Illustrator AI10, OSX.3, Printers

[MindBender]

Okay, got a question that's frustrating me. I need to set up a document's artboard in AI10 on OSX 10.3. If you've used AI you know that to do that you go to "page setup". When you do, it looks for any printers that you have installed and takes any property settings from them and applies them to your artboard. Here's the rub, in OSX you can't set up a printer that isn't attached and powered on in the OS. How am I going to set up the artboard for said printers? You USED to be able to do this. In OS9 and on Windows you can just set up a printer even if it's not there to use it for settings. OSX is a tad draconian about it's periferals. This seems like something that people would still need to be able to do, what with offsite printing and such from a professional application. I didn't see anything in the OSX helpfiles that was useful or in the AI manual/helpfiles. Any suggestions? \:/ :{

 

[Shaun]

I can't reproduce the problem -
I have two printers - b/w HP Laserjet 6MP and Epson Stylus Photo R1800. Normally the HP is powered up and the R1800 isn't.
Here's a screenshot from Illustrator where the (not powered) R1800 has been set up.
or have I misunderstood?

(OS 10.3.9, Illustrator CS2)

 

[MindBender]

Try setting up a USB printer in OSX without the printer ever having been connected. The OS won't let you. From what I've heard, CS and CS2 don't work quite the same way, so this might not be an issue with the newer versions. Unfortunately, I only have AI10 on here right now.

 

[Shaun]

If the USB printer has never been connected then OSX won't know about it. If you try to add a printer and it's not switched on then the Mac won't be able to find it.

 

[MindBender]

If the USB printer has never been connected then OSX won't know about it. If you try to add a printer and it's not switched on then the Mac won't be able to find it.

Yes, I know. That's exactly the problem. I want to add a printer that isn't connected so that I can use the settings for that printer in AI then take the document and email it and have it already be set up correctly on the machine when it gets there. It's something that AI has been able to do for a long time and now that OSX is second guessing us and changing it's core implimentations every point release, I can't seem to do. bleah. Stupid apple bs. Maybe I'll switch to linux.

 

[Shaun]

It's something that AI has been able to do for a long time

Now you've got me puzzled.

I have Ill9 on my older machine (running OS8?6) and the choice of printers depends on what's selected in the Chooser - the inkjet or the laserjet. (If the laserjet there's also the choice of PDF or "Virtual Printer").

Did you have printers listed in the Chooser that were not actually connected?

 

[MindBender]

Did you have printers listed in the Chooser that were not actually connected?

You can set up a printer by using only the PPD in os9 (works basically the same in windows also) without having to have the printer attached. You only have the have the printer setup for automatic detection. You normally can force a printer to be there if you have the drivers for it. OSX changed that by only allowing you to set up printers that were attached and powered on at the time of setup, even though the drivers are all stored locally in your Library folder.

Like I said, it's more of an OSX problem than an AI problem. I'm just now sure how to work around it. I'm not overly thrilled (obviously) with all the "features" in OSX.