Windows Server Printer Drivers and Properties

Owned by Sande Nissen
Last updated: Feb 22, 2018
8 min read

Introduction

When you, a server administrator, create a "printer" (a print queue) on a Windows Server, you need to set its properties correctly, because these properties are passed down to the Windows client computers printing to this queue, and the clients cannot override many of these properties. This document explains some of the default printer properties that we have to change. (Right-click a printer and choose Properties.) 

Many of the settings that follow are specific to the printer driver in use for each device. Anytime you're not seeing what is described here, use the Apply button to make your last changes effective, then look again.

Windows Server Port Settings

Before creating a print queue on the print.ads.carleton.edu Windows Server, you first need a port for this specific printer. The port will be a "Standard TCP/IP Port" (not any of the other choices) with a few configuration settings: protocol Raw with the default port of 9100; SNMP Status Enabled with a community name of public and device index of 1. At the time you create such a port, the Windows Server will attempt to communicate with the device and choose settings specific to this printer; but the configuration described here works best for all print queues.

Printer driver: Xerox Global Print Driver (X-GPD) PostScript

Current version on print.ads.carleton.edu: 5.433.6.0, dated June 30, 2015

(32- and 64-bit, PCL6 and 5 versions available but PostScript works better with Adobe apps, )

On all Xerox devices, we are using a recent Xerox Global Print Driver PS (PS = PostScript), with its ability to dynamically detect the printer's features using Bi-Directional communication (via SNMP). Therefore, the first settings to check are that Bi-Di is on, the model was detected correctly, and the printer features were detected correctly. On the Configuration tab, under the Bi-Directional Setup button, make sure Communication: is set to Automatic, the Refresh Rate is 2.0 minutes; on the Administration tab, make sure Job Notification is Off. If these are not correct, make these changes and use the Apply button, and then continue. On the Options tab, under Device Options, Configuration: the model should have been detected correctly. If so, back on the Configuration tab, choose the Installable Options button to see what features were detected; these will be grayed out, because Bi-Di is on and so these features are detected automatically.

If a printer is Offline (turned off or disconnected from the network), Bi-Di communication is not going to work and so printer features and defaults cannot be set correctly. You have to get the printer back online and seen by the server before you can continue. If you're not sure if the printer is really offline or not, look it up in /wiki/spaces/itskb/pages/26119478 (CWW)–when CWW agrees that it's offline, then there is definitely a network communications problem that must be fixed. If a duplexer or tray is not being detected correctly, it's usually a physical problem: check that the duplexing unit or tray is installed and seated correctly. If a duplexer cannot be detected correctly, then Bi-Di communication must be disabled and noted, and the device Installable Options must be set manually.

X-GPD Printing (driver) defaults

Once the printer driver, model, communications, and features are set correctly, then you can select printer default settings, which have to be set in the correct places. First, on the Advanced Tab, we do not change any of these settings except: for PaperCut-managed printers, turn off "Enable advanced printing features". (For the few printers not managed by PaperCut, leave this on for extra functionality.)  Now, from the Advanced tab, choose the Printing Defaults button. The dialog boxes you see here from here on are driver-specific; for the X-GPD driver, you see 4 tabs. Choose the Advanced tab and expand the settings under Document Options-> Paper/Output. If there is a setting for Banner Page, turn it off; if there is a setting for Job Identification, change it to Disable Job ID (which turns the banner page off).

Now, choose the Paper/Output tab. You have the option to change the duplex default: under 2-Sided Printing, choose 2-Sided Print. It is appropriate to set duplex as the default for all networked printers (unless an operator has specified otherwise), and for any other printer whose Comments textbox on the General tab ends with a notation that this printer should be set to duplex by default. (That choice was made by the printer operator.)

Another choice made by the printer operator is, for color devices with a single print queue, whether the default output should be color or black and white. If the operator prefers this print queue to default to black and white (b&w, also known as grayscale) for Windows clients, that will be noted at the end of the Comments textbox on the General tab. (Sometimes, there will be a BLDGRoom-Model queue for color, and another BLDGRoom-Gray-Model queue for grayscale printing as default or as a forced conversion.)  You set this under the Printing Defaults on the Color Options tab, which normally defaults to Automatic Color (Recommended) for color-capable devices.

Printer driver: HP Universal Printing Driver (HPUPD) PCL6

Current version on print.ads.carleton.edu: 61.175.01.18849, dated October 16, 2015 (repost of July 28, 2015 driver)

(32- and 64-bit, PostScript and PCL5 versions available but HP printers use PostScript emulations that don't always work with Adobe apps, earliest LaserJet model supported is 4100, not 4, 5M, 4000, 4050)

Installing the HP Universal Print Driver (HPUPD) has a few side effects. First, it can install two new services on the client computer which are set to load on startup: Net Driver HPZ12 and Pml Driver HPZ12. These services would work fine if set to Manual start instead.

Second, the HPUPD does not correctly detect a printer’s features (memory, duplex, trays, etc.) until it has communicated with the printer once. I run this detection when I install the Windows Server driver for each printer, but of course it doesn’t work if the printer is off or is missing some of its accessories. Until this runs once for each networked printer, with all intended add-ons installed and active on the printer, the configuration may not match the printer’s features. To update this anytime on the Windows server, select the printer and choose Properties; on the Device Settings tab, scroll down and expand Installable Options, then change the Automatic Configuration dropdown to Update Now. It will immediately try to contact the printer and adjust the configuration, which you’ll see in a popup progress dialog. After this, change the Printer Status Notification setting right under that to Disabled, then choose OK.

