Plotting via TCP/IP on Mac OS X

Written by Balázs Biacs

When you set up your plotter for plotting over TCP/IP using OS X and try to plot to it, a message is displayed stating that the network plotter can not be found, and no plot is sent to the plotter.

There are quite a few factors required for plotting on OS X via TCP/IP:

The plotter in the network (with a network card) must have a permanent IP address (the same address has to be set on the control panel of the plotter)
[On OS X.1 only: The network name of the plotter must be set in the plot setup dialog in ArchiCAD/PlotMaker (setting the TCP/IP address of the plotter does not work on OS X.1.x!)]
[On OS X.1 only: Properly configured DNS [Domain Name Server] in the network which translates the name of the plotter correctly to its actual IP address]

The appropriate port number (e.g. 9100 for HP plotters) must be set in the plot setup dialog in ArchiCAD/PlotMaker

Note that the port set for plotting must be open in the System Preferences:Sharing:Firewall control panel, or the firewall must be disabled!

Further note for OS X.1.x users: In the case if there is no DNS server in the network you can only plot via PlotFlow which uses the Classic environment where there is no such IP address resolution problem.

Note that older network cards (of plotters) are not able to switch between protocols like TCP/IP, AppleTalk online. You have to first switch the plotter on and off before you want to send information using a different protocol (this can happen especially when prior to plotting you print from a Mac using AppleTalk).

Page last updated: Thursday, June 10, 2004