In most cases you will find that the Windows drivers found here are "self-extracting"
(.exe) archives. Click the desired file. When prompted, we recommend setting the
destination to your desktop. Create a new folder and move the archive into it. Click
the file, it will then extract the software and related files inside of your new
folder automatically. Alternately you may extract or move these files to a floppy
disk. Please note that these files will only self-extract if executed from Windows.
After extracting the files to a disk or a special directory, you should look for
the installation program which is usually called "setup.exe" or "install.exe", click
it to begin installation. If neither of these files are present, you should look
for a text file containing special instructions called "Readme.txt" or something
similar.
Sometimes there is no installation program because you must install your driver
via the Windows "Add Printer" function. Instructions for installing printers can
be found in the Windows help file.
Our Macintosh Archives are also self-extracting archives. These files should be
downloaded and then executed. The installer will be present on the desktop when
done. Click the installer and follow the instructions to install.
Types of Printer Drivers:
- PCL5e Driver - Technically, the PCL5e has been superceded by PCL6, however, we make
this driver available because the layout of some documents may be altered if they
are originally created for a PCL5 compliant printer, but are printed using PCL6.
PCL6 Driver - PCL6 is a good general purpose text / graphics driver. Ideal for Spreadsheets,
Word Processing and Database printouts. It features superior graphics handling,
although graphically better than the PCL5e driver it's speed is typically slower.
- PS3 Driver - The Adobe Postscript Driver is generally superior to all, but it requires
a Postscript compatable printer and can be a little more complex to install.
- IPDL-C Driver - This is a color printer driver designed specifically for optimal
perfomance under Windows.