Will my HP4M printer print a lot faster if I get it a network card for it?

[Muse]

I've had an HP4M printer for over 10 years. Sometimes it prints VERY slowly - i.e. when printing PDFs with a lot of imbedded graphics. Would I get a LOT faster printing if I get a network card - one of those that insert right into the printer? Is it worth it? Last time I priced them, they weren't cheap.

I have a LAN driven off a D-Link 704p router. That router features network printing but it doesn't support the HP4M, so I have the printer connected via parallel port to one of my computers, on the LPT1 port. This means that I can only print from one of my 2 computers. It's not normally a problem, since I don't often want to print from the other computer.

Thanks for the help.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Are you using the 4M is PostScript mode or HP PCL?

If PostScript, Windows is sending PostScript commands rather than bitmaps, so the printer does a lot of processing to turn line draws and such into bitmaps but the results are excellent.

If you change it to HP PCL mode, the PostScript will be interpreted / changed to bitmaps by the Adobe software on the computer, which has a CPU that's 50 - 200 times as fast as the printer's 20 MHz CPU. You might try this.

I don't think a LAN card will make any difference, since the LPT port can probably feed the printer data about as fast as its slow old processor can handle it.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Are you using the 4M is PostScript mode or HP PCL?

If PostScript, Windows is sending PostScript commands rather than bitmaps, so the printer does a lot of processing to turn line draws and such into bitmaps but the results are excellent.

If you change it to HP PCL mode, the PostScript will be interpreted / changed to bitmaps by the Adobe software on the computer, which has a CPU that's 50 - 200 times as fast as the printer's 20 MHz CPU. You might try this.

I don't think a LAN card will make any difference, since the LPT port can probably feed the printer data about as fast as its slow old processor can handle it.

Ah, thanks DaveSimmons for this. Especially that last comment is very appreciated. I spent the last 45 minutes or so researching and looking for Jetdirect cards for this printer. I could get one for about $35 but I don't think it's worth it just to get printing set up on my other machine. If the speed won't increase, it's not worth it to me. You say the bottleneck will be that 20 MHz processor in the printer, so I'm stuck with that... unless I get another printer, that is. It's a robust printer, it's just kind of slow, especially when printing graphics. I'll try PCL. I generally use the PS driver. I think I tried PCL a while ago and had no better results, but I'll try again. Right now I have a PDF that's bombing on this printer. It can't get past the first page without an error on the second page:


ERROR: ioerror
OFFENDING COMMAND: image

STACK:

-dictionary-
-savelevel-



The first page doesn't come out complete. It's a 13 page document from Nero for Nero express:

ftp://ftp6.nero.com/Support_doc/PDF-Vision2/create-basicDVD-Movie.zip

Don't know what's up with it. Could be an error in the PDF, could be my printer. Tried my other computer and it bombs printing from that too. Had to switch the // cable to do that.

 

[mikecel79]

The bottleneck is that printer itself. Adding a jetdirect card will have no impact on that printer's speed, only give you network capability. You can try PCL but I doubt it will make a difference.

We have a few of these printer where I work. They are real workhorses. We would throw them out but we just can't kill them. I have one I use in our computer lab so I don't have to walk down the hall for a print out. Fast no, reliable hell yeah! Most of them have over 500k pages printed on them!

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: mikecel79
The bottleneck is that printer itself. Adding a jetdirect card will have no impact on that printer's speed, only give you network capability. You can try PCL but I doubt it will make a difference.

We have a few of these printer where I work. They are real workhorses. We would throw them out but we just can't kill them. I have one I use in our computer lab so I don't have to walk down the hall for a print out. Fast no, reliable hell yeah! Most of them have over 500k pages printed on them!

