They can be brought up on screen and visually checked. You might call a rep for one of the ECRM companies like the iProof company that PTmon mentioned above and see if the software can be used with your printers. Most likely they can do it without too much fuss.