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Question

Printer Wonkiness

  • November 14, 2018
  • 4 replies
  • 31 views
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I created a policy to roll out school printer definitions to all the computers in the school. I used Jamf Admin on my computer to build the printer profiles for Jamf online. On my computer, those printers use drivers that are specific to the printers (as opposed to the Generic Postscript Driver). However, when I look at the printers that are configured via the Jamf policy on the recipient computers, they are using the generic postscript driver. This is especially a problem for out two main Xerox copiers that have a lot of options that come along with their drivers. Additionally, if I add a new printer directly to a computer using the correct driver, that newly configured printer will not show up in the list of printers available to Preview app.

Any suggestions on how to get Jamf to roll out printers with the correct drivers?

    4 replies

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    • blackholemac
    • Honored Contributor
    • November 14, 2018

    In the policies that push out your printers, add in the printer driver installer package for each of them. Main reason for that is what you are experiencing....sometimes a given printer needs more than just a PPD to function.

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    • Morningside
    • Author
    • Valued Contributor
    • November 14, 2018

    "Printer Driver Installer Package"... by this do you mean using composer to capture the difference between the printer properly installed and not properly installed? The thing is, all of the macs in my school already have the correct drivers available when you choose 'select software' during the printer set up.

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    • Morningside
    • Author
    • Valued Contributor
    • November 14, 2018

    I have found a few things in the Configuration Profile that might solve both of my problems:

    First, there is a checkbox for 'Show only Managed Printers" . This might explain why Preview can only see the printers that are setup via the Jamf Config Profile. I have unchecked it and I'll see if this fixes that problem.

    Second, for some reason, I had 'Use generic ppd' checked in the Definition tab of the printer in Jamf Pro. I have unchecked it, but I am not sure where to find the correct ppd for the printer I am delivering...

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    • tlagrange
    • Contributor
    • November 14, 2018

    @Morningside In my deployments I have found that Jamf will use a custom PPD based on what was being used on the machine you used Jamf Admin on. However, you also need to deploy the print driver for the printer itself because the custom PPD will act like an alias. You are correct that you should ensure that the generic driver box is unchecked - but if the Mac does not have the driver to start with it will revert to the generic print driver.

    Check out this package from Apple, you can either deploy the whole thing or re-package only the drivers you need. Then as @blackholemac suggested, add the package to the print policy.

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