I've had mine 10 years. Bought it slightly used (less than 20 prints!), and added a PS card to make it essentially a 4M. It came with extra RAM. The HP4 came with 2 MB and this had 6 MB, the standard with the 4M. It's always been entirely reliable for me. Sure, I get the strangest of error messages from time to time, but as long as you have the manual (this is a MUST with this printer), you can always work things out easily enough. I've never had it serviced. Used around 6 cartridges, I figure. However, right now I can't get it to print a certain PDF. Don't know what's up with that. I'll see if a friend can print on her printer. Maybe it's an error in the document. 😕

 

[Muse]

I changed the driver to From HP4/4M Postscript to HP4M, and my problem document printed like a charm and very quickly at that. I wonder what the HP4M driver is. I guess it has to be the PCL driver. HP4M's all have a postscript card installed, but it obviously supports PCL as well. There must be something in that document that runs afoul of Postscript Level 2, is all I can think.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Makes sense -- before my 4ML died (after 10 years of loyal service) I was finding that I had to go into the Adobe print settings and turn on "print as image" (or something like that) to get some PDFs to print properly.

 

[redbeard1]

Getting more ram for it would help it print big jobs better.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: redbeard1
Getting more ram for it would help it print big jobs better.

I'll look into that. I read yesterday somewhere online that RAM for this printer can be had cheap, e.g. at ebay these days. Thanks.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Makes sense -- before my 4ML died (after 10 years of loyal service) I was finding that I had to go into the Adobe print settings and turn on "print as image" (or something like that) to get some PDFs to print properly.

Where are the Adobe print settings? Is that a setting when using the PS driver? I don't see it in the printer's property pages after switching back to the PS driver. Thanks!

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Are you using the 4M is PostScript mode or HP PCL?

If PostScript, Windows is sending PostScript commands rather than bitmaps, so the printer does a lot of processing to turn line draws and such into bitmaps but the results are excellent.

If you change it to HP PCL mode, the PostScript will be interpreted / changed to bitmaps by the Adobe software on the computer, which has a CPU that's 50 - 200 times as fast as the printer's 20 MHz CPU. You might try this.

I don't think a LAN card will make any difference, since the LPT port can probably feed the printer data about as fast as its slow old processor can handle it.

You say if I use the PCL driver, the PS will be changed to bitmaps by the Adobe software on the computer and sent as bitmaps to the printer. What is this Adobe software? Is it just built into Windows?

 

[imported_Phil]

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Are you using the 4M is PostScript mode or HP PCL?

If PostScript, Windows is sending PostScript commands rather than bitmaps, so the printer does a lot of processing to turn line draws and such into bitmaps but the results are excellent.

If you change it to HP PCL mode, the PostScript will be interpreted / changed to bitmaps by the Adobe software on the computer, which has a CPU that's 50 - 200 times as fast as the printer's 20 MHz CPU. You might try this.

I don't think a LAN card will make any difference, since the LPT port can probably feed the printer data about as fast as its slow old processor can handle it.

You say if I use the PCL driver, the PS will be changed to bitmaps by the Adobe software on the computer and sent as bitmaps to the printer. What is this Adobe software? Is it just built into Windows?

I'm fairly sure he's talking about Adobe Acrobat- what you're using to print said PDFs.

 

[Crusty]

6 Toner Cartridges in 10 yrs?

Holy shiat.....i've gone through 3 in one day at work :/....on the same printer!

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: Muse
You say if I use the PCL driver, the PS will be changed to bitmaps by the Adobe software on the computer and sent as bitmaps to the printer. What is this Adobe software? Is it just built into Windows?

Adobe Acrobat Reader. What you're using to read and print PDFs

Where are the Adobe print settings? Is that a setting when using the PS driver? I don't see it in the printer's property pages after switching back to the PS driver. Thanks!

In Acrobat Reader,
File > Print, then the Advanced button
(only seems to apply when the printer is in PostScript mode

> Getting more ram for it would help it print big jobs better.
I'll look into that. I read yesterday somewhere online that RAM for this printer can be had cheap, e.g. at ebay these days. Thanks.

Might or might not help, since the P4M already has more RAM than the non-postscript P4.

