Laurence’s Blog

Due to a lack of a sensible place for this documentation, it’s going on my blog:

We have a Canon MF5770 printer/fax machine which only has Windows drivers. I’m only interested in printing, not faxing, and have the following workaround (which requires a Windows XP machine as a go-between):

Install necessary software:

1. Install Ghostscript, GSview and RedMon from the Ghostscript site
2. Install “Print services for Unix” (under “Other Network File and Print Services” in Add/Remove windows components.

Add a Postscript printer to work as a go-between:

1. Start “add printer” wizard
2. Choose “local printer” and untick “Automatically detect my plug and play printer”
3. Choose “Create a new port” and the “Redirected Port” type
4. Use RPT1: as the port name
5. Choose a Postscript printer – I choose HP Color Laserjet 4550 PS
6. Call the printer something without a space (I used “mf5770gs”), and no to default
7. I shared the printer
8. No to test page
9. Open the port settings for RPT1: (printer properties – Ports – Port Setttings)
10. Redirect this port to program: “C:\Program Files\Ghostgum\gsview\gsprint.exe”
11. Arguments for this program: “-printer “Canon MF5700 Series” -color -”
12. Run: Hidden

Print a test page – if all is well it should come out.

I did have to add TCP port 515 to the XP firewall exceptions for it to work, but apart from that the system works flawlessly.