HPUPD Printing (driver) defaults

Once the printer driver, model, communications, and features are set correctly, then you can select printer default settings, which have to be set in the correct place. First, on the Advanced Tab, we do not change any of these settings except: for PaperCut-managed printers, turn off "Enable advanced printing features". (For the few printers not managed by PaperCut, leave this on for extra functionality.) Now, from the Advanced tab, choose the Printing Defaults button. The dialog boxes you see here from here on are driver-specific; for the HPUPD, you see 8 tabs. Choose the Printing Shortcuts tab. You can choose duplex in the Print on both sides: textbox: choose Yes, flip over. It is appropriate to set duplex as the default for all networked printers (unless an operator has specified otherwise) , and for any other printer whose Comments textbox on the General tab ends with a notation that this printer should be set to duplex by default. (That choice was made by the printer operator.) Right under that, make sure the Paper type: textbox is Unspecified; anything else will cause unwanted prompts for different papers.

On HP printers with powered envelope feeders, we have received some reports that the type of media in the feeder is not being detected correctly, so a prompt to load Letter in the feeder appears. The fix appears to be to change the default media in the feeder: on the Device Settings tab, in the "Form to Tray Assignment" section, change Envelope Feeder to Envelope #10. We are also aware that printing from the envelope feeder may be very slow unless you change another setting: on the Print tab, from the menu at left choose "Adjust Paper Types", then scroll down the list to find Envelope. Change its Print Mode setting to Normal Mode; the Resistance Mode and Humidity Mode should already be Normal Mode.

PCL5 Exception

One HP LaserJet printer on campus has to use the alternative PCL5 driver, instead of the usual PCL6 driver, in order to print forms correctly from Colleague. That print queue is LEIG109-LJM602 (and its backup, LEIG128-LJM602). The PCL5 Universal Print Driver is downloaded from the same location at the same time as the PCL6 driver; however, its internal version number is frequently lower.

Printer driver: Canon iR-ADV C5051 PostScript

Current version on print.ads.carleton.edu: 21.55., dated October 5, 2015

On all Canon MFDs, we are using a recent Canon PS (PS = PostScript) driver, with its ability to dynamically detect the printer's features using Bi-Directional communication (via SNMP). Therefore, first detect the current settings: on the Device Settings tab, choose the Get Device Status button at the bottom. You will see the immediate communication with the device; after you acknowledge the OK button, all the options on this tab will be up-to-date.

Next you need to select the types of paper that can be fed from the multi-purpose tray; i.e., all of them. Without this, users will not be able to choose paper types like Labels, Heavy, Envelope, Transparency, so the Canon will not handle those papers correctly. On the Device Settings tab, choose the Form to Tray Assignment button; with Multi-Purpose Tray selected in the Paper Source section at top, select each of the options under Paper Type until they are all selected. If asked if you're sure, answer Yes. Choose OK then Apply. Here's how to check your work: in the next section when you're setting the Printing (driver) defaults, on the Paper Source tab, if you change "Select by:" to "Paper Type", then choose the Settings button, you should see all the paper types. Be careful not to leave this tab this way: change "Select by:" back to "Paper Source", and make sure the default is Auto.

If a printer is Offline (turned off or disconnected from the network), Bi-Di communication is not going to work and so printer features and defaults cannot be set correctly. You have to get the printer back online and seen by the server before you can continue. If you're not sure if the printer is really offline or not, look it up in CentreWare Web (CWW)–when CWW agrees that it's offline, then there is definitely a network communications problem that must be fixed. If a duplexer or tray is not being detected correctly, it's usually a physical problem: check that the duplexing unit or tray is installed and seated correctly. If a duplexer cannot be detected correctly, then the device options must be set manually. You can see a list of the installed options on the PostScript config page, described here .

CC5550 and 6555 Printing (driver) defaults

Once the printer driver, model, communications, and features are set correctly, then you can select printer default settings, which have to be set in the correct place. First, on the Advanced Tab, we do not change any of these settings except: for PaperCut-managed printers, turn off "Enable advanced printing features". (For the few printers not managed by PaperCut, leave this on for extra functionality.)  Now, from the Advanced tab, choose the Printing Defaults button. The dialog boxes you see here from here on are driver-specific; for the CC5051, you see 7 tabs.

Choose the Basic Settings tab. You have the option to change the duplex default: under 1-sided/2-sided/Booklet Printing:, choose 2-sided Printing. It is appropriate to set duplex as the default for all networked printers (unless an operator has specified otherwise), and for any other printer whose Comments textbox on the General tab ends with a notation that this printer should be set to duplex by default. (That choice was made by the printer operator.) For a few Canon MFDs, there will be dual queues: a BLDGRoom-CC5051 queue for color, and a BLDGRoom-Gray-CC5051 queue to either default to grayscale (b&w) printing, or even force it. You set this in the Printing Defaults on the Basic Settings tab, where Color Mode must be set to Black and White for a default-b&w or grayscale only queue.