 

[NokiaDude]

Originally posted by: redbeard1
Getting more ram for it would help it print big jobs better.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: MCrusty
6 Toner Cartridges in 10 yrs?

Holy shiat.....i've gone through 3 in one day at work :/....on the same printer!

DUDE you can't print that much p0rn out! 😛 j/k

Man the Uni lab printers take a hell of a beating from everyone printing out notes!

Koing

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: MCrusty
6 Toner Cartridges in 10 yrs?

Holy shiat.....i've gone through 3 in one day at work :/....on the same printer!

It IS a workhorse printer, and was (I figure) the most ubiquitous office printer in its day and I figured would be supported by whomever in whatever ways necessary for the foreseeable future. I guess I'm in that future now, but I've found it's not always supported - specifically, I'm referring to my network-printer supporting router, a D-Link 704p. Darn thing doesn't support the HP4/4M.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Makes sense -- before my 4ML died (after 10 years of loyal service) I was finding that I had to go into the Adobe print settings and turn on "print as image" (or something like that) to get some PDFs to print properly.

I just tried the suggestion above: found the Print as Image checkbox in the Adobe Acrobat 6.0's Advanced print dialog options with my PS HP4M driver in effect, and checked the box. Yes! It does print now, and in fact the print quality is noticeably better than what I got with the PCL driver. It prints a LOT slower, by a factor of 5 probably, but the document's only 13 pages, so I'm going to print it out anyway (just did 2 pages as a test).

Edit: Question - Do you leave "Print as Image" checked or just check it for problem documents? Thanks!!

 

[Danzilla]

Don't figure the printer network card would be worth it, unless you can get one a good bit cheaper than that (<$20?). If only becuase you can pick up a new, though much cheaper laser, for about $100 (after rebate, usually). Probably with faster printing and better resolution than your old HP. The new $100 lasers from Samsung and other companyies are a hundai to HPs older volvo, but compared to a 10year old, that brand new hyndai has a lot to say for itself.

Dan.

PS. that being said, I still have a HP 4L sitting next to my recent canon inkjet. 🙂

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Danzilla
Don't figure the printer network card would be worth it, unless you can get one a good bit cheaper than that (<$20?). If only becuase you can pick up a new, though much cheaper laser, for about $100 (after rebate, usually). Probably with faster printing and better resolution than your old HP. The new $100 lasers from Samsung and other companyies are a hundai to HPs older volvo, but compared to a 10year old, that brand new hyndai has a lot to say for itself.

Dan.

PS. that being said, I still have a HP 4L sitting next to my recent canon inkjet. 🙂

Thanks. I was really considering the HP4L when I was shopping printers back in 1993-94. I think it's 300 dpi, with some enhancement. I found a good deal on the HP4 with extra memory and bought the PS card. The HP4/4M is 600 dpi, and I've always been very very impressed with how sharp text comes out, and text is SO important in a printer. Prices have come down SO much in printers and I haven't kept up. What I miss most is color, and sometimes speed, but not usually. I only miss color occasionally, although I'd like to print digital photos now that I have a digicam. I don't print all that much (obviously, having used less than 10 cartridges). I did a few BIG print jobs, but none lately - just occasional small things. Guess I'll hang onto this HP4M. Reliability is key, and so far it's had that.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: Muse
I just tried the suggestion above: found the Print as Image checkbox in the Adobe Acrobat 6.0's Advanced print dialog options with my PS HP4M driver in effect, and checked the box. Yes! It does print now, and in fact the print quality is noticeably better than what I got with the PCL driver. It prints a LOT slower, by a factor of 5 probably, but the document's only 13 pages, so I'm going to print it out anyway (just did 2 pages as a test).

Edit: Question - Do you leave "Print as Image" checked or just check it for problem documents? Thanks!!

Before my 4ML died, I just left it on since it only applies to printing PDF files and I don't print them often (rebate forms and IRS tax forms mostly).

My new laser is a Brother HL-5040 which is HP PCL only, no PostScript, so the Advanced tab is dimmed in Acrobat.