Recursively setting default printer 10.8

[paulnz]

Hi,

Newbie here. We are trying to set a policy to our OS X 10.8 Macs to recursively set the default printer to a black & white queue.

To achieve this in OS X 10.9 we have a configuration profile with a Printing payload, which adds a colour queue and B&W queue from Casper admin. Sets the default printer, and a custom setting to the plist org.cups.PrintingPrefs
{DefaultPaperID=iso-a4, UseLastPrinter=false}

Which sets the default to A4 and disables the last printer used option.

This works fine in 10.9, the user can change the print queue to colour, on a once of basis but the default is always B&W.

This same policy, applied to a 10.8 Mac gets the profile, but no print queues are added, and if they already exist on the Mac, no default printer is set.

If anyone has any ideas on this, that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Paul

[paulnz]

Further info:

It appears the com.apple.mcxprinting.plist is being created in the Managed Preferences folder on 10.9 but not 10.8.

The org.cup.PrintPrefs.plist appears on both 10.8 and 10.9, under Managed Prefs.

[mpermann]

Do you have to use config profiles or MCX or are you open to other options? If you're open to other options you could use the lpadmin command to add printers with the defaults set the way you want them. Take a look at https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=12034

[paulnz]

Are you suggesting to run an lpadmin command once a day, scheduled to make sure the default is always set to B&W?

Interesting, if I log out/login on 10.8 after the profiles have been installed, the Printers show up in System Preferences, and if I logout and login a second time, the default is set and enforced.

[mpermann]

With an lpadmin command such as the following:
lpadmin -p "RICOH_MP_C4503" -v "lpd://10.0.1.1/" -D "My RICOH MP C4503" -L "My Office" -P "/Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources/RICOH MP C4503" -E -o printer-is-shared=false -o OptionTray=2Cassette -o LargeCapacityTray=Installed -o Finisher=FinAMUR -o Duplex=None -o PageSize=Letter -o ColorModel=Gray
It will set the default settings of the Ricoh MP C4503 copier to black and white. The very last switch in the command is what is setting the default. If you print, and the Print window Presets drop down is set to "Default Settings" the printer will print in black and white. The end user can always go in and change the Color Mode to Color in the Copies & Pages drop down under the Printer Features. If they change from Default Settings to Last Used Settings then make the change to Color that setting will stick until they go back to using the Default Settings. I'm not sure how to remove the Last Used Settings option to force them to always have to change from black and white to color when they print. Where you find the color option isn't always in the same place. It depends on the device manufacturer as to where you will find it.